What is functional literacy?

Contents:

• What competencies does functional literacy include?
• What types or components of functional literacy are there and how are they measured?
• What levels of functional literacy are there?
• Does functional literacy really exist?

In this article, you will receive information about…

• the international definition of functional literacy, the definition of Alexei Leontiev and the definition from the Federal State Educational Standard;
• what types or components there are in functional literacy;
• what levels of functional literacy are distinguished;
• why there are doubts that functional literacy actually exists.

In the Russian educational space, the topic of functional literacy has become relevant in the context of participation in the international PISA study. This testing, conducted by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), covers 15-year-old schoolchildren and was launched in 2000. Initially, Russia was planned to rank among the top ten countries in the quality of school education by 2030, with quality assessment based on the results of PISA and similar international studies. However, Russia did not participate in PISA in 2022 and will conduct its own study following its methodology. It is important to note that functional literacy plays a key role in developing the competencies necessary for successful life and work in the modern world.

The concept of "functional literacy" has a long history and predates the PISA study. It was first used in UNESCO documents in the 1950s. Functional literacy encompasses a person's ability to effectively use their knowledge and skills in various life situations. This includes the ability to read, write, count, and apply these skills in everyday life. Understanding functional literacy is important for evaluating educational systems and developing the skills necessary for successful life in modern society.

Functional literacy is an important aspect of the Federal State Educational Standard for Basic General Education. It is defined as the ability to effectively solve educational problems and cope with life's challenges using established subject-specific, meta-subject, and universal methods of activity. This includes the ability to analyze information, apply knowledge in various situations, and adapt to changing conditions. The development of functional literacy helps prepare students for a successful life in society and increase their competitiveness in the labor market.

What competencies does functional literacy include?

One of the key goals of UNESCO since its inception has been the promotion of literacy throughout the world. However, questions immediately arose: who can be considered literate? What minimum level of literacy is required by modern people? As a result, various definitions of elementary and functional literacy have been developed. These concepts help to better understand what it means to be literate in the rapidly changing information society. Basic literacy involves reading and writing skills at a basic level, while functional literacy encompasses the ability to use these skills in real-life situations, such as working with documents, analyzing information, and making informed decisions. Understanding these levels of literacy is fundamental to raising educational standards and ensuring equal access to knowledge for all.

• Simply literate was defined as someone who could read and write short, simple text on a topic from their everyday life, while understanding what they read and wrote.
• A functionally literate person is someone whose reading and writing skills enable them to participate in all activities for which literacy is required in society.

The difference lies in the level of literacy. A person with only basic reading and writing skills may have difficulty understanding medication instructions, technical manuals, public transportation routes, or contract terms. Functional literacy involves more advanced skills that enable the effective use of reading and writing in everyday life and at the professional level. This includes the ability to understand and analyze information, and apply it to different situations.

In 1965, the World The Congress of Ministers of Education decided that literacy programs should focus on achieving the second level of literacy. This implies that literacy includes not only the basic skills of reading and writing, but also serves as the basis for the full development of a person's social, civic, and economic role in society. Thus, literacy becomes an important tool for personal and professional growth, as well as for active participation in community life.

In 1978, the UNESCO General Assembly approved a definition of functional literacy that remains relevant today. Functional literacy encompasses not only the ability to read and write but also the ability to apply these skills in everyday life. It includes the ability to interpret information, solve problems, and interact effectively with the world around us. This concept is of great importance for the development of individual skills and improving the quality of life, since literacy is the foundation for personal and professional growth in modern society.

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Functional literacy is defined as a person's ability to participate in various activities that require knowledge and skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic. This literacy plays a key role in the effective functioning of both individual groups and society as a whole. It also provides an opportunity for an individual to continue developing, using these skills for personal growth and contributing to society. Functionally literate people are able to adapt to change and actively participate in community life, making them important members of society.

