Foundation learning in Aotearoa/New Zealand Publications
Publication Details
This study aimed to identify the breadth, volume and characteristics of foundation learning provision as it occurs in New Zealand across a wide range of contexts, involving diverse providers.
Author(s): John Benseman, Alison Sutton and Josie Lander, Auckland UniServices Ltd.
Date Published: January 2003
Executive Summary
The Ministry of Education wished to identify the breadth, volume and characteristics of foundation learning (FL) provision as it occurs nationally across a wide range of contexts, involving diverse providers. The project drew on existing data from government-funded foundation learning providers for 2003. Foundation learning is a broad concept involving skills such as literacy (in English and te reo Maori), numeracy, technological literacy, communications skills, team work, 'learning to learn' and self-confidence skills" (Ministry of Education, 2002b). This project focused on the core skills of adult literacy, numeracy and language (LNL) and on provision that occurs at Levels 4 and below of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
Systematic data collection is relatively new to some areas of literacy, numeracy and language provision, is not standardised across the varied contexts in which LNL provision occurs and the data contained here may not represent all LNL-related activity. However, it provides an insight into the area as a whole.
Nature and extent of provision
In 20033, approximately 303,000 participants took part in foundation learning-related tertiary education at levels 1-4. Of those, approximately 161,000 people participated in provision that had literacy, numeracy and language as an identifiable focus. This latter group is the prime focus for this report.
One striking feature about the literacy, numeracy and language field is the diversity of scale and types of provision within it:
- 111,500 learners (about two-thirds of those receiving LNL provision) were enrolled in tertiary education organisations; of these, 53,000 were enrolled at Te Wananga o Aotearoa.
- 10,500 were in literacy, numeracy or language-focused Training Opportunity and Youth Training (TO/YT) programmes
- 20,000 in school-based Adult and Community Education (ACE) courses
- 20,000 were in other forms of ACE provision
- 500 were in government funded workplace LNL-focused provision.
Although over 80,000 people participate in industry training at Levels 1-3, from the data available it was not possible to establish if, or how much LNL provision was involved.
Hundreds of providers were involved, but the exact number was hard to determine because providers worked in more than one context.
The hours available to learners per year ranged from TO/YT programmes where full-time learners might receive in excess of 1,000 hours per year, down to others in community education or the workplace receiving less than 50 hours per year. These figures relate to the amount of hours in a programme, not the amount of literacy teaching learners necessarily receive. The majority of learners participate part-time. International research suggests that learners need in excess of 100 hours teaching to make progress, with learners with low skill levels and ESOL learners needing considerably more tuition (Benseman, Sutton, & Lander, 2005). The report suggests many learners may not get that much provision.
Participation may result in a range of outcomes, including changes in LNL skills and behaviour, achievement of NQF credits, achieving personal goals, changes in self-confidence and employment related outcomes. There are no standardised measurements or instruments for collecting data on these outcomes, so providers use a range of proxy measures. Many programmes are not required to record or report on literacy, numeracy or language gains.
Characteristics of learners
Key characteristics of learners include:
- Women made up 64% of the 150,000 participants for whom gender was recorded.
- Maori made up 40% of the 155,000 learners for whom ethnicity was recorded; more than half of those were enrolled at Te Wananga o Aotearoa
- Asian learners made up 22% of participants.
- Pakeha were 24% of learners
- Just under 10,000 (6%) were Pasifika learners. The low participation rate of Pasifika learners is of concern because of the high proportion of Pasifika found to have low literacy levels in the 1996 IALS survey.
- The greatest proportion of LNL learners was aged 30-39 years and a high proportion were aged over 50 years.
- Of the 107,000 people for whom educational qualification data was available, 60% had no, or low, school qualifications.
- There were approximately 22,000 learners participating in courses related to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). However this figure under-represents the extent of provision because ESOL course participants in TEOs have not been extracted and also because a significant proportion of Pasifika learners may have ESOL-related language and literacy issues.
Characteristics of tutors
Providers are not required to report on their tutors, so little is known about them. Data was only available on tutors in the community sector. These were typically female, middle-aged and Pakeha.
Estimates of the workforce range from 3,000-5,000 staff in total, but a comprehensive survey would be required to get a fuller picture. Tutors in the LNL workforce relate to a number of professional bodies and organisations; there is no overarching body that speaks for them all, as yet.
Tutors hold diverse qualifications, and in the absence of specialist LNL qualifications, they have drawn on a range of training and professional development opportunities to increase their skills.
Recommendations for future research
The data from TEOs needs to be analysed to identify the characteristics of learners accessing ESOL provision, te reo Maori and more general adult literacy and numeracy teaching. This would enable a more accurate analysis of the proportions of learners in each of those component parts of the sector.
More needs to be learned about how LNL needs are met within bridging programmes and the nature and extent of learning support services within TEOs.
A study is warranted into the actual hours of LNL provision learners receive across all contexts and in particular those where LNL provision stands alongside other content, such as in bridging education, learning support and TO/YT integrated programmes.
The data available does not do justice to the diversity and complexity of ESOL provision, which warrants a mapping exercise in its own right, taking into account the IELTS levels at which provision occurs.
More standardised processes for assessing and recording progress are needed (which does not automatically translate to standardised testing).
A survey of tutors would enhance our understanding of the tutor workforce and the professional development needs of staff.
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