Pub Date : 2021-12-27DOI: 10.1177/10451595211059574
Yamini Bellare, Adam Smith, Kelcee Cochran, Samuel Garcia Lopez
Recent trends in higher education indicate a steady increase in the number of adult and non-traditional learners returning to complete college degrees. Though higher education can provide numerous economic and career enhancement opportunities, adult learners experience several challenges when they return to college. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gather and analyze data from employees from companies in the Midwest to determine the challenges and motivations of adult learners who plan to return to higher education. The results highlight that it is important for institutions of higher education to collaborate with employers to identify ways to modify their student recruitment methods to attract more adult student learners and identify supportive resources to help them complete their degrees successfully.
{"title":"Motivations and Barriers for Adult Learner Achievement: Recommendations for Institutions of Higher Education","authors":"Yamini Bellare, Adam Smith, Kelcee Cochran, Samuel Garcia Lopez","doi":"10.1177/10451595211059574","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211059574","url":null,"abstract":"Recent trends in higher education indicate a steady increase in the number of adult and non-traditional learners returning to complete college degrees. Though higher education can provide numerous economic and career enhancement opportunities, adult learners experience several challenges when they return to college. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to gather and analyze data from employees from companies in the Midwest to determine the challenges and motivations of adult learners who plan to return to higher education. The results highlight that it is important for institutions of higher education to collaborate with employers to identify ways to modify their student recruitment methods to attract more adult student learners and identify supportive resources to help them complete their degrees successfully.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76769200","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-11DOI: 10.1177/10451595211046971
Ph.D Phyllis A. Cummins, Ph.D A. Katherine Harrington, Ph.D Takashi Yamashita
Access to lifelong learning opportunities has long been discussed in terms of the economic benefits conferred by access to and engagement in further education by members of the labor force, particularly within the global knowledge economy. However, equitable access to lifelong education opportunities, particularly for low-skilled adults in the labor force, has been lacking. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified three models for funding adult learning: (1) individual learning accounts, (2) individual savings accounts, and (3) training vouchers. The current study discusses examples of these models, either proposed or implemented, across four countries or economic blocks—France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, to understand the importance of providing funding for education and training to adults with low levels literacy skills, we use data from the Program for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to compare participation in adult education and training (AET) by literacy skill levels. In all countries examined, adults with low literacy skills participated in AET at lower rates than those with middle and high levels of literacy skills. To be successful in reaching adults most in need of skill upgrading, financing models need to provide adequate funds for meaningful skill upgrades, have well-structured information sources (e.g., websites) that are easily navigated by the target population, and include policies to screen educational providers for program quality.
{"title":"Individual Learning Accounts: A Comparison of Implemented and Proposed Initiatives","authors":"Ph.D Phyllis A. Cummins, Ph.D A. Katherine Harrington, Ph.D Takashi Yamashita","doi":"10.1177/10451595211046971","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211046971","url":null,"abstract":"Access to lifelong learning opportunities has long been discussed in terms of the economic benefits conferred by access to and engagement in further education by members of the labor force, particularly within the global knowledge economy. However, equitable access to lifelong education opportunities, particularly for low-skilled adults in the labor force, has been lacking. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified three models for funding adult learning: (1) individual learning accounts, (2) individual savings accounts, and (3) training vouchers. The current study discusses examples of these models, either proposed or implemented, across four countries or economic blocks—France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, to understand the importance of providing funding for education and training to adults with low levels literacy skills, we use data from the Program for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to compare participation in adult education and training (AET) by literacy skill levels. In all countries examined, adults with low literacy skills participated in AET at lower rates than those with middle and high levels of literacy skills. To be successful in reaching adults most in need of skill upgrading, financing models need to provide adequate funds for meaningful skill upgrades, have well-structured information sources (e.g., websites) that are easily navigated by the target population, and include policies to screen educational providers for program quality.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77291371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-04DOI: 10.1177/10451595211048554
Shalini Sahoo, Roberto J. Millar, T. Yamashita, P. Cummins
Research on factors associated with motivation to learn (MtL) is limited, particularly among middle-aged adults and immigrants. This study examines educational attainment, literacy skills, and nativity (foreign-born vs. native-born) as predictors of MtL in middle-aged adults living in the United States. Nationally representative data of middle-aged adults between the ages of 40 and 65 years were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Structural equation models were used to assess the validity of the latent MtL construct and to examine the associations with the selected determinants in middle-aged adults. Postsecondary education degrees and higher literacy skills were linked with greater MtL. However, foreign-born individuals had lower MtL than their US-born counterparts. Educators and researchers should be aware of lower educational attainment, limited literacy skills, and being an immigrant as possible demoting factors of MtL, and in turn, barriers to lifelong learning participation among middle-aged adults.
