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International Review of Education

, Volume 62, Issue 3, pp 279–297 | Cite as

How to motivate adults with low literacy and numeracy skills to engage and persist in learning: A literature review of policy interventions

  • Hendrickje Catriona Windisch
Original Paper
First Online:

Abstract

Low basic skills levels of adults are a complex policy problem which has neither straightforward causes nor solutions, and successful interventions are still relatively rare. Tackling serious literacy and numeracy weaknesses among adults is challenging, partly because the task itself is difficult, and partly because even if accomplished successfully, the returns on the investment (of expertise, time and money) are uncertain. The Survey of Adult Skills, an international investigation conducted in 22 member and two partner countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), has revealed that a considerable number of adults possess only limited literacy and numeracy skills. Governments now recognise the need to upskill these adults in order to maintain national prosperity. This literature review examines current evidence on policy interventions for adults with low literacy and numeracy proficiencies to pinpoint what has so far proven to motivate adults to join and persist in basic literacy and numeracy learning. The author identifies three approaches which seem promising in helping to address individual learners’ needs: (1) adapting instruction to learners’ needs by means of regular assessment (formative assessment); (2) complementary e-learning (blended learning); and (3) contextualisation of basic skills provision both at work and at home (workplace learning and family literacy). The central challenge is to put the evidence to work.

Keywords

adult education contextualised learning e-learning family literacy programmes formative assessment literacy and numeracy skills 

Résumé

Comment motiver les adultes peu alphabétisés à reprendre et à poursuivre leur apprentissage : analyse bibliographique des interventions stratégiques – Les niveaux insuffisants en compétences de base chez certains adultes constituent un problème stratégique complexe dont ni les causes ni les solutions sont simples, et pour lequel les interventions réussies sont encore relativement rares. Combler les sérieuses lacunes en littératie et numératie chez les adultes est un défi de poids, d’une part parce que la tâche en elle-même est ardue, d’autre part parce que même en cas d’intervention concluante le retour sur investissement (en expertise, temps et argent) est hypothétique. L’évaluation des compétences des adultes, une étude internationale menée par l’Organisation de Coopération et de Développement Économiques (OCDE) dans 22 pays membres et deux pays partenaires dans le cadre du Programme pour l’évaluation internationale des compétences des adultes (PIAAC), a révélé qu’un nombre considérable d’adultes ont des compétences limitées en littératie et numératie. Les gouvernements reconnaissent aujourd’hui la nécessité d’instruire ces citoyens afin de maintenir la prospérité nationale. La présente analyse bibliographique examine les données actuelles sur les interventions stratégiques en faveur des adultes peu alphabétisés, afin de cerner ce qui jusqu’alors a fait ses preuves pour motiver les adultes à entreprendre et à poursuivre un apprentissage des compétences de base. L’auteure identifie trois approches apparemment prometteuses pour aider à répondre aux besoins des apprenants individuels : (1) adaptation de l’instruction aux besoins des apprenants au moyen d’une évaluation régulière (évaluation formative), (2) cyberformation complémentaire (apprentissage mixte), et (3) contextualisation de l’instruction en compétences de base tant au travail qu’à domicile (apprentissage sur le lieu de travail et alphabétisation familiale). Le défi majeur consiste à mettre en application ces conclusions scientifiques.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Directorate for Education and SkillsOECDParisFrance

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