Adults, Mathematics and Work

John J. Keogh, PhD (2013), after a 30 year career in Shipping, now lectures in Mathematics and Statistics. His research interest is mathematics in work and he published Work Based Learning in the Further Education & Training Sector (Keogh, 2016).Theresa Maguire, PhD (2003), University of Limerick, has a lifelong passion for adult mathematics education. She has worked with the National Awards Council and at the academic/employer interface. She is currently Director of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.John O’Donoghue, PhD (1978), University of Loughborough, UK, is Emeritus Associate Professor of Mathematics Education, University of Limerick, Ireland. He has served as chair of Adults Learning Mathematics -- A Research Forum, and contributed to various publications in adult mathematics/numeracy including journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings.

"I recommend this book to anyone with an interest or role in adult education, policy, and work placement, but it should also be of interest to those involved in teaching or education. Furthermore, the fact that this approach can help to remove the invisibility of mathematics for workers in the workplace and show them how they are using it every day, could help to reduce the negative perception of mathematics and increase the recognition of mathematics as a practical skill for all." - Dr Ciarán Mac an Bhaird, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Maynooth University"This is a good, useful and readable book … provides a variety of case studies which illustrate the invisibility of Maths in workplace and seeks to recognise the mathematics knowledge that exists … The book is well-researched and presents a great array of results. Academics with research interests in the topic may find it both useful and interesting. The contextualisation with both national survey data and case studies from the work shadowing give a good insight into perceptions in relation to maths in the workplace and it is interesting to see the detail in the case studies and how they support or not the survey data. The chapter on research to practice is very welcome and makes many valuable points … Going forward the publication is useful in the context of constructing policy, pedagogy and syllabi understanding the place of Maths in the workplace and were it is both seen and unseen. The tools which were used are well explained and can be practically applied in other studies and the data published here used for comparison. From an employer’s perspective it demonstrates mechanisms which not only identify maths competency required for a role or an individual but can also assist in setting criteria for those changing roles or coming into an organisation. It is also useful in devising training plans." - Miriam O’Donoghue, Head of Lifelong Learning, IT Tallaght, Dublin"There are multiple audiences to whom this work would be valuable. First, and most naturally, the tools developed by the team would be useful to researchers in the field of adult numeracy. The survey is not unique to Irish workers and the connection to the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) key competencies gives it a global flavor and usefulness. Furthermore, the work is situated within a theoretical framework applicable to international vocational and workplace mathematics research. The work represented in the volume could be replicated or extended to include case studies of completely different companies and jobs. On a different level, the findings of the study should be of interest to those individuals planning instruction for adult mathematics students …. Finally, government departments responsible for workplace/vocational education should take note of the disparity between school mathematics which is identifiable and traditionally assessible and the mathematical “ways of thinking” that are critical to even the simplest of the jobs described in the case studies. Workplace and vocational education is expensive in terms of both money and time. The findings reported by the authors in this volume provide valuable evidence that can serve to inform and direct initiatives to advance workplace numeracy well beyond the borders of the Republic of Ireland." - Katherine Safford-Ramus, Ed.D., Professor of Mathematics (Ret.), Saint Peter’s University, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

• ForewordDiana CobenAcknowledgementsList of Figures and TablesChapter 1: Introduction: What This Book Is aboutGuide to Structure of the BookChapter 2: Adults Using Mathematics in the Workplace: It’s Not Mathematics, It’s Just Common Sense; Part of the JobCultural Historical Activity TheoryCompetenceInvisible Mathematics in the WorkplaceChapter 3: Identifying and Measuring Mathematics Invisibility in the Workplace: Stripping away the Layers That Hide What a Person Knows about MathematicsSurvey MethodologyMeasuring Mathematics CapabilityMeasuring Mathematics Capability in the WorkplaceNumerate BehaviourWorkplace Exploratory ToolsJob-shadowing Case StudiesImpact of Mathematics InvisibilityChapter 4: Broadening the Scope: Design and Key Findings of the National Survey of People at WorkCharacterisation of Workplace Mathematics in the WorkplaceDemographicsFrequency of Numerate BehaviourQuantity and NumberShape and Space and Pattern and RelationshipData Handling and ChanceSummaryChapter 5: Job Shadowing: Four Case Studies of People Engaged in Their JobJob Shadowing People at WorkCase Study Host Company AResearch Host Company BCase Study 1 RobCase Study 2 JimCase Study 3 ‘Laura’Case Study 4 ‘M’Mathematics Invisibility in the WorkplaceSummaryDiscussionA Workplace Contextualisation of MathematicsAccountabilityClarityFamiliarityStressorsVolatilityWorkplace Context-Complexity ProtocolChapter 6: From Research into Practice: How to Bring the Benefit of Research to LearnersExtended NFQ IllustratedExtended NFQ – Case Study 1Extended NFQ – Case Study 2Extended NFQ – Case Study 3Extended NFQ – Case Study 4Recruitment DichotomyImplications: Learners, Curriculum, Tutors, Policy, Standards & RPLResearch Instruments Modified for Practical ImplementationHow This Approach WorksWhy Does It Matter?AppendicesReferences