Tearing through thetartan maths ceiling

Daniel Sellers

28th June 2010

Oslo

Aim: to explore ideas for increasing adults’engagement in maths learning in Scotland ...

This presentation will:

• briefly outline Scotland’s adult literacy and numeracy strategyand the delivery landscape

• describe Scotland’s approach to adult numeracy and somecharacteristics of delivery

• explore the notion of an invisible maths ceiling and some ways ofbreaking through it ...

23% of Scottish adults may have low skills

a further 30% may find their skillsinadequate to meet the demands of the‘knowledge society and information age’

800,000 people

IALS, quoted in Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland (2001)

“The ability to read,write and usenumeracy, to handleinformation toexpress ideas andopinions, to makedecisions and solveproblems, as familymembers, workers,citizens and lifelonglearners”

ALNIS 2001

Terms:

“literacies”Encompassing literacy and numeracy, the term reflects the“dynamic and diverse ways in which adults encounter anduse words and numbers in their written form”

(Literacies in the Community, 2000)

“social practice approach”effective literacies learning takes account of its social,cultural, economic and political contexts. The emphasis is onhow individuals and groups use literacy and numeracy intheir everyday lives.

At odds with a “dipstick” approach to assessing “levels” –why would you need to have numeracy before you need touse it? Why would we look for deficit?

Features of adult literacies delivery inScotland:

• cross-sectoral (community-based adult learning, voluntary/thirdsector organisations, colleges, workplaces, prisons), with“partnerships” led by each of the 32 local authorities

• literacy and numeracy skills not separated, but seen as “situatedin social practices”, with a recognition that capabilities are complex

• values distance travelled against individuals’ learning goals withcore skills accreditation where appropriate

• sessional, part-time or fixed-term workforce

2,500 workers (50% paid, 50% voluntary)

A “refocusing” numeracy ...

“there is a need to raise the profile of numeracy within alearner-centred, research-informed approach to literacies thatsuits adults’ needs, rights and purposes for learning. Thisentails building awareness and developing the capacity bothto do and review research amongst practitioners and learners,and to reflect on practice, something already encouraged inadult literacies tutor training in Scotland.”

Adult Numeracy: shifting the focus (2005)

To be numerate means to be competent,confident, and comfortable with one’s judgementson whether to use mathematics in a particularsituation and if so, what mathematics to use,how to do it, what degree of accuracy isappropriate, and what the answer means inrelation to the context.

Coben: 2000

Subsequent national developments:

• Practitioners’ network (real and virtual)

• Action research into the use of ICT in numeracy teaching

• Professional development:

• Numeracy “energiser” (with NIACE)

• Active learning (Maths4Life, Thinking Through Mathematics)

• Tailored CPD

• Qualification at HND Level

• National conferences for practitioners and managers

• Links to financial capability

• Numeracy for healthcare workers

Characteristics of provision:

One or two specialist tutors in a whole local authority area

or ...

All tutors support literacy AND numeracy holistically

Dedicated provision: “Improve your Maths”

or ...

Numeracy integrated into other learning, but still explicit: “Rag Tag’n’ Textile” and “Charmworks”

Further research ...

“39% of men and 36% of women in the surveyhad literacy abilities at a level likely to impact ontheir employment opportunities and life chances.

In the case of numeracy, this is even morewidespread with 65% of men and 77% of womenexperiencing difficulties.”

New Light on Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland (2008)

Further research ... continued

“Few adults have an awareness of their ownliteracy and numeracy needs”

“levels of self-reported difficulty with reading,writing or numbers were lower in Scotland than inEngland and Wales.”

New Light on Adult Literacy and Numeracy in Scotland (2008)

An “Invisible Maths Ceiling”?

Yvonne:• professional, early forties, team leader• needs to pass a “board”• fails on the “financial management” competency (tables,data, percentage increase and decrease)

•Tariq:• early twenties, hairdresser• sells mobile phones, trying to get into police• fails the numeracy entry test ... three times, then out

Why tartan?

Complex pattern:

different colours (numeracy for very different purposes)

coming from different directions (motivations)

3D Tartan?

My thoughts ...

• It’s only when you want to use numeracy and cannotthat you have a problem ... It’s not about how muchnumeracy someone has but how much they use.

• So, should we be “filling tanks” with numeracy,especially when our fuel tanks are leaky (Reder andBynner and Parsons)?

• A major barrier in learners attending a class is thestigma they fear (Tett), and the risk to their self-image fromthe diagnostic assessment and how their tutor relates tothem (Fingeret)

• Also ...we don’t have the capacity or resources for massre-education

What do we need to do ...

• Normalise the need to polish up rusted skills ... especially amongolder people

• Normalise asking for help from friends, colleagues, managers, aswith technology. This involves a cultural change of attitude tomaths/numeracy ... No longer acceptable just to be bad at maths ...Responsibility to get help

• Promote much more integration of numeracy into other learningand activity, including social enterprise approach

• Guides, cards, ready reckoners

• Books, online materials (“the Learner Web”)

Contact me ...

Daniel Sellers0141 282 5253D.Sellers@LTScotland.org.uk

Learning and Teaching ScotlandThe Optima, 58 Robertson Street, Glasgow G2 8DUT: Customer Services 08700 100 297

www.LTScotland.org.uk