OPPORTUNITIES%20FOR%20IMPROVING%20ADULTS

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVING ADULTS BASIC
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS THE CASE OF FINLAND

• Marja-Liisa Hassi, Ph.D
• Unversity of Colorado
• Aino Hannula, Ph.D
• Central Ostrobothnia University
• Laia Saló i Nevado, Lis.Ped.
• University of Helsinki

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FINLAND IN BRIEF

• Area Situated in northern Europe
• Population 5,3 million
• Density 17 inhabitants per square kilometre.
• More than 2/3 of the population reside in the
  southern third of the country.
• Capital Helsinki, 560 000 inhabitants
• Economy EUR 28 643/capita (2004)
• Compulsory education comprehensive school (9
  years) (Basic education)

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ADULT EDUCATION IN FINLAND

• Bases
• - Nordic tradition of liberal education
• - principles of equality, democracy
  lifelong learning
• Significant aspect of educational, developmental,
  labour and social policy
• All forms of education and training offered for
  young people are also provided for adults
  usually with the own curriculum for adults

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WHO PARTICIPATE IN ADULT EDUCATION?

• 52 of the 18-64 year old population (1,7
  million people) in 2006
• Women
• 60 of women
• 45 of men
• Middle-aged
• 56-61 are 24-44 year old people
• Well educated
• 71 with university or college degree
• 35-36 with basic or secondary education

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• Working people
• 70 of employed
• 40 of enterprisers
• 30 of unemployed
• People living in south and in cities
• 55 of people in southern Finland
• 45-50 of people in northern Finland

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• Informal education
• About 1,6 million (54 of 18-64 year old people)
• Ways to study books, computers, TV, libraries,
  museums, different kinds of study groups
• Most popular subjects computer technology,
  engineering, languages

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IDEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Public enlightenment 1800-1900?
• Roots Finland's independence movement national
  awakening
• Goal to improve peoples mental growth and
  civil facilities
• Equality and continuing education1970?
• Systematization of adult education
• Opportunities to participate in education for all
  ages with any level of education
• e.g. Municipal Adult Education Centres enlarge

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• Self realization, lifelong learning 1980?
• Both formal and informal education increased
  labour political education increased
• Citizens welfare, social cohesion, democratic
  society, EU 1990?
• Open University, open polytechnics, labour
  political education developed
• Distance education, TV lectures and courses, new
  instructional methods

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• Information society, globalization 2000?
• Self-directed networks
• Skills for Information Age
• Current governmental adult education policy
• Philosophy of equality
• Principle of lifelong learning
• Democracy
• Responsibilities to local level
• Cooperation with different school organizations
  and social partners
• Education and training at upper secondary level
  for everyone
• Education and training for people with poor
  education

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ADULT EDUCATION SYSTEM IN FINLAND

• Liberal adult education (free civilization)
• Ideology public enlightenment, personal
  development civic action
• The law of 1998 On the basis of the principles
  of life-long learning, the task of liberal
  education is to support the diversified
  development of individuals personality and their
  capability to act in a community as well as to
  promote the realization of democracy, equality
  and pluralism in the Finnish society.

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• Organizations of Liberal adult education
• Folk high schools
• Civic and workers institutions (Municipal Adult
  Education Centres, 57 of all students)
• Various kinds of ideological study centres
• Summer universities
• Covers the whole country
• Most popular form of adult education (1 million
  adults, 70 women)
• 1,6 million courses (2004)

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• Degree oriented education
• Basic education and upper secondary general
  schools
• Comprehensive school
• Matriculation examination
• Vocational adult education and training
• Upper secondary vocational school and polytechnic
  bachelors degree
• Labour market training
• Procured by the Ministry of Labour for unemployed
  people

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ADULTS BASIC STUDIES

• Adults have their own curriculum
• Degree oriented education is arranged by
• - ordinary schools in adults classes
• - Adults schools (e.g. Adults High School)
• - Adult Education Centres

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Mathematics basic studies as adultmost
practical ways to study systematically
mathematics are

• to participate in basic education for adults
  (APOP) and to continue in Adults High School
  (upper secondary general school)
• to study professional courses in mathematics in a
  vocational school

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LACK OF BASIC SKILLS AND LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
WITH ADULTS

• Lack of the discussion about adults poor basic
  skills in literacy or in mathematics and about
  learning difficulties
• Special education is offered for children and
  youth, but the adults have been neglected
• No larger studies can be found clarifying the
  situation of adults poor basic skills in
  mathematics

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• Who have difficulties in basic skills?
• Older adults who were at school at the time when
  the special needs were not yet well known. E.g.
  adults having problems in reading seem to have
  had traumatic experiences during their schooling.
• Immigrated adults with poor basic skills and
  inability to study in regular Finnish classroom
• Prisoners with reading difficulties

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RECENT EFFORT FOR IMPROVING ADULTS BASIC SKILLS

• Governmental programs (NOSTE APOP) aim at
• - improving the level of education
• - training for adults with weak education
• NOSTE
• 30-59 year old adults without post-compulsory
  education
• improve poorly trained adults career prospects
  and satisfaction at work
• offers counselling with learning difficulties or
  with poor learning skills also in mathematics

