Based on the dynamic nature of the Ghanaian society, teacher training has become a major concern for all. Successive governments have formulated policies to improve quality education at this level. One of such policies is the Education Act of 2008 that made provision for a Diploma in Basic Education (DBE) curriculum in the Colleges of Education…

Many educators in community-based adult education organizations are attempting to adopt Integrated Education and Training (IET) strategies. In this paper, the author describes how he has collaborated with instructional and program staff to develop and deliver an integrated,contextualized industry mathematics curriculum. He highlights the impact of…

The adult basic education field in the United States is now being encouraged to shift to a "career pathways" orientation by policy research organizations, federal and state agencies, community college organizations, business groups, and private foundations. In such an approach, adult basic education programs work with workforce…

Building health literacy skills among adult learners has the potential to contribute to efforts to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes. Adults with limited literacy skills are more likely to be underserved by health services and at risk for poorer health. Recognition of the need for stronger health literacy skills and a desire…

Thirty-five years after independence the Mozambican illiteracy rate has been reduced from 93% to just over 50% according to official statistics. Although this indicates an enormous achievement in the area of education, the challenge of today still is to design appropriate adult basic education programmes including literacy, numeracy and life…

Play is so important that it is declared as one of the human rights by the United Nations. Although it is focused on children, play does "not" stop there. In the 1990s the author designed and facilitated a blended curriculum for a Head Start Program. The instructional goal was to introduce and get the children to effectively and…

Describes the process used in developing custom-tailored workplace basic skills programs. Examples show that learning objectives are mainly the same skills that are taught in more generic classes. The difference is that they use scenarios and text directly from the workplace. (Author/JOW)

The issue of integrating technology into adult literacy programs would benefit from the implementation of a curriculum deliberation process that includes perspectives of practitioners, learners, subject matter experts, and milieus. This would ensure the development of coherent curricula, with the key consideration being the efficacy of computers…

An experimental module that used the natural world as a context for teaching reading to adults with low reading skills was developed and tested with 18 inmates. Although participants demonstrated only modest gains in reading skills and behaviors compared to the control group, they attended many more hours of instruction and were more enthusiastic…

North Carolina experiences serving homeless adults suggest four goals for adult basic education: rethinking the potential of literacy programs, reimaging the curriculum, redesigning teacher training, and reformulating funding. Practitioners should consider an expanded role in solving social problems. (SK)

A participatory English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) curriculum development project in South Africa, "Use, Speak and Write English" (USWE), is described. USWE's attempt to translate its curriculum framework into workable materials is reported. Suggestions for handling the challenges facing adult basic education are suggested. (Contains 40…

An "orientation" checklist is proposed to aid the adult basic education (ABE) teacher in preparing for instruction. The list reflects a number of issues teachers should consider carefully before meeting with students. The issues concern (1) information about the learners and their characteristics and needs that can be taken into account in…

English as a second language (ESL) teachers must help many refugee students develop English skills and initial literacy skills at the same time. New refugees share certain sociocultural commonalities that influence learning. Therefore, certain new curriculum models may be more appropriate for this population than those being used. (Author/CH)

In creating mathematics materials for adult basic education students, researchers (1) interviewed students and teachers to determine needs and objectives; (2) developed materials based on consumer mathematics skills; and (3) evaluated effectiveness by a pretest/posttest and student, teacher, and administrator questionnaires. Results showed the…

Points out that, to keep the work force up to date, business, industry, and labor groups are inviting adult basic educators to design and implement retraining programs at the worksite. Provides suggestion for designing custom-made basic skills instruction using work-related materials. (JOW)