Literacy Skills of Young Adults in Relation to their Social Background

Author(s):

Ene Varik

Conference:

ECER 2010

Network:

5. Children and Youth at Risk and Urban Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

05 SES 11,

Paper Session

Time:

2010-08-27

14:45-16:15

Room:

M.B. SALI 4, Päärakennus / Main Building

Chair:

Sofia Marques da Silva

Contribution

Nowadays many literacy skill studies have focused on the socio-cultural factors (Au & Raphael 2000, Dillon, O`Brien & Heilman 2000, Verhoeven & Vermeer 2006). The high prevalence of reading and writing difficulties seems primarily to be related to social and cultural factors, home backgrounds, limited school attendance and poor self- esteem rather than to constitutional problems of dyslexic nature (Svensson, Lundberg & Jacobson 2001).

The aim of the current survey was to examine the literacy of young adults from different social background in Estonia and find correlations with socio- cultural factors.

The main research questions were:

· What is the literacy of young adults from different social background like?

· What are the correlations between literacy factors and socio-cultural indicators as educational experience, parental education, and family type?

Method

Two data collection methods were used in the survey: • Background questionnaire for examining the respondents’ social background (level of education, family type, parents`level of education and respondents` developmental environment); • Test with 12 texts with different difficulty degrees for studying adult reading literacy. The test is based upon the methods that were used to assess adult people’s literacy when conducting the international study The International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) (National Centre for Education Statistic 1997) compiled by OECD. The sample of the present study consisted of the Estonian speaking young adults from 18 to 25 years of age (N = 336): students in an adult gymnasium (N=112), students in universities (N=111) and prisoners (N=113) representing different social background. Students in adult gymnasiums and prisoners are characterized by early school leaving and low level of education.

Expected Outcomes

The results suggest that a large proportion of the young adults from the risk groups have difficulties with finding and using the necessary information contained in a written text. While the university students’ level of literacy is in the majority of cases close to the functional level, a quarter of the students of adult gymnasiums and half of the prisoners show the level of literacy, which is below the functional level. Literacy level of young adults has been influenced by experienced educational environment during their childhood and youth. Influences from educational environment are strongly related to higher literacy skills.

References

Au, K.H. & Raphael, T.E. (2000). Equity and literacy in next millennium. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 170-188. Dillon, D.R., O`Brien, D.G. & Heilman, E.E. (2000). Literacy research in next millennium: From paradigms to pragmatism and practicality. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 10-26. National Centre for Education Statistic (1997). Adult Literacy: An International Prespective. Working Paper No. 97-33. U. S. Department of Education. [17.07.2006]. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs97/9733.pdf. Svensson, I., Lundberg, I. & Jacobson, C. (2001). The Prevalence of Reading and Spelling Difficulties among Inmates of Institutions for Compulsory Care of Juvenile Delinquents. Dyslexia, 7, 62-76. Verhoeven, L. & Vermeer, A. (2006). Sociocultural variation in literacy achievement. British Journal of educational Studies, 54, 189-211.

Author Information

Ene Varik

Tallinn University

Department of Special and Social Pedagogy

Tallinn

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