Instructional Opportunities While Incarcerated: The Use of Cognitive Skills on Numeracy and Literacy Development

• In Event: Challenging Normative Discourses About Learning and Development in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Incarcerated adults are an understudied population in postsecondary education. To explore how educational opportunities can be widen for incarcerated adults, we examined whether the use of literacy and numeracy skills and in-prison educational program improve cognitive abilities. Using the 2014 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) – U.S. Prison Study Data Collection, we conducted linear regression models with numeracy and literacy ability scores as dependent variables and use of reading, writing, and numeracy skills as independent variables alongside demographic covariates. We found that individuals who used reading skills most frequently had higher literacy scores than individuals who used reading skills least often. Numeracy scores were also higher for individuals who used numeracy skills more frequently.

Authors

• Ajima Olaghere, Temple University

• Kristen P. Kremer, Kansas State University

• Carlton J. Fong, Texas State University