A study of a group of illiterate adults in rural Newfoundland and their participation in adult literacy programs

• Main Author: Furlong-Bass, Marie
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1982
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7714/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7714/1/FurlongBass_Marie.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7714/3/FurlongBass_Marie.pdf

This study was designed to investigate a number of selected personal, familial, educational, socio-economic and attitudinal attributes of 78 adult illiterates from 14 rural communities in the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador. Another purpose was to compare those adult illiterates in the study who verbally indicated a willingness to participate in a literacy training program with those who indicated no willingness to participate in the 14 independent variables. These are listed below: -- age - source of income -- sex - source of spouse's income -- marital status - mother's education -- size of family - father's education -- number of dependents - self-concept -- educational level - ideal self-concept -- grade equivalent to TABE score - locus of control -- The data were collected by using a structured interview protocol which consisted of 107 questions. These questions were administered in face-to-face interviews following the structured format and each interview was tape recorded to insure maximum accuracy in recording the date. The information thus gathered was treated as quantitative and qualitative measures, each composing a different section of this study. -- Analysis revealed significant correlations between age and locus of control variables with willingness to participate in a literacy training program. It was discovered that most of the adult illiterates in this study are internally oriented, are more likely to feel that they can control their own destinies, and are relatively self-confident. It was also found that the more internally oriented adult illiterates are, the more inclined they are to participate in a literacy training program. The analysis further revealed that the younger the adult illiterates are, the more inclined they would be to participate in a literacy training program. It was discovered, however, that no significant correlation exists between the remaining 13 independent variables and the independent variable--willingness to participate in a Literacy Training Program ...