The Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies, better known as PIAAC, developed a numeracy assessment framework that was used internationally to assess adults' numeracy skills. The assessment gauged adults' (aged 16-65 years) numeracy skills across a full range, from adults with very low levels of numeracy to college level math…

Problem-solving skills in a digital environment are a prerequisite to a better future for all citizens in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. To investigate the relationship between age, gender, computer use, and adult learners' problem-solving skills in a digital environment, this study analyzed the 4,540 Korean participants' problem-solving…

Using the PIAAC data, we show how exposure to various dimensions of nonformal and informal learning relates to the problem-solving capacity in a technology-rich environment for working adults. The sample included permanent staff from various economic sectors, self-employed individuals, and casual employees doing fixed-term contracts (n = 1248)…

The purpose of this study was to conduct national and cross-country analyses to provide insights about educator cognitive skills in literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving within Canada and across nineteen countries using the PIAAC data. MANOVA results of profession differences within Canada demonstrated that educators outperformed other…

This final working paper in The Skills Imperative 2035 project builds on and extends the previous work undertaken, with the focus here being on the supply of skills and looking at the extent to which the skills that individuals possess at the end of education vary according to the pathway they followed through their education system. This paper…

Today's workplace is going through tremendous changes and becoming highly complex in terms of technology and tasks. Thus, critical problem-solving skills are key to creating a sustainable career in today's global economy. Indeed, the global COVID-19 epidemic has amplified the need for these skills in almost all occupations. This study examined the…

We examine if the OECD survey of adult skills, PIAAC, can provide information about the relative quality of education and training in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. We find that the average population scores are inappropriate while the mean scores of natives well approximate the skills of individuals that had the chance to attend the…

A quick review of national policy documents reveals how lifelong learning has evolved as the key principle for a comprehensive education and learning strategy from cradle to grave. This raises major challenges for how to assess and report the state of lifelong learning in UNESCO Member States. It is in this context that this article critically…

The Australian Council for Educational Research's submission to the Australian Government Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training's Public Enquiry into Adult literacy and its importance highlights the importance of these skills to Australia's well-being and economy, and calls on the government to continue participation in an…

While many U.S. adult education programs and policies (including the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)) focus on low literacy skill as a barrier to employment, this study recognizes the role of increasing numeracy skill as critical in reducing the probability of unemployment. This study used a series of regression analyses to examine…

This guide is designed for practitioners, including teachers, lead instructors, and professional developers, who are ready to take up the challenge to change how numeracy is taught in adult education. If instructors shift their teaching to focus more on the use of numeracy skills, they might find that their students not only score better on formal…

Despite increasing demand in distance education, relatively little is known about the demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as basic skill levels of adult distance education participants at the national level in the U.S. This study analyzed the U.S. data from 2012/2014 and 2017 Program for International Assessment of Adult…

The high dependence on technology for economic activities in developed countries stresses the importance of lifelong learning in order to equip adult workers with the skills required to perform work related tasks, and also increase labor force participation. We use data from the 2012/2014 Program for the International Assessment of Adult…

Skeptics of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trend for International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) argue that while US elementary and high school students are behind their peers in other nations, the US workforce is still excellent because of the high quality post-secondary educational institutions in the US. However, the…

This brief is a guide for Adult Education and Literacy practitioners who are ready to teach the PS-TRE. One goal of the guide is to nudge practitioners to reconsider current technology integration in ABE classrooms, adding a cognitive dimension to their technology use instruction. In doing so, teachers can include instructional activities that…