This volume is aimed at teachers, trainers and curriculum developers of maths in adult literacy education. The chapters introduce recent views on the nature of numeracy, discuss instructional principles, recommend teaching practices tailored to adult needs, and examine assessment strategies.
Understanding the origins of poor literacy and numeracy skills in adulthood and how to improve them is of major importance when society places a high premium on proficiency in these basic skills. This edited collection brings together the results of recent longitudinal studies that greatly extend our knowledge of what works in raising skill levels, as well as the social and economic returns to improvement. Many fundamental research questions in adult education involve change over time: how adults learn, how program participation influences their acquisition of skills and knowledge, and how their educational development interacts with their social and economic performance. Although a growing number of longitudinal studies in adult basic education have recently been completed, this book is the first systematic compilation of findings and methods. Triangulating findings from different methodological perspectives and research designs, and across countries, this text produces convergence on key conclusions about the role of basic skills in the modern life course and the most effective ways of enhancing them.
This book is an amazing resource for teachers who are struggling to help students develop both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding.. --Dr. Margaret (Peg) Smith, co-author of5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions Robert Kaplinsky, the co-creator of Open Middle math problems, brings hisnew class of tasks designed to stimulate deeper thinking and lively discussion among middle and high school students in Open Middle Math: Problems That Unlock Student Thinking, Grades 6-12. The problems are characterized by a closed beginning,- meaning all students start with the same initial problem, and a closed end,- meaning there is only one correct or optimal answer. The key is that the middle is open- in the sense that there are multiple ways to approach and ultimately solve the problem. These tasks have proven enormously popular with teachers looking to assess and deepen student understanding, build student stamina, and energize their classrooms. Professional Learning Resource for Teachers: Open Middle Math is an indispensable resource for educators interested in teaching student-centered mathematics in middle and high schools consistent with the national and state standards. Sample Problems at Each Grade: The book demonstrates the Open Middle concept with sample problems ranging from dividing fractions at 6th grade to algebra, trigonometry, and calculus. Teaching Tips for Student-Centered Math Classrooms: Kaplinsky shares guidance on choosing problems, designing your own math problems, and teaching for multiple purposes, including formative assessment, identifying misconceptions, procedural fluency, and conceptual understanding. Adaptable and Accessible Math: The tasks can be solved using various strategies at different levels of sophistication, which means all students can access the problems and participate in the conversation. Open Middle Math will help math teachers transform the 6th -12th grade classroom into an environment focused on problem solving, student dialogue, and critical thinking.
How do you tailor education to the learning needs of adults? Do they learn differently from children? How does their life experience inform their learning processes? These were the questions at the heart of Malcolm Knowles’ pioneering theory of andragogy which transformed education theory in the 1970s. The resulting principles of a self-directed, experiential, problem-centred approach to learning have been hugely influential and are still the basis of the learning practices we use today. Understanding these principles is the cornerstone of increasing motivation and enabling adult learners to achieve. The 9th edition of The Adult Learner has been revised to include: Updates to the book to reflect the very latest advancements in the field. The addition of two new chapters on diversity and inclusion in adult learning, and andragogy and the online adult learner. An updated supporting website. This website for the 9th edition of The Adult Learner will provide basic instructor aids including a PowerPoint presentation for each chapter. Revisions throughout to make it more readable and relevant to your practices. If you are a researcher, practitioner, or student in education, an adult learning practitioner, training manager, or involved in human resource development, this is the definitive book in adult learning you should not be without.
Learning takes place both inside and outside of the classroom, embedded in local practices, traditions and interactions. But whereas the importance of social practice is increasingly recognised in literacy education, Numeracy as Social Practice: Global and Local Perspectives is the first book to fully explore these principles in the context of numeracy. The book brings together a wide range of accounts and studies from around the world to build a picture of the challenges and benefits of seeing numeracy as social practice ̶ that is, as mathematical activities embedded in the social, cultural, historical and political contexts in which these activities take place. Drawing on workplace, community and classroom contexts, Numeracy as Social Practice shows how everyday numeracy practices can be used in formal and non-formal maths teaching and how, in turn, classroom teaching can help to validate and strengthen local numeracy practices. At a time when an increasingly transnational approach is taken to education policy making, this book will appeal to development practitioners and researchers, and adult education, mathematics and numeracy teachers, researchers and policy makers around the world.
