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The aim of this study is to compare and contrast the teaching of the adult illiterates as done by Cora Stewart in the United States of America, James Yen in China, and Frank Laubach in Africa. / Typescript. / "September 1949." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts under Plan II." / Advisor: Nita K. Pyburn, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-54).

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Linguistics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

This was a study of rural community literacy practices in Uganda. I used the social practices theory of literacy as a theoretical framework to investigate literacy use in rural community life in Bweyale. The social practices theory of literacy sees literacy as variable social practice that can only be understood within the social context of its use. Consistent with the social practices theoretical perspective and following similar research traditions in this area of literacy study, I used ethnographic research methods to collect data and grounded theory methods to analyse data on literacy use in Bweyale. The study revealed that rural people, contrary to popular perceptions about their illiteracy and hence lack of literacy, actually use reading and writing in a variety of ways in different domains of literacy use. Literacy pervades most aspects of rural community life, making rural people use literacy in many rich and creative ways. Most people, regardless of their literacy status, participate in local literacy practices. The most prominent areas of literacy use in rural community life are livelihood activities, education, religion, bureaucracy, household life, and personal life. The study also found that the conception of literacy among rural people in Bweyale is similar to the dominant conception of literacy. In this conception, literacy is seen as equal to education and/or schooling and it relates to modernity. Rural people see literacy as a valuable and important aspect of life. The literacy they value most is the dominant English language literacy. This is due to the multilingual nature of Uganda and the national language policy that made English the dominant language of literacy even in rural community life. The use of English literacy is also reinforced by its use as the language of instruction in Uganda’s education system where most people learn how to read and write. This dominance of English complicates literacy use in rural community life because it brings in the need for translation, especially when people who do not understand English are involved in a literacy event. It also complicates local language literacy learning. The use of English is closely associated with the dominant non-traditional activities like school education, the police service, modern trade practices, and to some extent, Christian religious practices. Local language literacy is mainly used when communicating information relating to traditional activities, for example, traditional medicinal practices or for personal use. The study recommends that adult literacy education curricula should be tailored to the local literacy practices of the people for whom the literacy programmes are being developed. This will help to make the literacy programmes immediately relevant to the everyday literacy practices of the learners’ community. The programmes should promote literacy use in the community by exploring new areas of literacy use in rural community life. These are areas in which the use of literacy could lead to better management of some activities in rural community life. In all, rural people are literate in ways that are not acknowledged in dominant literacy thinking and hence even by rural people themselves. This way of thinking must be discouraged. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-57). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1992. / Title from title page screen, viewed February 2, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Dent M. Rhodes (chair), Gayle Flickinger, Karl Taylor, Deborah B. Gentry. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-220) and abstract. Also available in print.

Undergraduate honors paper--Mount Holyoke College, 2005. Dept. of Psychology. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 131-136).

This thesis, a qualitative study, examined the literacy practices of nine workers who self-report literacy difficulties. Through a series of interviews it specifically investigated how, in the course of their daily work, their mediated behaviour resulted in development of literacy competence. Through analysis of the workers’ experiences this thesis explored sociocultural themes deriving from Vygotskian traditions such as the central mediational role of psychological tools and signs and the importance of activity taking place in social settings. It took the theoretical position that literacy is an increasingly complex construct that extends beyond functional connotations such as reading, writing and spelling. It focused on the kinds of literacy skills that individuals require in a world characterised by rapid and frequent changes. In doing so this thesis recognised the diverse modalities in literacy performance that emphasise ways of knowing and ways of doing or designing as well as reading, writing, listening, thinking, speaking and comprehending across a range of modalities. This thesis argues that sociocultural concepts are applicable to adult learners. In particular it concludes that adult learners in the course of their jobs demonstrate a repertoire of literacy competence through engagement in meaningful literacy practices. This thesis reports that a significant indicator of the reported broadening in literacy competence is the support structures available in the workplace and in particular the specific characteristics of mentors / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)