Literacy and Numeracy Studies Journal

A well established journal from the Centre for Research in Learning and Change, University of Technology, Sydney. It is subtitled ‘An International Journal in the education and training of adults’ and is available freely. You just need to register.

The latest version is Vol 19, No 1 (2011) but issues dating back to 2006 can be downloaded. The many fascinating papers can usefully be browsed by title, journal or author.

One article caught my eye in Volume 17, No 3 (2009): ‘Is the Professionalisation of Adult Basic Skills Practice Possible, Desirable or Inevitable?’ (Carol Dennis) looks at the UK Skills for Life policy from an Australian perspective. It makes ideal reading material for Level 5 Additional Diploma in Literacy students.

For Numeracy Diploma studies there are equally fascinating articles. For example, “Mapping the [UK] Adult Numeracy Curriculum: Cultural Capital and Conscientization” from Helen Oughton (Vol 26, No 1 2008). This is also the first piece of research I have seen that is based on numeracy students’ mindmaps.