Page 251 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 251
tment to society. Typical inactive individuals (in terms of education) include 251
persons (especially men) whose occupation involves housekeeping or agricul-
ture, are unemployed or are looking for work. The level of education of inac-
tive individuals is low: completed or uncompleted lower secondary education
and aged over fifty. Typical inactive individuals live in less developed (periph-
eral) regions, where the availability of educational programmes is rather limit-
ed. Their writing competencies reach Levels 1 or 2 and they attach no particu-
lar value to education’ (ibid., 47).
In another study (Mohorčič Špolar and Radovan, 2006) conducted in Slo-
venia in 2004, an analysis of the socially collective characteristics of partici-
pation in education of the active working population revealed a similar pic-
ture: two main groups can be recognised based on the variables used. The
first group includes adults with higher levels of education and more demand-
ing and responsible jobs (mostly persons employed in legislative bodies, sen-
ior officials, managers and professionals). Adults in this group are also char-
acterised by an above-average monthly family income and they live in larger
towns. The second group is an antithesis of the first. It includes adults with low-
er levels of education, less demanding jobs and below-average family income.
Adults from this group can be described as a more rural population since they
of previously published assessment studies will be stated in this paper.
In international adult literacy surveys, adults are classified in five levels of literacy that correspond
to measured ranges of the scores achieved. Level 1 indicates persons with very poor skills (an indi-
vidual may, for example, be unable to determine the correct amount of medicine to give to a child
from information printed on the package.) Level 2 respondents can deal only with material that is
simple, clearly laid out, and in which the tasks involved are not too complex, which also denotes
a weak level of their skill. (Level 2 individuals may have developed coping skills to manage every-
day literacy demands, but their low level of proficiency makes it difficult for them to face novel de-
mands, such as learning new job skills. Level 3 is considered a suitable minimum for coping with
the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. Generally, it denotes rough-
ly the skill level required for successful upper secondary school completion and tertiary education
entry. At the highest two levels (Levels 4 and 5) individuals are required to integrate a large num-
ber of information sources and solve complex problems. An individual who has achieved Level 4 or
5 demonstrates command of higher-order information processing skills (OECD, 2002; cf. Hauser, Ed-
ley, Anderson Koenig and Elliott, 2005). The study conducted in Slovenia has likewise confirmed it
is achieving Level 3 of literacy (be it prose literacy, document literacy or quantitative literacy) that
guarantee individuals' successful integration in society and therewith education (Radovan, 2001b:
139).
In more recent studies, classification of adult literacy into five levels is less commonly encountered.
Different definitions are used as the span of adult literacy and competence assessment has been
changed owing to many years of experience in researching this field and also because the pres-
ent-day society has different expectations and requirements. (OECD, 2012) . In both studies con-
ducted in Slovenia that are referred to here, adults' prose literacy, document literacy and quantita-
tive literacy were measured. Prose literacy refers to the knowledge and skills needed to understand
and use information from texts including editorials, news stories, poetry and prose. Document lit-
eracy represents the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in var-
ious formats, including job applications, payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, tables and
charts. Quantitative literacy relates to the knowledge and skills required to apply arithmetic opera-
tions, either alone or sequentially, to numbers embedded in printed materials, such as balancing a
chequebook, calculating a tip, completing an order form or determining the amount of interest on
a loan from an advertisement. (Tuijnman, 2001: 70).
student (formal) achievement through non-formal and informal knowledge
persons (especially men) whose occupation involves housekeeping or agricul-
ture, are unemployed or are looking for work. The level of education of inac-
tive individuals is low: completed or uncompleted lower secondary education
and aged over fifty. Typical inactive individuals live in less developed (periph-
eral) regions, where the availability of educational programmes is rather limit-
ed. Their writing competencies reach Levels 1 or 2 and they attach no particu-
lar value to education’ (ibid., 47).
In another study (Mohorčič Špolar and Radovan, 2006) conducted in Slo-
venia in 2004, an analysis of the socially collective characteristics of partici-
pation in education of the active working population revealed a similar pic-
ture: two main groups can be recognised based on the variables used. The
first group includes adults with higher levels of education and more demand-
ing and responsible jobs (mostly persons employed in legislative bodies, sen-
ior officials, managers and professionals). Adults in this group are also char-
acterised by an above-average monthly family income and they live in larger
towns. The second group is an antithesis of the first. It includes adults with low-
er levels of education, less demanding jobs and below-average family income.
Adults from this group can be described as a more rural population since they
of previously published assessment studies will be stated in this paper.
In international adult literacy surveys, adults are classified in five levels of literacy that correspond
to measured ranges of the scores achieved. Level 1 indicates persons with very poor skills (an indi-
vidual may, for example, be unable to determine the correct amount of medicine to give to a child
from information printed on the package.) Level 2 respondents can deal only with material that is
simple, clearly laid out, and in which the tasks involved are not too complex, which also denotes
a weak level of their skill. (Level 2 individuals may have developed coping skills to manage every-
day literacy demands, but their low level of proficiency makes it difficult for them to face novel de-
mands, such as learning new job skills. Level 3 is considered a suitable minimum for coping with
the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. Generally, it denotes rough-
ly the skill level required for successful upper secondary school completion and tertiary education
entry. At the highest two levels (Levels 4 and 5) individuals are required to integrate a large num-
ber of information sources and solve complex problems. An individual who has achieved Level 4 or
5 demonstrates command of higher-order information processing skills (OECD, 2002; cf. Hauser, Ed-
ley, Anderson Koenig and Elliott, 2005). The study conducted in Slovenia has likewise confirmed it
is achieving Level 3 of literacy (be it prose literacy, document literacy or quantitative literacy) that
guarantee individuals' successful integration in society and therewith education (Radovan, 2001b:
139).
In more recent studies, classification of adult literacy into five levels is less commonly encountered.
Different definitions are used as the span of adult literacy and competence assessment has been
changed owing to many years of experience in researching this field and also because the pres-
ent-day society has different expectations and requirements. (OECD, 2012) . In both studies con-
ducted in Slovenia that are referred to here, adults' prose literacy, document literacy and quantita-
tive literacy were measured. Prose literacy refers to the knowledge and skills needed to understand
and use information from texts including editorials, news stories, poetry and prose. Document lit-
eracy represents the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information contained in var-
ious formats, including job applications, payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, tables and
charts. Quantitative literacy relates to the knowledge and skills required to apply arithmetic opera-
tions, either alone or sequentially, to numbers embedded in printed materials, such as balancing a
chequebook, calculating a tip, completing an order form or determining the amount of interest on
a loan from an advertisement. (Tuijnman, 2001: 70).
student (formal) achievement through non-formal and informal knowledge
