Definitions of Literacy

For the purposes of this study a broad definition of literacy was used. The following definition put forward by Ennis and Woodrow (1992) is noteworthy,

"Adult learners view literacy as increasing their independence and personal power to act on the world. It means a level of reading and writing at which they can communicate with the competence they define as necessary to deal with situations and opportunities within their environment." (In Manitoba Education and Training, p. 9).

Individuals were given the choice to participate in the research if their studies were in basic literacy, Adult Basic Education, General Equivalency Diploma (GED), formal high school and/or if they defined their school work as literacy related. Distinctions were not made for definitions such as "functional illiteracy."