McDermott, W. 1983a

McDermott, Wendy C. 1983a. "Threshold theory applied to literacy program failure." Notes on Literacy. Interest level: academic.

Threshold theory implies that change or success does not always occur in terms of a continuum. At least it may not be perceived in terms of a continuum. That is, people cannot stop at any time during a process and expect to have something to show for their efforts. On the contrary, early steps may produce very few results.

Perhaps no results are observable until sufficient progress has been made so all factors come together in a gestalt-type way (the whole is greater than the sum of the parts). End stage is more than just another step along a continuum. On one hand, it is the culmination of the coming together of all the steps. On the other hand, it represents the neutralization of all the impediments to success. After the threshold or catastrophe point is reached, success or completion seems to mushroom.

Model accurately describes the success or failure of literacy programs.

• Bibliography module: McDermott, W. 1983a
• In overview module: Bibliography (Literacy): M
• In modular book: Bibliography (Literacy), by Doris Gallemore, Trudi C. Hunt, Jeanne Swanson, and Stephen L. Walter
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 28 June 1999

© 1999 SIL International