The primary goal of PIAAC’s numeracy assessment is to evaluate basic mathematical and computational skills that are considered fundamental for functioning in everyday work and social life. Numeracy in the PIAAC framework is defined as:
“the ability to access, use, interpret, and communicate mathematical information and ideas, to engage in and manage mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life.”
The PIAAC numeracy domain is based on ALL, IALS, school-oriented assessments, and a review of requirements of workplace skills, adult learning, and mathematics and statistics education. Although the definition is broad and abstract, the tasks in this assessment are not. They involve managing a situation or solving a problem in a practical context—in home, work, or community settings within which adults have to operate. These tasks ask respondents to work with numbers, proportions, measurements, and statistical concepts, and call for them to compute, interpret, and communicate the results and mathematical content. The situations and problems presented in these tasks involve objects or pictures, text, numbers, graphs, and technology-based displays; and they require basic mathematical skills in computation, proportions and percentages, understanding measurement concepts and procedures, and working with simple formulas. Respondents will also encounter more complex items that require using models to foresee future needs, and understanding basic statistical concepts and displays.
PIAAC numeracy assessment items (a) cover as many aspects as are defined in the framework, (b) are, as much as possible, authentic and culturally appropriate, (c) cover different levels of ability, and (d) are nationally adapted to use the standard measuring systems of the participating country. New items in paper-and-pencil and computer formats have been developed, and items from ALL and IALS will be used as well. More…
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