Adult literacy teaching in Australia Rethinking occupational knowledge

• Published in: Learning and Work and the Politics of Working Life pp. 173 - 186
• Main Author: Sue Shore
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 2010
• Subjects: Educational philosophy; Learning; Literacy; Occupations; Vocational education and training; Training Reform; Undergraduate Programmes; Professional Development; Adult Literacy Qualifications; Adult Literacy Workers; Adult Literacy Provision; Adult Literacy; Vocational Sector; Adult Literacy Field; Parallel Coordination; Certificate Iv; Australian Government Responses; Australian Vocational Education; Industry Trainer; Vocational Education; Adult Literacy Teaching; Discursive Contradictions; Australian Workplaces; Practitioner Research Networks; National Training System; Basic Education Practitioners; Vocational Qualifications; AWT; Occupational Knowledge
• ISBN: 9780415557535; 0415557534; 9780415557528; 0415557526
• DOI: 10.4324/9780203863121-18

This chapter explores the effects of rapid changes in adult literacy provision when a new culture of competency-based workplace training was introduced into Australian workplaces during a period of major industrial reform in the 1990s. Adult literacy provision can be identified by funding source (Commonwealth/state government and industry/community), location (schools, universities, vocational education and training institutes, workplaces and community centres), the curriculum framework in use and at times the industrial/university qualifications of the teacher. These parameters help to define an occupation – adult literacy work – and the knowledge base associated with that work. However, as I show below, these boundaries are anything but definitive.