Criteria for the evaluation of English adult basic education and training programmes

Abstract

With the foundations of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), people can benefit from further training and gain new skills. Adult Basic Education and Training is therefore seen as a vital way of opening up opportunities for those who have been economically and educationally disadvantaged. With the nature of work becoming more complex, employees need a wide range of basic skills in order to survive in the workplace, let alone be active participants in decisions and change in the workplace. Literacy skills can assist this process. There are many programmes available on the market which cover many different aspects of language learning and language use. Faced with a mass of teaching material, what should programme decision-makers do when they have to select a particular programme from what is available? One aspect of the solution to the diversity of programmes available is to devise a set of criteria. These criteria can then be used as a checklist, and would assist companies when selecting programmes. In addition, course designers can use these criteria when designing materials for English Adult Basic Education and Training programmes. Criteria for the evaluation of English Adult Basic Education and Training programmes are identified in this mini-dissertation. The key areas investigated are: aims and objectives; content; materials; teaching and learning activities; and assessment. This study also demonstrates how these criteria can be used to evaluate three English Adult Basic Education and Training programmes.