RESEARCH INTERESTS

·         Service management and organizational psychology.

·         Empowerment of workers and clients in human service organizations.

·         Development and assessment of adult numeracy / mathematical literacy, statistical literacy, and statistical reasoning skills.

·         Adult learning and skill transfer.  

EDUCATION
 

Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Psychology Dept: Cognitive psychology and decision processes, 1990.

M.A., Tel-Aviv University. Psychology Dept: Occupational & Counseling Psychology,1982.

B.A., Tel-Aviv University. Psychology and Educational Sciences (double major), 1978.
 

ACADEMIC RANKS
 

Senior Lecturer, University of Haifa, 2004 -.
Lecturer, University of Haifa, 1997-2003.
Research Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, 1991-1995.
 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES (selected)
 

Chair, Numeracy Expert group, Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), OECD.

Member of Advisory Board: International Statistical Literacy Project, International Association for Statistical Education / Int'l Statistical Institute.

Editor (2003-2007), Statistics Education Research Journal. [www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/serj]

Senior Advisor for Literacy/Numeracy Assessment (1995-2005), International Literacy Institute, University of Pennsylvania, USA. [online: www.literacy.org]

 BOOKS (edited)
 

   Gal, I. (Ed.) (2000). Adult Numeracy development: Theory, Research, Practice. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

   Gal, I., & Garfield, J. B. (Eds.) (1997). The Assessment Challenge in Statistics Education. Amsterdam: IOS Press, in association with International Statistical Institute.  

ARTICLES IN REFEREED JOURNALS  

Gal, I., &  Ograjenšek, I. (Forthcoming). Qualitative research in the service of understanding learners and users of statistics. International Statistical review.

Shavit, M., Yusov, P., Gal, I., Doron, I. (in press). Immigration and health services: Immigrant complaint patterns regarding the primary health care system in Israel. Journal of Immigrants and Refugee Studies.

Luria, G., Gal, I. & Yagil, D. (in press). Employees' willingness to report service complaints. Journal of Service Research.

Shapira, N., Gal, I., & Barak, A. (2008). Elderly and Internet group training: from theory to practice. Gerontology, 2, 127-140 (in Hebrew).

Yagil, D., Luria, G. & Gal, I. (2008). Stressors and resources in customer service roles: Exploring the relationship between core self-evaluations and burnout. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 19(5), 175-195.

Shapira, N., Barak, A., & Gal, I. (2007). Promoting older adults' well-being through internet training and use. Aging and Mental Health, 11(5), 477-484.

Gal, I. & Doron, I. (2007). Patterns of client complaints in Israel's health-care system. Harefua, 146(6), 489-496. (in Hebrew).

Gal, I., & Doron, I. (2007). Informal complaints on health services: hidden patterns, hidden potentials. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(3), 158-163.

Doron, I., & Gal, I. (2006). Prevention and legal planning in old age: Findings from an Israeli exploratory research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 21(1-2), 41-53.

Gal, I., & Prigat, A. (2005). Why organizations continue to create patient information leaflets with readability and usability problems: An exploratory study. Health Education Research, 20(4), 485-493.

Doron, I., & Gal, I. (2003). Israel's 1996 Patient Rights Act and the elderly: Issues in implementation and research. Gerontology, 30(3), 9-21. [In Hebrew] 

Doron, I., & Gal, I. (2003). Prevention and legal planning in old age: Findings from a preliminary study, Hamishpat, 16, 36-45. [in Hebrew]

Gal, I., & Prisant, B. (2003). Empowerment processes and the frail elderly: Home-care services versus day care centers, Society and Welfare, 23(1), 101-125. [in Hebrew]

Gal, I. (2003). Expanding conceptions of statistical literacy: An analysis of products from statistics agencies. Statistics Education Research Journal. 2(1),  3-22. (Electronic refereed journal: www.stat.auckland.ac.nz/serj)

Gal, I. (2003). Teaching for statistical literacy and services of statistics agencies. The American Statistician, 57(2), 80-84.

Gal, I. (2002). Dispositional aspects of coping with interpretive numeracy tasks. Literacy and Numeracy Studies, 11(2), 47-61.

Yagil, D., & Gal, I. (2002). The role of organizational service climate in generating control and empowerment among workers and customers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 9, 215-226.

Gal, I. (2002). Adults' Statistical literacy: Meanings, components, responsibilities. International Statistical Review, 70(1), 1-25.

Gal, I. (2002). Developing statistical literacy: Towards implementing change. International Statistical Review, 70(1), 46-51.

Gal, I. (2002). Systemic needs in adult numeracy education. Adult Basic Education, 12(1), 20-33.

Garfield, J. B. & Gal, I. (1999). Assessment and statistics education: Current challenges and directions. International Statistical Review, 67(1), 1-12.

Gal, I., & Baron, J. (1996). Understanding repeated simple choices. Thinking and Reasoning, 2(1), 81-98.

Gal, I. (1995). Statistical tools and statistical literacy: The case of the average. Teaching Statistics, 17(3), 97-99.

Gal, I., & Ginsburg, L. (1994). The role of beliefs and attitudes in learning statistics: Towards an assessment framework. Journal of Statistics Education, 2(2). [Electronic refereed journal of the American Statistical Association: http://www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v2n2/gal.html, 17 pages)

Wagner, D. A., Spratt, J. E., Gal, I., & Paris, S. (1989). Reading and believing: Beliefs, attributions, and reading achievement among Moroccan school children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(1), 283-293.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Gal, I. and the Numeracy Expert Group (forthcoming 2009). Adult numeracy: A conceptual and assessment framework for PIAAC. (To appear in an upcoming book from OECD).

Gal, I. (2007). Research methods: reflections on teaching frameworks and research. In Murtonen, M., Rautopuro, J. & Väisänen, P. (Eds).Learning and teaching of Research methods at University. Turku, Finland: Finnish Educational Research Association.

Gal, I., van Groenestijn, M., Manly, M., Schmitt, M. J., & Tout, D. (2005). Adult numeracy and its assessment in the ALL survey: A conceptual framework and pilot results. In Murray, S. T., Clermont, Y., & Binkley, M. (Eds), Measuring adult literacy and life skills: New frameworks for assessment (pp. 137-191). Ottawa, Canada: Statistics Canada.

Gal, I. (2005). Towards 'probability literacy' for all citizens. In G. Jones (ed.), Exploring probability in school: Challenges for teaching and learning (pp. 43-71). Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Gal, I. (2000). Statistical literacy: Conceptual and instructional issues. In D. Coben, J. O'Donoghue, & G. FitzSimons, (Eds.), Perspectives on Adults Learning Mathematics (pp. 135-150). London: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Gal, I. (2000). The numeracy challenge. In I. Gal (Ed.), Adult numeracy development: Theory, research, practice. (pp. 9-31). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.

Cumming, J., & Gal, I. (2000). Assessment in adult numeracy education: Issues and principles for good practice. In I. Gal (Ed.), Adult numeracy development: Theory, research, practice. (pp. 305-333). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press

Ginsburg, L., & Gal, I. (2000). Instructional strategies for adult numeracy education. In I. Gal (Ed.), Adult numeracy development: Theory, research, practice. (pp. 89-114). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press

Gal, I. (1999). Links between literacy and numeracy. In D. A. Wagner, R. L. Venezky, and B. Street (Eds.), Literacy: An international Handbook (pp. 227-231). Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.

Garfield, J. & Gal, I. (1999). Teaching and Assessing Statistical Reasoning. In L. Stiff (Ed.), Mathematical Reasoning (pp. 207-219). Reston, Virginia: National Council Teachers of Mathematics.

Gal, I. (1998). Assessing statistical knowledge as it relates to students' interpretation of data. In S. Lajoie (Ed.), Reflections on statistics: Learning, teaching, and assessment in grades K-12 (pp. 275-295). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Gal, I. (1997). Numeracy: imperatives of a forgotten goal. In L. A. Steen (Ed.), Why numbers count: quantitative literacy for tomorrow’s America (pp. 36-44). New York: The College Board.

Gal, I., & Garfield, J. (1997). Curricular Goals and Assessment Challenges in statistics education. In I. Gal & J. B. Garfield (Eds.), The assessment challenge in statistics education (pp. 1-13). Amsterdam: IOS Press.

Gal, I., Ginsburg, L., & Schau, C. (1997). Monitoring attitudes and beliefs in statistics education. In I. Gal & J. B. Garfield (Eds.), The assessment challenge in statistics education (pp. 37-51). Amsterdam: IOS Press.

OTHER SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS AND TECHNICAL PRODUCTS
 

Gal, I. (2007). Assessment of adult numeracy in PIAAC: A conceptual and development framework. (Unpublished technical report invited by OECD). University of Haifa, Israel.

Condelli, L., Safford-Ramus, K., Sherman, R., Coben, D., Gal, I., & Hector-Mason, A. (2006). A review of the literature in adult numeracy: research and conceptual issues. (Prepared by American Institutes for Research for Adult Numeracy Initiative, Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education, USA).  (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/math.html)

Wagner, D. A., Sabatini, J., & Gal, I. (1999). Assessing basic learning competencies among youth and young adults in developing countries: Analytic survey framework and implementation guidelines. Philadelphia: International Literacy Institute/UNESCO. (http://literacyonline.org/products/ili/pdf/op9901.pdf]

Gal, I., & Schuh, A. (1994). Who counts in adult literacy programs? A national survey of numeracy education. Technical report TR94-09. Philadelphia, PA: National Center on Adult Literacy, University of Pennsylvania.

Designer, “Literacy Statistics” (1999), a component of the “International Literacy Explorer”, a Web project of UNESCO and the International Literacy Institute, University of Pennsylvania, USA. (http://www.literacyonline.org/ask/lit_stats.html)

Gal, I. & Stoudt, A. Numeracy revisited (1998). Adult Learning, 17, 10-14.

Gal, I., & Schmitt, M. J. (1994) (Eds.). Proceedings of the 1994 national conference on adult mathematical literacy. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania. (ERIC doc. ED397231). (A joint publication of the National Center on Adult Literacy, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and Dept. of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education).

Gal, I., Ginsburg, L., Stoudt, A., Rethemeier, K., & Brayer Ebby, C. (1994). Adult Numeracy Instruction: A new Approach. Philadelphia, PA: National Center on Adult Literacy, University of Pennsylvania. (A joint publication by the National Center on Adult Literacy, U.S. Department of Education, American Association of Community Colleges, Public Broadcasting System, and National Institute For Literacy). (http://www.literacyonline.org/products/ncal/pdf/pr9404.pdf)

Wagner, D. A., & Gal, I. (1990). Indigenous cognition?. Review of Indigenous cognition: Functioning in Cultural Context, (J. W. Berry, S. H. Irvine, & E. B. Hunt, Eds.; Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1988), Contemporary Psychology, 83(3), 131-132.

TALKS & CONFERENCE PAPERS (Selected)
 

Luria, G., Yagil, D., & Gal, I. (2009).Tradeoffs between productivity and service quality: The moderating role of frontline workers’ empowerment, burnout, and service climate. QUIS11 conference, Wolfsburg, Germany.

Gal. I. (Oct. 2008). Numeracy in PIAAC: Conceptual framework and scale development update. Meeting of National Project Managers, OECD Programme for International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Barcelona, Spain.

Gal, I. (2008). The South Africa Mathematics Literacy curriculum: Reflections with an international perspective. University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Gal, I. (2008). Towards a unified model of adult numeracy, statistical literacy, and probability literacy: Research and instruction links. Pretoria: University of South Africa, Pretoria.

Gal, I. (2008). Developing research skills: Overcoming hidden barriers in students' work on statistical projects. University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Gal, I. (2008). Designing assessment of mathematical and statistical skills. North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.

Gal, I. (2008). Tackling cognitive, methodological, and political challenges in assessing quantitative literacy. University of Minnesota, USA.

Luria, G., Yagil, D., & Gal, I. (2008). The willingness to report service complaints. Frontiers in Service 2008 Conference. University of Maryland, USA.

Gal, I. (2007). Informal Inferential Reasoning in statistics education: Some assessment and research issues. 5th Forum on Statistical Reasoning, Thinking, and Literacy (SRTL5), University of Warwick, UK, August 2007.

Gal, I. (2007). Critical areas for assessing skill transfer: Statistics education and PIAAC. IASE Satellite on Assessment in Statistics Education, Guimaraes, Portugal.

Gal, I., & Ben-Zvi, D. (2007). Educational products of official statistics agencies: In search of vision, standards, and impact. International Statistical Institute 56th meeting, Lisbon.

Gal, I. (2007). Adult numeracy assessment and implications for national testing programs. National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation in Education (RAMA), Israel. Tel-Aviv,

Gal, I. (2006). Direct assessment of Numeracy in PIAAC: Rationale and options. Joint meeting of OECD Education Committee & CERI. OECD, Paris, December 2006.

Gal, I. (2006, July). How statistically literate are adults? Results from international comparative studies. 7th International Congress on Teaching Statistics (ICOTS7), Salvador, Brazil.

Gal, I. & Bosley, J. (2005, April). Non-specialist users and their information needs: An exploratory study at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Proceedings of the International Statistical Institute’s 55th meeting, Sydney.

Gal, I. (2004, August). Skills of non-specialist users of BLS data:  How adults understand statistical tables and graphs. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Washington, DC.

Gal, I. & Doron, I. (2005, Sept.). Complaint patterns on health services in Israel: A national survey. Second Health Policy Conference, Tel-Aviv.

Doron, I., & Gal, I. (2003). Prevention and legal planning in old age. 15th meeting, Israeli Gerontological Association. Tel-Aviv

Gal, I. & Murray, S. (2002). Preparing for diversity in statistics literacy: Institutional and educational implications. (Keynote lecture). In B. Phillips (Ed.), Proceedings-6th International Conference on Teaching Statistics. Voorburg, The Netherlands: International Statistical Institute.

Gal, I. (1999). A numeracy assessment framework for the International Life Skills Survey. In O. Zaslavsky (Ed.), Proceedings- 23^rd conference, International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 2, pp. 353-360). Haifa, Israel: Technion Printing Press.

Gal, I. (1999). Empowerment and lifelong learning of numeracy skills. In A. Rogerson (Ed.), Proceedings-International conference on mathematics education into the 21^st century: Societal challenges, issues, and approaches (pp. 39-45). Cairo, Egypt: Third World Forum.

Gal, I. (1997). Assessing students’ interpretations of data: Conceptual and pragmatic issues. In B. Phillips (Ed.), Papers on Statistical Education (pp. 49-58). Hawthorn, Australia: Swinburne Press. Paper presented at the 8th International Congress on Mathematics Education, Seville, Spain, 1996.

Ginsburg, L., & Gal, I. (1995). Linking informal knowledge and formal skills: The case of percents. In D. T. Owens, M. K. Reed, & G. M. Millsaps (Eds.). Proceedings of the 17th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Columbus, Ohio: ERIC Clearinghouse for Science and Mathematics.

Gal, I. (1994). Can the delivery system deliver? Realities of numeracy education in adult literacy programs. In I. Gal & M. J. Schmitt (Eds.). Proceedings of the 1994 national conference on adult mathematical literacy (pp. 49-56). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania. (ERIC doc. ED397231). 

Gal, I., & Schmitt, M. J., Stoudt, A., & Ginsburg, L. (1994). Summary of conference recommendations. In I. Gal & M. J. Schmitt (Eds.). Proceedings of the 1994 national conference on adult mathematical literacy (pp. 1-18). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania. (ERIC document ED397231).

Gal, I. (1994). "Why do you teach this stuff?": On adult numeracy, school math and workplace needs. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual meeting, Seattle, USA.

Gal, I. (1993). Reaching out: Issues and dilemmas in expanding statistics education to non college-bound students. In L. Preira-Mendoza (Ed.). Introducing data-analysis in the schools (pp. 189-203). Voorburg, Netherlands: International Statistical Institute.

Gal, I. (1993, March). Research and development challenges in adult numeracy. UNESCO International Seminar on Adult Numeracy, Paris, France.

Gal, I., Moore, S., Mahoney, P. (1992). Misconceptions in children’s statistical lexicons. American Psychological Association. Washington, DC.

Gal, I. (1991). Education vs. training: implications for educators who mean business. Work Now and in the Future 8th Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Gal, I., Rothschild, K., & Wagner, D. (1990). Statistical concepts and statistical reasoning in school children: Convergence or divergence? Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting, April 1990, Boston.

Gal, I., Rothschild, K., & Wagner, D. A. (1989, April). Which group is better? The development of statistical reasoning in elementary school children. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Kansas City, Missouri.

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Last Updated 27/07/2009