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Focus On Basics

Volume 6, Issue D ::: February 04

New from NCSALL


NCSALL on the Web

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Our Subject Index, allows you to access easily all NCSALL publications by topic, such as Accountability, GED, Learner Motivation, Curriculum Development, Assessment, Technology, Family Literacy, Math, Program Design, Practitioner Research, Writing, and more - the Subject Index includes more than 50 topics.

NCSALL Publications
NCSALL Reports

New - Published Fall 2003
Order copies for a small fee or download (for free) from the NCSALL website

How Teachers Change: A Study of Professional Development in Adult Education
by Cristine Smith, Judy Hofer, Marilyn Gillespie, Marla Solomon, and Karen Rowe

This report presents findings from the NCSALL Professional Development study (NCSALL Reports #25, $10) that investigated how a sample of 106 adult education teachers in three New England states changed after participating in one of three models of professional development. The study's authors identify the types of change undergone by the teachers and the degree to which they changed. The authors also examine the individual, professional development, and program and system factors that interacted either to support or hinder change. (A Summary Report ñ- NCSALL Reports #25a - is also available.)

The Characteristics and Concerns of Adult Basic Education Teachers - by Cristine Smith and Judy Hofer (November 2003)
Based on data gathered for the study on How Teachers Change, this in-depth exploration (NCSALL Reports #26, $10) documents what is commonly known, but not well researched, about adult education teachers: the challenges they face in their teaching, their programs, and as members of the field; the training and preparation they receive; and the conditions in which they work. The study finds that teachers and programs are stretched, stressed, and challenged as they strive to provide the best possible services to large numbers of students.

Survey and Methodology for Assessing Adult Basic Education Teachers' Characteristics and Concerns
This document provides the revised questionnaire and interview protocols used in the NCSALL Professional Development Study, plus suggestions for sampling, so that programs or states who want to get a better portrait of their own teachers may use or adapt the protocols for the own specific informational needs. (Available to download only.)

NCSALL Books

New - Published Winter 2004
Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 4: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice - edited by John Comings, Barbara Garner, and Cristine Smith. Published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 

Volume 4 is the newest addition to a series of annual publications by NCSALL that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and learning. 

Contents: D. Perin, Foreward. T.G. Sticht, The Year 2001 in Review. D. D'Amico, Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation in Adult Literacy: Power, Pedagogy, and Programs. A. Levenson, Why do Companies Provide Workplace Education Programs? R. Stites, Implications of New Learning Technologies for Adult Literacy and Learning. D. Helsing, E. Drago-Severson, R. Kegan, Applying Constructive-Developmental Theories of Adult Development to ABE/ESOL Practice. S. Merriam, The Changing Landscape of Adult Learning Theory. Appendix: S. Merriam, Resources on Adult Learning Theory.

Click here to review chapter summaries and to order your hard copy.

Updated 7/27/07 :: Copyright © 2005 NCSALL