Numeracy the poor cousin in Australia?
Low literacy and numeracy skills hurt Australians and the economy. David Tout from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) outlines the results of an international study assessing literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in adults that give some cause for optimism but also concern.
The results from the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competences (PIAAC), which assesses the proficiency of adults in literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments, were released in early October.*
One of the key outcomes for Australia is our poorer performance in numeracy compared to literacy. PIAAC revealed that Australians performed significantly above the OECD average in literacy, yet achieved at the OECD average in numeracy.
However you read the results, it should be noted that they do not indicate, and do not claim to indicate, rates of illiteracy or innumeracy. The results, however, do indicate that a significant number of Australians aged from 15 to 74 years do not have access to sufficient literacy and numeracy skills to be able to cope equitably with life in the 21st century. This is particularly true in relation to numeracy, for which it is estimated that 9 million of Australian 15 to 74 year olds lack the necessary skills.
The 21st century requires its citizens and workers to have increasingly higher-level literacy and numeracy skills, and the results of PIAAC provide insights into Australia’s skill levels. Despite stories about those extremely rare individuals who say they have made it without being able to read, write or understand mathematics, research based on international surveys like PIAAC demonstrates that for the vast majority of people low levels of literacy and numeracy have a negative impact on their social and economic future.
It is therefore in the best interests of the individual, of society and of the economy to support and enhance everyone’s literacy and numeracy skills. Access to higher levels of literacy and numeracy, no matter the starting point and no matter the age or background, is crucial and has many benefits.
The PIAAC results show there is some cause for optimism but still cause for concern, especially in relation to young people’s and adult’s abilities in relation to using and applying mathematics in their lives. The significant gender difference in favour of males in numeracy in Australia is particularly worrying. Numeracy often is the poor cousin in literacy and numeracy teaching and learning in education and training, despite research that indicates that numeracy may have a larger impact than literacy on individuals, society and the economy.
There is still much to be done, especially in relation to supporting and upskilling the language, literacy and numeracy skills and knowledge of educators across the different education sectors. Hopefully the evidence from international assessments will prompt the kinds of support the numeracy field deserves and needs.
*For the details of Australia’s results go to the Australian Bureau of Statistics website. Visit the OECD website for the international comparative reports and data.
David Tout is the Manager, Corporate and Vocational Assessment Services, and also holds the position of Senior Research Fellow in the Assessment and Reporting research program at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). David is a member of the Numeracy Expert Group for PIAAC. He has had over 40 years experience in the education sector and has worked within a range of programs in schools, TAFEs, adult community education providers, university, AMES and industry. He has had wide experience not only in teaching and training, but also in working at a state, national and international level in research, curriculum, assessment and materials development. David joined ACER in 2008, and has worked on a number of projects including an online Adult Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Tool for the Tertiary Education Commission in New Zealand; the numeracy component of the PIAAC; the development of online literacy and numeracy assessment tools for disengaged young people and for adults; and the mathematical literacy component of PISA 2012.
Ronald Forbes
October 21, 2013 at 11:57 am
The How of the 3Rs
I don't see any mention of how these children are being taught. Are we comparing apples with oranges? Early in the 20th century, Maria Montessori started her school with 60(?) poor kids in an old storeroom with not much equipment. She used tactile and visual techniques that got through to everyone, it seems. And her coloured rods for teaching numbers became famous as the Cuisenaire rods. Her methods still work – up to elementary algebra. How many children get to use them, taught by a practitioner? There are some (boring) books they can fill out, but rarely things they can touch and feel and play with. Lets find out what the kids like first, then we can play with our statistics – which will then have their value.
frank6th
November 6, 2013 at 12:17 am
Inspiration
I agree, but my observations after some years of teaching is that the difference between the best students and the ones that struggle is how well they are inspired. It does not seem to matter where the inspiration comes from; home, friends, school…. Our problem is that the sources of inspiration seem to be less traditional in this changing world. Just simply meeting all the basic needs to provide the learning environment, as we so often do is not enough, for without inspiration learning all to often ends in it being an arduous task with poor outcomes. (I reflect that De Bono failed to identify inspiration!). It is within the skills of every educator to inspire their students, and yes every student is different and the task of inspiring them challenging, but the rewards for the educator go way beyond material value and if I can do so can so can you!