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• APOP (Adult basic studies) second possibility
• Comprehensive school for 18-59 year old adults
• Suits for people without some part of basic
  education, for immigrated, for older adults with
  poor education, for those who like to improve
  their grades in basic education
• Offers possibility to learn mathematics
  systematically starting from the elementary
  courses
• The participants are encouraged to continue their
  studies in upper secondary schools

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MATHEMATICS LEARNING IN FOLK HIGH SCHOOL AND
IN PRISON CONTEXTS
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FOLK HIGH SCHOOLS

• Institutions of liberal adult education
• Usually ideological
• Boarding schools
• Flexible and student-centred programs
• From Finlands 90 folk high schools 30 arrange
  APOP studies (adults basic education) and 6
  arrange general upper secondary education
  (Adults High School)

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RAUDASKYLÄ CHRISTIAN FOLK HIGH SCHOOL

• Located in Finnish northern country-side
• Offers folk high school for young with special
  needs, open university studies, vocational
  schooling, music education, 10th classes for
  young
• APOP studies
• Adults High School

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• JAANA
• MATHEMATICS TEACHER
• Her mathematics classes include
• APOP group
• 10th class with young students
• High school classes with young and adult

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APOP groupin the small group learning is
individual

• Started 2 years ago with 4 students
• Students age varies 21-24 years
• Motives
• - lack the basic school, - interest in
  studying
• - plans to take later high school courses
• Adjust adults curriculum
• The books are the same as those for young, but
  Jaana prepares material suitable for adults

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AUNES EXPERIENCES AS A MATHEMATICS LEARNER

• Aune is 65-year old pensioner
• Matriculated in 2006 in Raudaskylä Adults High
  School
• She was 57 years when she started her studies in
  APOP-program with an aim to have also the high
  school degree

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• I waited and waited and promised to my
  children that I continue my studies
• I had high enthusiasm for studies
• In order to be able to pass high school, Aune
  took courses in mathematic and Swedish in the
  APOP group.

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• Aune found mathematics
• challenging and not at all easy
• When I travelled in train I immediately opened
  the book and began to do exercises... I worked
  hard. I had ahaa-experiences and that can't be
  true, I got it!
• Teaching was individual and encouraging
• Jaana worked very hard for me she explained
  and advised me. She demanded me to do the
  exercises and told that they help me to
  understand them. And I learnt. I was terrible
  enthusiastic.

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• Fears and difficulties
• Aune didnt have any fears or negative attitudes
  to mathematics.
• According to Jaana
• the adults have often either negative or positive
  view of mathematics or about themselves as
  mathematic learners.
• Her APOP groups have needed a lot of
  encouragement in the beginning.

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• Benefits
• Not any economical benefit
• A lot of joy
• Able to do homework with the grandchildren
• Possibilities to continue mathematics learning
• more advanced courses in high school
• informal studies in the local Adult Education
  Centre because
• Such subject as mathematics, there is something
  in it

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STUDYING SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS BY PRISONERS

• Principles
• Chances to encounter the society outside the
  prison after the exemption
• Obligation to work? study
• Social learning context in prisons
• Education in prisons is part of the general
  Finnish education system (Adults Schools)
• General goals, curriculum
• Problems

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PEKKAS EXPERIENCES AS MATHEMATICS LEARNER IN
PRISON

• When you are in prison you have a lot of time to
  spend doing nothing and thinking. You waste it
  and often you end up crazy. I like to put my head
  into something, and since I have been given the
  opportunity to study, I do my best.

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• Pekka, 30 year old male, already 5 years in
  prison
• Excellent student graduated from the upper
  secondary school in prison
• Expected more challenges during the courses
• He complained about
• - the level of the lessons
• - the material available
• - not adequate textbooks

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ANNA - THE TEACHERS PERSPECTIVE

• Anna, female mathematics teacher in prison
• 15 years of experience
• Considers
• - easier to teach adults than to teach children
• - her studies to be of no use when facing adult
  education
• - one of the main problems is poor reading and
  writing skills of prisoners
• - there is a lack of material for teaching and
  for adequate mathematics books

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BELINDA - STUDENT COUNSELORS PERSPECTIVES

• Belinda, female student counselor in prison
• 10 years of experience as social worker
• 5 years as student counselor
• According to her
• Most students had been problematic kids during
  their basic education
• 5 10 of prisoners lack basic education
• The prison has nothing to offer to illiterate
  prisoners
• Only 20 of students in prison finish their
  studies

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FUTURE ISSUES

• Discussion of adultspoor basic skills have
  recently increased/started.
• Increased interest also in adults learning
  difficulties.
• How to improve the weakest adults basic skills
  (e.g., students in prisons, older men and
  immigrants with poor education)?
• How to adjust the basic schools curriculum,
  instruction and material to adults needs?

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• Thank you !