ATT LASA--ett behov, ett krav, en nodvandighet (Reading--a Need, a Requirement, a Necessity).

N

130

Academic Achievement; Adolescents; Adults; Comparative Analysis; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Pilot Projects; Reading Ability; Reading Habits; Reading Research; Secondary Education; Tables (Data)

0282-4957

The International Adult Literacy Survey, IALS, is the first international comparative study of reading ability and reading habits among adults. The IALS was carried out in seven countries in Europe and North America during 1994 and 1995. Swedish participation in the study consisted of a representative sample of the population, 16 years of age and older, who were interviewed and who took objective tests of their reading ability. Results indicated substantial differences in reading ability among the population both within the country and in comparison with other countries. Analysis of the Swedish data focused on three variables--education, reading ability, and reading habits. Individuals with a high educational level demonstrated better reading ability and more frequent reading activities, both at work and in leisure, than did individuals with a lower educational level. Approximately one-third of the Swedish population analyzed did not reach the level of reading ability set in the national curriculum as a goal for the end of grade nine in the Swedish compulsory school. A pilot study tested a method of researching adults' reading habits in depth by using reading diaries. From the diaries it appeared that the time individuals reserved for reading during weekdays increased substantially from the lowest to the highest level of education. Findings suggest the need for emphasis on increased opportunities of recurrent education to avoid a wider and deeper gap between individuals with high and low levels of reading ability. (Contains 65 references, and 12 figures and 20 tables of data.) (RS)

1998

ED415495