The definition of functional literacy proposed by the Russian Federal State Educational Standard differs significantly from the original understanding of this term. This is explained by the fact that functional literacy was perceived as a relative quality. Across different cultures and social groups, the set of skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic varies. Thus, a person who is literate in one country may face a lack of the same basic skills in another society.

Over time, the set of key skills necessary for a successful life undergoes changes. Andreas Schleicher, Director of the OECD's Education and Skills Department and Special Adviser to the OECD Secretary-General on Education Policy, explains these transformations. Literacy was previously defined as the ability to extract knowledge from text. However, in today's world, where access to information, including unreliable data, has become limitless, not only the ability to extract information but also the ability to construct knowledge from multiple sources and verify its accuracy is becoming important. This underscores the need to develop critical thinking and information literacy skills in education systems. The definition of functional literacy continues to evolve, but the classical understanding of the term remains relevant. In Russia, a common understanding of functional literacy is based on the work of psychologist and linguist Alexei Leontiev. In 2003, he edited a collection of papers on the educational system, "School 2100," which proposed an expanded definition of functional literacy. This definition encompasses not only the ability to read and write but also the ability to apply knowledge in real-life situations, emphasizing the importance of the practical aspect of education. In today's society, where information is constantly being updated, functional literacy is becoming a key skill for successful learning and professional activity.

A functionally literate person is someone who can effectively apply acquired knowledge, abilities, and skills to solve a variety of life problems. Such people are able to adapt to various fields of activity, interact in a social environment, and communicate successfully with others. Functional literacy includes not only academic knowledge but also the ability to work in a team, think critically, and make informed decisions. These qualities are becoming especially important in the modern world, where competency requirements are constantly changing. Developing functional literacy contributes to increased overall life effectiveness and social mobility.

Functional illiteracy manifests itself in the inability to follow simple instructions, for example, when using household appliances or taking medications. Lack of skills in searching, analyzing, and applying information in various formats significantly limits career opportunities, complicates participation in elections, and interaction with government agencies. Developing functional literacy is an important step in improving the quality of life and full participation in society.

What types or components Functional literacy is and how it is measured.

The concept of functional literacy has been rather vague from the very beginning, which made its assessment difficult. In the 1960s and 1970s, UNESCO defined the level of functional literacy based on the proportion of the population with a minimum of education, which varied from four to nine years depending on the country. This approach made it possible to assess the general state of education, but did not take into account the wide range of skills and abilities necessary for successful life in modern society. Over time, the need for more precise and multifaceted methods of assessing functional literacy arose, which contributed to the development of new approaches and standards in the field of education.

UNESCO recommends assessing the proportion of the functionally literate population aged 16 to 65 using the methodology developed as part of the OECD PIAAC study. This study is based on several proven instruments. The first of these was the YALS (Youth Literacy Survey), conducted in the United States in the 1980s. During the 1990s and 2000s, other measures such as the IALS (International Adult Literacy Study) and ALL (International Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Survey) developed. Russia participated in the first round of PIAAC from 2008 to 2013, but the second round, scheduled for 2018–2024, will likely not be conducted in Russia for geopolitical reasons. Assessing the functional literacy of the population is important for understanding educational needs and formulating effective education policies, which underscores the importance of studies like PIAAC. PIAAC, like PISA, does not use the term "functional literacy" in its purest sense. Instead, testing aims to assess skills in several key areas: reading, numeracy, and adaptive problem solving, which includes the use of digital technologies, electronic devices, and the internet. These areas form the foundation of functional literacy. For example, participants must find answers to questions in texts or statistics, fill in the blanks with appropriate words, determine the terms of registration on a website, and calculate which pizza will be the best deal based on the given conditions. This demonstrates the importance of the skills needed to successfully navigate the modern information space.

PISA assesses the skills of 15-year-olds in various subject areas; however, unlike traditional school tests, it focuses not on the mastery of specific curriculum topics, but on the ability to apply acquired knowledge in real-life situations. For example, when assessing reading literacy, it is important to be able to identify the main ideas of a text, separate facts from opinions, interpret data presented in graphs and tables, and find solutions to given problems. This approach allows for a better understanding of how students can use their knowledge to solve practical problems in everyday life.

