Adult Literacy research group
The Adult Literacy group provides the focus for several members of the School who are or have been engaged on projects funded by the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC). NRDC was set up in February 2002, is funded by the DfES, and is a consortium of several university and other partner organisations, led by the Institute of Education, University of London. Besides Sheffield and IoE, the universities involved are Lancaster, Leeds, Nottingham, and King´s College London. Provider partners are Liverpool Community College and Tower Hamlets College, and several national development organisations are associated: the Basic Skills Agency, NIACE, and the Learning and Skills Network (formerly the Learning and Skills Development Agency).
The members of the group are:
Ann-Marie Bathmaker
Greg Brooks
Maxine Burton
Pam Cole
Kate Pahl
Sammy Rashid
Dr Vickie Heathcote
Associated with the group are Dr Carole Torgerson of the University of York who co-directed the first project listed below, Dr Marcin Szczerbinski of the Department of Human Communication Sciences at Sheffield who carries out detailed statistical analyses, Dr Sam Roberts (now at the University of Stirling) who has also done a lot of statistical analysis for us, and a team of 11 practitioner-researchers who in 2003-05 worked on the Effective practice in reading study mentioned below*: Colette Beazley, Judy Davey, Richard Finnigan, Gill Fuller, John Harman, Margaret Harman, Liz Heydon, Dr Naomi Horrocks, Dr Gaye Houghton, Yvonne Spare, and Jan Wainwright.
Completed NRDC projects include
2001-03
Expert and systematic reviews of randomised and other controlled trials in adult literacy and numeracy (collaboration with University of York), published in:
Torgerson, C.J., Porthouse, J. and Brooks, G.(2003). `A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials evaluating interventions in adult literacy and numeracy.´ Journal of Research in Reading, 26, 3, 234-55.
Torgerson, C., Brooks, G., Porthouse, J., Burton, M., Wright, K. and Watt, I. (2004). Adult literacy and numeracy interventions and outcomes: a review of controlled trials (research report). London: NRDC. Available at: http://www.nrdc.org.uk/uploads/documents/doc_2850.pdf
Torgerson, C., Porthouse, J. and Brooks, G. (2005). `A systematicn review and meta-analysis of controlled trials evaluating interventions in adult literacy and numeracy.´ Journal of Research in Reading, 28, 2, 87-107
2002-03
Review of assessment instruments for adult literacy and numeracy, published in:
Brooks, G., Heath, K. and Pollard, A. (2005). Assessing adult literacy and numeracy: a review of research instruments (research report). London: NRDC.
2002-03
Exploration of adult literacy learners´ difficulties in reading, published in:
Besser, S., Brooks, G., Burton, M., Parisella, M., Spare, Y., Stratford, S. and Wainwright, J. (2004). Adult literacy learners´ difficulties in reading: an exploratory study (research report). London: NRDC.
2002-03
Community-focused provision in adult literacy, language and numeracy, published in:
Hannon, P., Pahl, K., Bird, V., Taylor, C. and Birch, C. (2003). Community-focused provision in adult literacy, numeracy and language: an exploratory study. London: NRDC.
2002-03
Exploration of physically disabled adults´ basic skills needs
2003
Literature review of ESOL for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, published in:
Armstrong, D. and Heathcote, V. (2003). Literature review of ESOL for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. London: NRDC.
2002-04
Review of research on developmental dyslexia in adults (collaboration with IoE), published in:
Rice, M. with Brooks, G. (2004). Developmental dyslexia in adults: a research review. London: NRDC.
2003-04
Commissioning of new literacy assessment instrument from National Foundation for Educational Research (collaboration with IoE and KCL
2003-06
*Correlational study of effective practice in the teaching of reading to adult literacy learners
2004-05
Evaluation of Skills for Families for the Basic Skills Agency; report available on the Agency´s website:
Heathcote, V. and Brooks, G. (2005). Evaluating Skills for Families in Autumn 2004, especially the role of local Skills for Families consultants. A report to the Basic Skills Agency.
http://www.basic-skills.co.uk/site/page.php?p=847
available at
http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=424
The following NRDC projects are ongoing
2003-07
Study of the impact of the Skills for Life strategy on adult literacy, language and numeracy learners (collaboration with IoE, Lancaster and the market research group GfK/NOP). Interim report available at:
http://www.nrdc.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=424
2005-07
International study of effective and inclusive family literacy, language and numeracy (collaboration with IoE and Lancaster)
2005-07
Literacy and numeracy levels of 14- to 19-year-olds
2005-07
`Stepping stones´ provision for adult learners moving from provision not counting towards the Skills for Life targets to counting provision (collaboration with IoE and Lancaster)
Collectively, these NRDC projects have brought in about £1.1m.
Several doctoral dissertations have been completed that are relevant to the area, including:
Burton, M. (2004). Signs of stigma? Attitudes to illiteracy in Victorian fiction, 1850-1890.
Torgerson, C.J. (2005). Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials in literacy research: methodological challenges.
Ward, J. (2004). Voices from the workface: perspectives from a local authority workplace literacy programme.