This is the first book to explore adult mathematics education. It aims to situate research and practice in adults learning mathematics within the wider field of lifelong learning and lifelong education. Topics covered include: mathematics and common sense; statistical literacy and numeracy; new theories on learning mathematics; mathematical competences for the workplace; ethnomathematics; and the training of tutors
This book will help those who plan and develop literacy initiatives; using case studies from literacy programmes in many countries including Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines and Uganda, it demonstrates the importance of literacy, its power to improve lives, and the role literacy plays in social and economic development.
With a radically new perspective on reading, writing and mathematics for adults, this refreshing and challenging book shows how teachers and curriculum developers have much to gain from understanding the role of literacy in learners' lives, bringing in their families, social networks and jobs. Looking at the practicalities of how teachers and students can work with social practice in mind, Adult Literacy as Social Practice is particularly focused on: * how a social theory of literacy and numeracy compares with other theoretical perspectives * how to analyze reading and writing in everyday life using the concepts of social literacy as analytical tools, and what this tells us about learners' teaching needs * what is actually happening in adult basic education and how literacy is really being taught * professional development. With major policy initiatives coming into force, this is the essential guide for teachers and curriculum developers through this area, offering one-stop coverage of the key concepts without the need for finding materials from far-scattered sources.
This book offers friendly guidance on how to work with adult learners to develop their numeracy and mathematics skills. It brings together current research and practice on teaching adult numeracy into one handy volume and covers the major issues faced by teachers of adult numeracy such as current policy perspectives and implications for teaching practice. There are reflective tasks throughout, which encourage you to develop and apply your theoretical knowledge to your own experiences. Key features include: Reviews of existing policy and research and implications for practice Reflective tasks with commentary, encouraging you to develop and apply your knowledge Case studies of real student experiences Practical activities and ideas to support the planning, teaching and assessment of adult numeracy Drawing on the substantial experience of the contributors, who have a wealth of experience as practitioners and researchers in the field, this book is an essential resource for trainee and practising teachers of adult numeracy and mathematics. It is also an ideal textbook to support teacher training courses leading to a subject specific qualification in teaching numeracy to adults. Contributors: Jackie Ashton, John Barton, Carolyn Brooks, Martyn Edwards, Janette Gibney, David Holloway, David Kaye, Beth Kelly, Barbara Newmarch, Helen Oughton, David Prinn, Diana Spurr, Rebecca Woolley "This is a quite unique book about teaching adult numeracy, which will be invaluable to the many practitioners in this field. The chapters, contributed by a group of experienced and successful lecturers and practitioners, include all aspects of this field, from methods of teaching specific mathematical topics to more general explorations of dyscalculia and emotional factors in adult learners. Each chapter includes research findings and thoughtful presentation of ideas with practical ideas for teaching, and tasks for the reader. This is a market which has not been served well in the past, so it is good to see the gap filled at last." Margaret Brown, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics Education, King's College London, UK "The editors of this book set out to produce a text that would support teacher-education programmes for adult numeracy, and their book does that and more. The content covers different types of learners, different settings, different understandings of what numeracy actually is; and ranges from commentary on research through case studies to "how to" hints and tips for teaching. Chapters 7 (on provoking mathematical thinking) and 8 (attitudes, beliefs and teaching) should be a required read for any adult numeracy teacher. The book would be at home on any numeracy teacher's desk, and would make an excellent set text for numeracy teacher training courses." Carol Randall, course co-ordinator for numeracy in the department of Lifelong Learning Teacher Education, University of Greenwich, UK "This book is a welcome addition to the growing literature on adult numeracy. It should be essential reading for trainee and practising adult numeracy educators. It brings together relevant research and professional wisdom on a wide variety of aspects of adult numeracy teaching and learning in an accessible way, with well-focussed tasks for readers to extend their knowledge and understanding. While the book is born out of UK concerns and issues, it is also relevant to international readers. Highly recommended." Professor Diana Coben PhD, Director, National Centre of Literacy & Numeracy for Adults, University of Waikato, New Zealand, and Hon. Trustee, Adults Learning Mathematics - A Research Forum (ALM -- www.alm-online.net/)
There is an increasing need for numeracy skills in all aspects of life. This book explores the issues that are emerging regarding the teaching of these skills, beginning with preschool and the early years of primary school through to adults with poor numeracy skills. It draws on research and relevant literature from several different countries to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject and contains many links to other sources of information and additional resources.