The main assessment areas in PISA include reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy. In different waves of PISA, financial literacy, critical and creative thinking, and global competencies, which represent a set of knowledge and skills for interacting with people from other cultures, were added to these areas. All of these aspects are important components of functional literacy, enabling students to successfully adapt to the modern world. Assessment in these areas helps identify the level of students' preparation and their ability to apply knowledge in real-world situations, which is essential for personal and professional growth.

In Russia, the Institute for Strategy of Education Development of the Russian Academy of Education is developing a national toolkit for developing and assessing the functional literacy of secondary school students. The development process takes into account six key components of functional literacy: mathematical, reading, scientific, and financial literacy, as well as global competencies and creative thinking. This approach allows for more effective assessment and development of student skills necessary for successful integration into modern society. The main focus is not only on theoretical knowledge, but also on the practical application of acquired skills in real-life situations.

What are the levels of functional literacy?

The PISA study aims to assess various aspects of functional literacy, including reading, mathematics, and science. The assessment is conducted at seven levels, among which is the level "below first", which means that skills do not reach the minimum required values. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the level of students' preparation and identifies key areas for improving educational practices.

At age 15, adolescents with skills corresponding to the highest level - sixth, are a minority in most countries. The number of those who reach level five is also small and is comparable to the number of adolescents remaining at level one. The majority of adolescents are distributed between levels two, three, and four, and this distribution is approximately even. However, in countries with low levels of education, the proportion of adolescents achieving levels 1 and 2 is increasing, while the number of those reaching levels 3 and 4 is significantly decreasing, let alone reaching higher levels.

According to PISA 2018 data, only 8.7% of adolescents in OECD countries demonstrated a reading literacy level of 5-6. At the same time, 23% of adolescents did not reach level 2, meaning they are at level 1 or have not fully mastered reading proficiency. These figures highlight the importance of developing reading literacy among young people and the need for education reforms to improve reading proficiency.

In 2018, only 2.4% of students in OECD countries achieved level 6 in mathematics, but in China and Singapore this figure was significantly higher: 16.5% and 13.8%, respectively, making these countries the leaders in mathematical literacy. Moreover, 24% of students on average across OECD countries do not even reach level 2, and in 24 countries, less than half of students achieved this threshold. These data highlight the need to improve education systems and implement effective mathematics teaching methods across countries.

On average across OECD countries, 22% of students do not reach level 2 in science literacy. This indicator highlights the need to improve the quality of science education. Improving scientific literacy is important for developing a scientific worldview and critical thinking in young people, which, in turn, contributes to societal and economic development. Measures are needed to improve curricula and teaching to ensure all students have the necessary knowledge and skills in science.

In 2018, Russian schoolchildren showed significant achievements in the international PISA study. Participants demonstrated good performance in reading, mathematics, and science. These results demonstrate the high level of the country's education system and point to the need for further development and improvement of curricula. An analysis of PISA data provides valuable information for developing strategies to improve the quality of education in Russia, which is an important step in preparing students for global challenges.

• In reading literacy, 1% of teenagers were at level six, 5% at level five, 16% at level four, 28% each at level three and level two, 22% at level one; there was practically no one below level one.
• In mathematical literacy, 2% of teenagers were at level six, 7% at level five, 18% at level four, 28% at level three, 25% at level two, and 15% at level one. 7% did not reach level 1.
• In scientific literacy, no one achieved the highest, sixth, level; 3% of teenagers achieved level 5, 14% achieved level 4, 30% achieved level 3, 32% achieved level 2, 21% achieved level 1, and no one scored below level 1 (or rather, if they did, their number did not even reach one percent).

In 2022, Russia did not participate in the next PISA study. However, the results of a national study conducted in 2021 using a similar model were recently published. The public report does not present complete statistics for each level. It is only known that some participants did not reach level 2. This raises important questions about the quality of education and the preparation of students in the country. Analyzing these results, we can highlight areas that require attention and improvement in the Russian education system.

• in reading literacy — 15.4% of adolescents;
• in mathematics — 18.9%;
• in natural science — 17.4%.

The highest levels (fifth and sixth) were achieved by the following participants:

• in reading literacy — 6.8%;
• in mathematics — 11%;
• in natural science — 1.4%.

The PIAAC study, covering the age group from 16 to 65 years, distinguishes five levels of functional literacy instead of six. According to data from the first round of PIAAC, conducted in 2013, Russian adults demonstrate the lowest results in the area of ​​problem-solving skills in a technologically rich (digital) environment. More than 20% of study participants did not even reach level 1 in this category. This highlights the need to improve digital literacy among the Russian population.

The results of the 2013 PIAAC study revealed an interesting trend in literacy in Russia. As in most OECD countries, Russian citizens with high levels of education demonstrated the highest literacy scores. However, it is worth noting that Russians with secondary and secondary vocational education performed better than their peers in OECD countries with similar levels of education. At the same time, Russians with higher education received lower PIAAC scores compared to university graduates in other OECD countries. These data suggest that higher education in Russia does not always contribute to improving the key competencies necessary for functional literacy. The researchers emphasize that this finding requires further analysis and additional research to gain a deeper understanding of the situation.

Does Functional Literacy Really Exist?

At the 2022 annual conference of the Eurasian Association for the Evaluation of Education Quality (EAEQE), new types of literacy were actively discussed. One of the keynote speakers on this topic was Galina Kovaleva from the Institute for Strategy of Education Development at the Russian Academy of Education, who coordinates PISA and other international assessments in Russia. In her joint paper with Nikita Kolachev, a psychometrician from the Higher School of Economics, she emphasized the importance of developing functional literacy. However, during the discussion, Galina Kovaleva also noted that functional literacy may not exist in the form it is commonly understood. This assertion challenges traditional approaches to literacy assessment and highlights the need to revise existing methods and concepts in education.

A study within the framework of the Russian Education Ministry's "Formation and Assessment of Functional Literacy" project, found that functional literacy is largely comparable to general intelligence, known as the g-factor. This term refers to the general level of mental ability that manifests itself in solving various problems, including verbal, mathematical, and spatial. A high g-factor does not guarantee error-free performance on all tasks, as each area requires specific knowledge and skills. However, on average, people with high g-factor levels demonstrate higher performance than those with lower g-factors. This underscores the importance of functional literacy as a key element of success in various areas of life.

Kovaleva and Kolachev found that the definitions of functional literacy and general intelligence proposed by various authors have significant similarities. In both cases, the emphasis is on competencies that can be applied in various tasks and contexts. This underscores the importance of flexibility and adaptability of skills that enable effective coping with a variety of intellectual challenges.

The results of functional literacy and intelligence measures are analyzed using bifactor statistical models. In these models, the main variance in participants' performance is explained by the general factor, while the specifics of the task—whether mathematical, scientific, or reading skills—contribute only a small portion of the variance. The authors conducted this study in Russian schools using the PISA model and confirmed these findings. The study showed that functional literacy shares structural and substantive similarities with general intelligence. This may indicate that separating these concepts is unnecessary. However, not all conference participants agreed with this conclusion. In particular, Elena Kardanova, Academic Director of the Master's Program in Psychometrics at the Higher School of Economics, emphasized the need to re-validate the statistical model used. Functional literacy and general intelligence, although interrelated, have their own significance in the educational process. Regardless of terminology, the ability to apply knowledge and skills in various situations plays a key role in learning and personal development. Galina Kovaleva emphasizes the importance of teachers working together to develop students' cognitive abilities, whether in general intelligence or functional literacy. Developing universal problem-solving strategies will help teenagers not only better absorb material but also use their skills effectively in the future.

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