{"title":"Educational Attainment, Literacy Skills, Nativity, and Motivation to Learn Among Middle-Aged Adults in the United States","authors":"Shalini Sahoo, Roberto J. Millar, T. Yamashita, P. Cummins","doi":"10.1177/10451595211048554","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211048554","url":null,"abstract":"Research on factors associated with motivation to learn (MtL) is limited, particularly among middle-aged adults and immigrants. This study examines educational attainment, literacy skills, and nativity (foreign-born vs. native-born) as predictors of MtL in middle-aged adults living in the United States. Nationally representative data of middle-aged adults between the ages of 40 and 65 years were obtained from the 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Structural equation models were used to assess the validity of the latent MtL construct and to examine the associations with the selected determinants in middle-aged adults. Postsecondary education degrees and higher literacy skills were linked with greater MtL. However, foreign-born individuals had lower MtL than their US-born counterparts. Educators and researchers should be aware of lower educational attainment, limited literacy skills, and being an immigrant as possible demoting factors of MtL, and in turn, barriers to lifelong learning participation among middle-aged adults.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77590410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-27DOI: 10.1177/10451595211037310
Corinne Brion
Teaching and learning are social and cultural activities. Across cultures, people have different ways of communicating, interacting, and learning. Consequently, learning may not occur without understanding the role national cultures play on organizing and facilitating training events. This study is part of a larger study that took place over a period of 6 years, from 2013 to 2019, in West Africa. Using Hofstede et al.’s Six Cultural Dimensions model as a conceptual framework, the researcher sought to examine the extent to which factors of national culture influence the facilitation of professional learning among school principals in two West African countries. Findings indicated that facilitators adapted to national culture in the dimensions of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-Term Orientation. This study is significant because teaching does not always equate to learning, and understanding the role of cultural factors can improve learning transfer. If facilitators and practitioners understood how national cultures influence teaching, they would adapt and adjust their practices to the national cultures they serve to improve learning outcomes. Based on the study findings, the researcher offers recommendations for those practitioners who work with adults in international contexts and/or who attend to learners from various cultural backgrounds.
{"title":"The Centrality of Cultural Considerations in Facilitating Training for Adults","authors":"Corinne Brion","doi":"10.1177/10451595211037310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211037310","url":null,"abstract":"Teaching and learning are social and cultural activities. Across cultures, people have different ways of communicating, interacting, and learning. Consequently, learning may not occur without understanding the role national cultures play on organizing and facilitating training events. This study is part of a larger study that took place over a period of 6 years, from 2013 to 2019, in West Africa. Using Hofstede et al.’s Six Cultural Dimensions model as a conceptual framework, the researcher sought to examine the extent to which factors of national culture influence the facilitation of professional learning among school principals in two West African countries. Findings indicated that facilitators adapted to national culture in the dimensions of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Long-Term Orientation. This study is significant because teaching does not always equate to learning, and understanding the role of cultural factors can improve learning transfer. If facilitators and practitioners understood how national cultures influence teaching, they would adapt and adjust their practices to the national cultures they serve to improve learning outcomes. Based on the study findings, the researcher offers recommendations for those practitioners who work with adults in international contexts and/or who attend to learners from various cultural backgrounds.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81709529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-25DOI: 10.1177/10451595211039442
Thomas A. Rausch
{"title":"Podcast Review: The Third Sector of Education [Audio Podcast]","authors":"Thomas A. Rausch","doi":"10.1177/10451595211039442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211039442","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77499881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-08-24DOI: 10.1177/10451595211036512
Erin A. Galfer
{"title":"Book Review: David Hansen and the Call to Teach: Renewing the Work That Teachers Do, by De Marzio, D. (Ed.)","authors":"Erin A. Galfer","doi":"10.1177/10451595211036512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211036512","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80478804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-22DOI: 10.1177/10451595211024576
Hany Hachem
A late modern rationale for the education of older people has not yet been sufficiently explored. In this action research, I explore Giddens’s life politics as a framework for a late modern rationale for older adult education. Eleven older learners were recruited voluntarily to an online study group conducted via Zoom at a University for the Third Age. Over six sessions, learners attended mini lectures, completed self-reflexive assignments, and engaged in lively classroom discussions. I report and evaluate the study group, with special focus on outcomes such as personal growth and self- and social questioning. I conclude that life politics is a viable framework for the education of older people and state implications for theory and practice.
