Vernacular numeracy practices - an exploration of the numeracy resources young people bring to their learning A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor in Education EdD in the Faculty of Humanities 2017 Nuala Broderick School of Environment, Education and Development Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. 2 List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................... 6 Glossary of terms and abbreviations ................................................................................................ 7 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. 8 Declaration ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Copyright ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 1. Introduction................................................................................................................. 12 1.1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 12 1.2. Background and Context ..................................................................................................... 12 1.3. Statement of purpose .......................................................................................................... 14 1.4. Personal motivation for the research .................................................................................. 16 1.5. Scope and limitation of the research ................................................................................... 17 1.6. Organisation of the thesis ................................................................................................... 17 1.7. Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2. Literature Review ....................................................................................................... 19 2.1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 19 2.2. Review Methodology ........................................................................................................... 19 2.2.1 Numeracy in the Further Education and Skills Sector ......................................................... 21 2.2.2 The importance of numeracy ............................................................................................... 24 2.3. Conceptualising adult numeracy ......................................................................................... 25 2.3.1 The relationship between numeracy and mathematics ....................................................... 28 2.4. Theoretical perspectives ..................................................................................................... 30 2.4.1 The turn to the social in numeracy and mathematics research .......................................... 31 2.4.2 Funds of Knowledge ............................................................................................................ 37 2.4.3 The New Literacy Studies .................................................................................................... 40 2.5. Conclusions from the literature review ................................................................................ 42 2.5.1 Research questions ............................................................................................................. 44 Chapter 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................ 45 3.1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 45 3.2. Developing the research questions ..................................................................................... 45 3.3. Explanation of key concepts used in the research ............................................................. 46 3.4. Research methodology and design .................................................................................... 48 3.4.1 Quality criteria and research process .................................................................................. 52 3.4.2 Establishing trustworthiness and supporting transferability and generalisability ................ 53 3.5. Sampling ............................................................................................................................. 58 3.5.1 Research site ....................................................................................................................... 58 3.5.2 Participant sample ............................................................................................................... 60 3.6. Data generation methods .................................................................................................... 62 3.6.1 Data generation with students ............................................................................................. 64 3.6.2 Data generation with teachers ............................................................................................. 72 3.7. Data analysis ....................................................................................................................... 74 3.8. Ethical considerations ......................................................................................................... 77 3.9. Conclusion........................................................................................................................... 80 2 Chapter 4. Findings (1) ................................................................................................................. 81 4.1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 81 4.2. The students in the study .................................................................................................... 82 4.3. Students’ numeracy events ................................................................................................. 83 4.3.1 Students’ numeracy events outside college ........................................................................ 84 4.3.2 Vignettes .............................................................................................................................. 89 4.3.3 Students’ numeracy practices evidenced in events and translated into the language of the ANCC ................................................................................................ 97 4.3.4 Students’ numeracy events inside college ........................................................................ 101 4.3.5 Classroom observation for hair and beauty – renting a flat .............................................. 103 4.3.6 Classroom observation for construction students - budgeting .......................................... 105 4.4. Conclusion......................................................................................................................... 106 Chapter 5. Findings (2) ............................................................................................................... 107 5.1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 107 5.2. From numeracy events to numeracy practices ................................................................. 107 5.3. Exploring students’ numeracy practices ........................................................................... 108 5.4. Street, Baker and Tomlin’s analytical model of numeracy practices ................................ 109 5.5. Conclusion......................................................................................................................... 116 Chapter 6. Conclusions and discussion ................................................................................... 118 6.1. Introduction........................................................................................................................ 118 6.2. Research purpose and answering the research questions ............................................... 118 6.2.1 RQ1: What numeracy events and practices do learners engage in, in their everyday lives? ................................................................................................................. 118 6.2.2 RQ2: What numeracy events and practices do learners engage in on their vocational and functional skills programmes? ................................................................... 121 6.2.3 RQ3: How are learners’ everyday numeracy practices, conceptualised as their vernacular numeracy practices,