“Numeracy at work”: a discussion of terms and results from empirical studies

Straesser, Rudolf

doi:10.1007/s11858-015-0689-0

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…A country-specific study by Hämäläinen, De Wever, Malin, and Cincinnato (2015) in Finland, explored problem-solving skills in technology-rich environments among adults with VET. The study by Straesser (2015), which was not a country-specific one, explored the numeracy and its relationship to work, analysing specific forms and constrains of workplace-related numeracy. Three case studies were analysed, complemented by an analysis of the PIAAC survey.…”

Section: Contributions Of Piaacmentioning

confidence: 99%

The developing field of workplace learning and the contribution of PIAAC

Olsen

Tikkanen

2018

International Journal of Lifelong Education

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There has been a prolific production of research papers on workplace learning (WPL) during the last two decades. Several reviews of the field discuss the development of themes, the use of foundational terms and some different models and frameworks have been developed. The purpose of this article is to analyse the recent development of the field of WPL, as presented in research literature, and to evaluate the potential of international survey data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to contribute to this development. Our study is organised in three stages. Firstly, we summarise the main topics and trends emerging from recent literature on WPL. Secondly, we analyse how peer-reviewed publications using data from the OECD PIAAC survey have contributed to WPL. Thirdly, we compare and discuss the different contributions and make some suggestions as to how PIAAC survey data might be used to further develop our understanding of WPL.

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Section: Contributions Of Piaacmentioning

confidence: 99%

The developing field of workplace learning and the contribution of PIAAC

Olsen

Tikkanen

2018

International Journal of Lifelong Education

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“…Context thus becomes localised and defined through the type of mathematics invokedsolving missing addends-rather than in the more general sense of context as including the social conditions of the activity. While we might agree that 'the purpose of mathematics in the workplace is to cope with situations defined by something extra-mathematical' (Straesser, 2015) we could also argue that engaging with school mathematics is never divorced from the extra-mathematical. Is the boy who asks 'shall I count?'…”

Section: Encouraging a Critical Orientationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Numeracy for the 21st century: a commentary

Askew

2015

ZDM Mathematics Education

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leavers with the basic skills of arithmetic, and so numeracy is regarded as a subset of mathematics. At the other extreme, it is argued that the teaching of numeracy should address the political dimensions of mathematics and its uses in society, so that learners are supported in becoming critical citizens. Papers in this special edition provide key readings and insights into different positions in this debate.Many of the papers draw on the model developed by Goos, Geiger, and Dole (2014) that examines elements of contexts, tools, dispositions, and mathematical knowledge, embedded within what the authors call a critical orientation. Indeed, being, or becoming critical is a thread that runs through the papers here and provides the main theme for this commentary. I then also consider briefly some issues surrounding the nature of contexts for developing numeracy and how the writers here address the issue of dispositions. In doing so my primary aim is to raise questions for debate and further conversation. Becoming criticalWhile parts of the education community cling to the 'number sense' and 'basic arithmetic' view of numeracy, there is a substantial body of work that argues that numeracy education needs to go beyond the basic skills model and to engage learners in thinking critically about how mathematics is used, the power that mathematics has (or how it is used by those in power), and to question the status quo (Frankenstein 1989;Mellin-Olsen 1997). Rather than seeing numeracy as a neutral set of skills, developing critical numeracy is seen as an important part of teaching for social justice. Gutstein (2003), for example, explores how to use real-world projects in school to promote equity and to develop students' use of mathematics. Such Abstract Many of the papers in this special issue draw on the fundamental model of numeracy developed by Goos et al. (Transforming mathematics instruction: multiple approaches and practices. 81-102, 2014). Four elements in that model-contexts, tools, dispositions, and mathematical knowledge-are embedded within a critical orientation, and being, or becoming critical is a thread that runs through the papers in this issue and provides the main theme for this commentary. I also consider briefly some issues surrounding the nature of contexts for developing numeracy and the nature of dispositions. Questions for the debate are raised with the hope that this prompts further conversation.

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“…Many sources argue that the impact of changing technology and ICT systems, tools and processes, causes twentyfirst century workplaces to require higher STEM skills (Maass et al 2019) or techno-mathematical literacies (Hoyles et al 2010), more sophisticated mathematical problem solving skills, the ability to address tasks related to risk and statistics, and critical interpretation of data in various forms, among other trends (FitzSimons 2019). Other research shows, however, that mathematics is becoming increasingly invisible, and sometimes disappears within technological systems (Marr and Hagston 2007;Straesser 2015).…”

Section: The Changing Roles and Purposes Of Numeracy In The Twenty-fimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This analysis has implications for conceptualizing targets for adult numeracy education. (Regarding workplace numeracy, see Hoyles et al 2010;Straesser 2015).…”

Section: How Is Vulnerability Related To Separate Numeracy Domains?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Numeracy, adult education, and vulnerable adults: a critical view of a neglected field

Gal

Grotlüschen

Tout

et al. 2020

ZDM Mathematics Education

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This survey paper examines selected issues related to the intersection of three broad scholarly areas: numeracy, adult education, and vulnerability. Numeracy encompasses the ways in which people cope with the mathematical, quantitative, and statistical demands of adult life, and is viewed as an important outcome of schooling and as a foundational skill for all adults. The focus on vulnerability stems from the realization that concerns of policy makers and educators alike often center on populations seen as vulnerable. The paper is organized in five sections. After a brief introduction, Section 2 examines adult numeracy, focusing on five numeracy domains (health, financial, digital, civic, and workplace numeracy), literacynumeracy linkages, functional and critical aspects of numeracy, and the centrality of numeracy practices, and notes sources of vulnerability for each of these. Section 3 sketches formal, non-formal and informal contexts in which adults learn or develop their numeracy, and examines factors that may be potential sources of vulnerability, including systemic factors and dispositional and affect factors. Section 4 reflects more broadly on the concept of vulnerability, introduces selected aspects of the papers published in this issue of ZDM Mathematics Education, and points to findings regarding adult learners who may be deemed vulnerable. The closing section summarizes conclusions and research directions regarding the intersection of the three core domains. Overall, the paper points to emerging research needs and educational challenges that are relevant to scholars, practitioners, and policy makers interested in developing the numeracy of adults as well as in the mathematics education of younger learners.

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“Numeracy at work”: a discussion of terms and results from empirical studies

Cited by 13 publications

References 13 publications

The developing field of workplace learning and the contribution of PIAAC

The developing field of workplace learning and the contribution of PIAAC

Numeracy for the 21st century: a commentary

Numeracy, adult education, and vulnerable adults: a critical view of a neglected field

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