The introduction of the school subject Mathematical Literacy (ML) was to develop numerate and well informed citizens in South Africa. However the success of the subject is dependent on the ways in which teachers mediate the subject with their learners. The purpose of the study reported on in this article was to explore the extent to which the…

The aim of this study was to investigate the VMLSE perception levels of eighth grade students and differentiations based on variables of gender, state of success, final grade and ability to relate mathematical concepts to daily life and examine their views on this issue. The exploratory design of mixed method, which includes both quantitative and…

This paper performs multivariate analysis of skill differences in four Nordic countries as assessed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies survey of adults aged 16-65. The differences in average skills between Finland and each of the three Scandinavian…

Learning and skills contribute to economic growth both directly, by improving the skills base available to employers, and indirectly, by underpinning the five foundations of productivity identified by the government: ideas, people, infrastructure, business environment, and places. This is the case for all levels of learning from basic skills to…

Education is a foundational driver of development, and fundamental to achieving self-reliance. When children and youth build skills they can use for work and school, they can pursue more hopeful and prosperous futures for themselves, their families, their communities, and their countries. USAID works in more than 50 nations to promote education…

Over the past 20 years, research on the role of mathematical proficiency in academic and economic success has proliferated. Understanding how mathematical development and learning can be fostered in both in- and out-of-school settings is key to ensuring widespread numerical literacy. Much of what is known about how children develop mathematical…

The author of this article reflects on the issues of justice, democracy, and numeracy. As one who has taught statistics in a community college for over 12 years, spent 28 years as a Marketing Consultant, and holds a PhD in political science, the author's thesis is that while an advanced, democratic society can only be just with a numerate…

Incited by the National Assessment of Educational Progress' 2009 Reading Framework and the Common Core State Standards, recent shifts in national education goals have urged English language arts teachers to make curriculum adjustments. One such adjustment is to shift their focus from fiction, which has traditionally dominated the curriculum, to…

This paper uses the 2014 PIAAC prison data to study whether numeracy and literacy skills along with inmate educational and vocational training have an impact on social outcomes. Specifically, the authors address the following questions: (1) How do literacy, numeracy, formal education, and vocational training affect prison inmates' social outcomes…

This study examined the structure of the Best Start Kindergarten Assessment (Best Start) of literacy and numeracy, with the aim of confirming a two-factor measure of attainment at school entry comparable in structure to standardised measures of literacy and numeracy administered in later school years. Administrative data from the 2009 Best Start…

A strong foundation in early number concepts is critical for students' future success in mathematics. Research suggests that visual representations, like a number line, support students' development of number sense by helping them create a mental representation of the order and magnitude of numbers. In addition, explicitly sequencing instruction…

Previous research suggests that as societies empower women educationally, gender differences in numeracy skills will decline. Using direct measures of 56,142 adults' numeracy skills from the Programme for International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this article studies whether this claim is evidenced across 20 Organisation for…

Ordinality is a fundamental feature of numbers and recent studies have highlighted the role that number ordering abilities play in mathematical development (e.g., Lyons et al. 2014), as well as mature mathematical performance (e.g., Lyons & Beilock, 2011). The current study tested the novel hypothesis that non-numerical ordering ability, as…

Building a strong foundation in the early numeracy gateway skills in pre-k and kindergarten has strong implications for future success in mathematics. Currently, very few research-based early numeracy interventions are available for students prior to first grade. Furthermore, the majority of current early numeracy interventions are administered…

Utah SB 196 from the 2015 General Session challenged the State Board of Regents with increasing the number of students who complete their General Education Quantitative Literacy (QL) requirement senior year of high school. One thing needed to meet this goal: more Concurrent Enrollment Mathematics instructors. Utah System of Higher Education (USHE)…