Adult Literacy Research: Opportunities and Challenges. NCSALL Occasional Paper

This monograph looks first at opportunities provided by research in the adult literacy field and then identifies challenges to scientific research and suggests ways to address these challenges so that better evidence can be generated in the future. It has two goals that support the building of a stronger research base for the adult literacy field. The first goal is to interest researchers in pursuing rigorous scientific research in this field. Despite the many challenges to research, this field offers researchers some opportunities to have a positive impact on education, increase the research base, and advance their careers. The second goal is to identify these challenges and approaches to overcoming them so that future research could design more successful studies. Addressing these challenges to research is a critical step toward building a larger and stronger foundation of evidence to support practitioner decisions. The target group for this monograph includes present and prospective researchers but also policymakers and administrators who seek a better understanding of research in this field. Appended are: (1) List of Advisors; (2) List of Peer Reviewers; and (3) List of Government Officials. (Contains 7 footnotes.)