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The
Numeracy concept and definitions on numeracy.
Mieke van Groenestijn
In my opinion all definitions of numeracy are temporally and culturally
based. It often depends on the background and interest of an individual, or
a group of individuals, as to how people may think about numeracy.
There are many definitions of numeracy. All definitions are based on the
thoughts of individual persons, or groups of individuals, with different (cultural)
backgrounds and interests. A definition is often only a means to come to a
conclusion about theoretical thoughts or to make theoretical thoughts
operational. Even the way in which definitions are formulated may be
culturally based. When we discuss definitions we should keep this in mind.
We should also realize that our own comments on the definitions are
culturally bound/based and based on our own conceptions, notions and
interests. Besides, because of our different international backgrounds we
may have different interpretations of some expressions. I noticed this, for
example, when Lena made some comments to the ‘mathematical demands of
diverse situations’ in the ALL definition. For the numeracy team, including
me, a situation can be demanding, for Lena apparently not. A situation can
‘force’ me to act in a mathematical way, to do things or to solve problems
that include mathematical activities. When I am in a situation of buying
food at a street market then I will have to pay in the end. The situation
requires me, or demands of me, to think mathematically and to do something
with money, which is a mathematical action.
Back to the definitions:
The common idea is that numeracy has something to do with numbers. Some
people, I for example, think that numeracy includes (functional) mathematics.
Others may mean that mathematics and mathematical literacy include numeracy.
Some people see numeracy as part of literacy, others (again like me) see
numeracy as an equal parallel of literacy. But the fact is that literacy and
numeracy go hand in hand.
This is also according the key competences of the European Commission.
In the Netherlands we now are at the point of making a distinction between
elementary numeracy, functional numeracy and professional numeracy. Which is
another topic for discussion.
In my opinion, discussing definitions does not lead to come to ‘agreements’
or ‘consensus’.
It can only help to make theoretical opinions and differences clear. This,
of course, could be worthwhile but it does not lead to a new definition that
is based on consensus and that we can use for the EMMA network.
Personally I prefer to use a definition to be able to design programs that
lead to numerate behavior. For me, a definition of numeracy should include
components by which the concept of numeracy can be made operational. That is
what we tried to do in the ALL Survey with our work definition of numerate
behavior: Numerate behavior is observed when people manage a mathematical
situation or solve a problem in a real context; it involves mathematical
responding to information about mathematical ideas that may be represented
in a range of ways; it requires the activation of a range of enabling
knowledge, factors and processes. (Gal et all, 2005) We, as a team,
liked this definition much better than the short one that is in line with
the prose and doc definition of ALL. It can be applied in every individual
situation and it helped us to find components to create the items for the
survey. In my own study I also tried to come to a definition that would
offer me components to make it possible to come to a framework for a
numeracy program in adult education. For me numeracy is a dynamic concept
that
-
includes
functional mathematics
-
is more than
the traditional mathematics learned in school
-
is always
embedded in a real life situation
-
includes
managing a mathematical situation
-
includes
interpretation of and critical reflection on mathematical information
-
includes
communication and reasoning about mathematical information
-
may differ
per person, depending on one’s situation.
-
is the base
for further learning.
Therefore I
defined numeracy as follows:
Numeracy encompasses the knowledge and skills required to effectively
manage mathematical demands in personal, societal and work situations, in
combination with the ability to accommodate and adjust flexibly to new
demands in a continuously rapidly changing society that is highly dominated
by quantitative information and technology.
(van Groenestijn, 2002)
The first part is the same as in the ALL study. That is allowed because I
was part of the team that created that definition. By adding the last part
in a continuously rapidly changing society that is highly dominated by
quantitative information and technology, this definition is placed in
the context of the current society. It may change over time.
To make the definition operational for designing a numeracy program I
described four components that time: mathematical knowledge and skills,
management skills, skills for processing new information and learning skills.
Nowadays I would have described these components as: mathematical
competencies, management competencies, problem solving competencies and
learning competencies.
This is just to show that definitions are a product of an individual mind
(or individual minds) in a certain situation and in a certain period of
time. When people develop further their own thoughts on this issue may
change and by that their definitions may also change over time.
(see chapter 2 in my book that described several definitions in different
periods of time: van Groenestijn, 2002)
References:
Van Groenestijn, Mieke (2002): A Gateway to Numeracy, a Study of Numeracy
in Adult Basic Education.
CD β Press, Centrum voor Didactiek van Wiskunde, Universiteit Utrecht, 2002
ISBN: 90-73346-47-9
T. Scott Murray, Yvan Clermont & Marilyn Binkley (eds) (2005): Measuring
adult literacu and life skills: New frameworks for assessment. (chapter
5)
Statistics Canada, 2005. (catalogue number: 89-552-MIE2005013
http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/downpub/listpub.cgi?catno=89-552-MIE2005013
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