Adult Literacy in Britain, 1996

<P>Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.</P><br>The Adult Literacy Survey, carried out in Great Britain in 1996, was part of an international programme of surveys known as the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS).<br> The aim was to profile the literacy skills of adults aged 16-65 using an internationally agreed measure. The objectives were to provide data for international comparison; to provide a profile of adult literacy in Great Britain; to provide a self-assessment of literacy skills by respondents; to collect background information to examine the link between literacy and socio-economic factors such as education, employment and income.<br><B>Main Topics</B>:<BR><br>Distribution of literacy by socio-demographic characteristics; literacy skills and work; occupational demand for literacy; literacy in everyday life; literacy practices and literacy skills; self-assessment of literacy skills for work and everyday life; adult education and training.<br> Standard Measures<br> Three measures of literacy (prose, document and quantitative) were calculated using Item Response Theory (IRT) by Educational Testing Services (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey.