„Co robi alfabetyzacja?”. O potrzebie i priorytetach badań pedagogicznych nad fenomenem niepiśmienności

The article points out the need of educational research on the illiteracy phenomenon in the societies, where compulsory education is enforced. The scale of illiteracy and lack of knowledge about functional illitera cy in the present time poses a number of challenges for science. The most important are: identification of groups with reading and writing deficits and etiology of illiteracy phenomenon, reflection on the essence of functionally illiterate adults learning, the role of school and other agents of socialization in reading and writing development, literacy opportunities in the workplace or the contribution of the arts to popularize adult literacy and breaking social taboo, which is inability to read and write in highly developed countries.