Thesis (MA) -- AUT University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print ( viii, 135 leaves ; 30 cm.) in the Archive at the City Campus (T 428.0071 HAR)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-201).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Jane B. Robbins, Florida State University, School of Information Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 6, 2003). Includes bibliographical references.

Developing successful 'literacy for development programmes' for adults remains a critical issue for many Third World policy makers and educators. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze Sierra Leone's educational reform policies and practices between 1970 and 1992 with regard to adult literacy in order to understand the factors associated with the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of adult literacy programmes. The chief theoretical perspective that informed the research concerned the socio-economic, educational, historical and political ecology of adult literacy work. Literacy work was problematized as a complex process deeply rooted in a nation's social, economic and political structures. A conceptual framework depicting three analytic categories of factors associated with the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of adult literacy programmes in Third World societies was developed from an extensive review of literacy literature. These categories were labelled as macro-level factors, meso-level factors and micro-level factors. The 'orchestration' or 'combination' of all three analytic categories of factors was viewed as critical in in uderstanding the factors associated with the success and failure of adult literacy programmes operating in the country. The basic method of data collection was semi-structured interview. Other data sources included policy documents, official statistics and observations. The study found that seven principal factors were associated with the success and failure of adult literacy programmes. It was the conclusion of the study that: (i) international forces, social-historical features of Sierra Leone society as well as organisational and administrative support were as critical to the success or failure of adult literacy programmes as were the educational features and circumstances of illiterate adults; (ii) contrary to the rhetoric expressed in policy documents and pronouncements, the solutions to Sierra Leone's underdevelopment problems were probably beyond the reach of increased literacy per se to remedy and; (iii) in their current form, adult literacy programmes were probably functioning as instruments of the state and the nation's elites, contributing to the legitimation of government and elite authority. The implications of the study for policy, practice, theory and further research as well as the recommendations arising from it are discussed.

Thesis (M.A.)--Indiana University, 2010. / Title from screen (viewed on July 19, 2010). Department of Sociology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Advisor(s): Peter Seybold, Patricia A. Wittberg, Christine Leland. Includes vitae. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-54).

Thesis (M.A.)(Information Science)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes summary Includes bibliography. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

M.Ed. / This study focuses on research conducted at a non-formal adult basic education centre in South Hills, Johannesburg. The research population consists of five women who are migrant, domestic helpers. Levels of literacy within the group range from English Literacy Level Three to non-literacy. In their vernacular languages the participants show varying degrees of literacy or the absence thereof. The research seeks to establish how a specific group of adults learn. This is done by documenting the learning experiences of the group of learners over a period of time. Crucial to the process was providing answers to the following research questions: 1) How do adults learn in non-formal education? and 2) How do collaboration and mediation impact on adult learning in non-formal education? The above research is contextualised within theories of learning which prioritise collaboration and mediation as central to the process. Data collection took place with the research questions foregrounded within the theoretical perspectives indicated above. Sets of binary themes emerged from the research data which are inextricably linked to collaboration and mediation. It is consequently concluded that collaboration and mediation are crucial to processes of learning among the group of adult learners researched and it may therefore be inferred, inductively, that collaboration and mediation could work successfully in similar educational settings. It is consequently recommended that adult education centres incorporate and replicate, in their didactical approaches, the successful methodology utilised in this study.

Developing successful 'literacy for development programmes' for adults remains a critical issue for many Third World policy makers and educators. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze Sierra Leone's educational reform policies and practices between 1970 and 1992 with regard to adult literacy in order to understand the factors associated with the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of adult literacy programmes. The chief theoretical perspective that informed the research concerned the socio-economic, educational, historical and political ecology of adult literacy work. Literacy work was problematized as a complex process deeply rooted in a nation's social, economic and political structures. A conceptual framework depicting three analytic categories of factors associated with the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of adult literacy programmes in Third World societies was developed from an extensive review of literacy literature. These categories were labelled as macro-level factors, meso-level factors and micro-level factors. The 'orchestration' or 'combination' of all three analytic categories of factors was viewed as critical in in uderstanding the factors associated with the success and failure of adult literacy programmes operating in the country. The basic method of data collection was semi-structured interview. Other data sources included policy documents, official statistics and observations. The study found that seven principal factors were associated with the success and failure of adult literacy programmes. It was the conclusion of the study that: (i) international forces, social-historical features of Sierra Leone society as well as organisational and administrative support were as critical to the success or failure of adult literacy programmes as were the educational features and circumstances of illiterate adults; (ii) contrary to the rhetoric expressed in policy documents and pronouncements, the solutions to Sierra Leone's underdevelopment problems were probably beyond the reach of increased literacy per se to remedy and; (iii) in their current form, adult literacy programmes were probably functioning as instruments of the state and the nation's elites, contributing to the legitimation of government and elite authority. The implications of the study for policy, practice, theory and further research as well as the recommendations arising from it are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Past research has not sufficiently addressed the question of what types of adult literacy instructional practice are recognized by participants, i.e., students and teachers, as facilitating learning in Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes. The purpose of this study was to describe instructional practices in two urban literacy programs serving low level adult readers, and to identify which practices were effective in meeting student needs. Effectiveness was measured by the ability of students to achieve learning objectives identified by themselves and the teacher, and included attendance patterns and student participation. Quantitative measures of achievement were not used as criteria since few classes utilized comparable formal assessment instruments. The process of generating grounded theory developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967) provided a suitable methodological framework for this qualitative research design that used an ethnographic approach as the format for the participatory research study. Teachers and students in six ABE classes provided data which were collected using a multi-method-plan utilizing interviews, participant observation, and documentary materials The study was structured around one primary and four secondary research questions. These questions were designed to address the various aspects of effective instructional practices in ABE classes and began by describing how teachers and students defined literacy skills and student goals, what practices were used in the classrooms, and how students perceived their learning. After this information was gathered, effective practices could be identified using the criteria elicited from teachers and students. Effective practices were found to be an interdependent process that included teacher, students, and goals within the context of the ABE classroom. The study showed that the effectiveness of discrete instructional practice was dependent on an instructional process that resulted from a teacher's choice of materials and methods accurately reflecting the attributes of students and their educational objectives. Crucial aspects of the teacher's actions were identification of primary objectives development of basic learning skills, interpersonal communication, and establishment of a supportive environment. For students, an active role within the class that included participation and self-directedness was recognized as contributing to goal achievement. Where this process was observed, there was a greater chance of students remaining in the program, actively participating in their learning, and ultimately achieving learning goals.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study contributes to the research on stigma and adult literacy by giving voice to an understudied and marginalized group. It allows adults with literacy challenges to elaborate on how they accomplish everyday activities, to describe what strategies they use to manage stigma, and to tell their stories about how stigma has affected various domains of their lives. This study also explores some participants' experience with stigma during childhood and its impact on their self-esteem and self-efficacy for learning. It situates these findings in a larger social context by analyzing changes in self-concept and lifelong learning goals of adult learners who have been participating in a literacy program for at least two years.