{"title":"Zooming in on Life Politics: Identity and Reflexivity in a University for the Third Age","authors":"Hany Hachem","doi":"10.1177/10451595211024576","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211024576","url":null,"abstract":"A late modern rationale for the education of older people has not yet been sufficiently explored. In this action research, I explore Giddens’s life politics as a framework for a late modern rationale for older adult education. Eleven older learners were recruited voluntarily to an online study group conducted via Zoom at a University for the Third Age. Over six sessions, learners attended mini lectures, completed self-reflexive assignments, and engaged in lively classroom discussions. I report and evaluate the study group, with special focus on outcomes such as personal growth and self- and social questioning. I conclude that life politics is a viable framework for the education of older people and state implications for theory and practice.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74986820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-26DOI: 10.1177/10451595211016551
Steven W. Schmidt
In her piece on the history of adult education, in the Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education, [2] noted "it is important to understand that although nothing is preordained, the past does affect how we view the present" (p. 22). Adult Education and Social Justice In the I Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education i , [1] start the chapter on adult education and social justice with the following: There are deep and rich social justice roots in adult education. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Adult Learning is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
她在《成人和继续教育手册》(Handbook of adult and Continuing education)中关于成人教育史的一篇文章中[2]指出,“重要的是要明白,尽管没有什么是注定的,但过去确实影响了我们对现在的看法”(第22页)。成人教育与社会公正在《成人与继续教育手册》第1卷[1]中,成人教育与社会公正一章的开头是这样写的:成人教育有着深厚而丰富的社会公正根源。成人学习的版权是Sage Publications Inc.的财产,未经版权所有者的明确书面许可,其内容不得复制或通过电子邮件发送到多个网站或发布到listserv。但是,用户可以打印、下载或通过电子邮件发送文章供个人使用。这可以删节。对副本的准确性不作任何保证。用户应参阅原始出版版本的材料的完整。(版权适用于所有人。)
{"title":"Our Time is Now: How the Events of 2020 Will Shape the Field of Adult Education","authors":"Steven W. Schmidt","doi":"10.1177/10451595211016551","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211016551","url":null,"abstract":"In her piece on the history of adult education, in the Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education, [2] noted \"it is important to understand that although nothing is preordained, the past does affect how we view the present\" (p. 22). Adult Education and Social Justice In the I Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education i , [1] start the chapter on adult education and social justice with the following: There are deep and rich social justice roots in adult education. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Adult Learning is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83706424","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-06DOI: 10.1177/10451595211012473
A. Samuel, S. Durning
Billions of dollars are spent annually on leadership training and development courses. Unfortunately, this training, both at organizational and university levels, does not appear to consistently result in significant adult learning or better organizational performance. These programs tend to focus on the theories of leadership within closed classroom environments and sometimes present case studies to encourage application of knowledge. The content is typically dissociated from both context and leadership experiences and a “one size fits all” approach is adopted. This approach does not account for the corporate culture that is unique to every organization, even every department. In this innovation in practice article, we present a leadership practicum course tailored for adult learners that provides an experiential approach to leadership training enhanced by expert coaching. Initial results indicate that health care professionals appreciate the ability to transfer theory to practice and the feedback they receive from expert coaches. We present the practicum course and provide two cases to explicate the process; we share initial findings from the course and end with our next steps.
{"title":"Enhancing Leadership Training Through an Experiential Approach: An Online Model for the 21st Century","authors":"A. Samuel, S. Durning","doi":"10.1177/10451595211012473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10451595211012473","url":null,"abstract":"Billions of dollars are spent annually on leadership training and development courses. Unfortunately, this training, both at organizational and university levels, does not appear to consistently result in significant adult learning or better organizational performance. These programs tend to focus on the theories of leadership within closed classroom environments and sometimes present case studies to encourage application of knowledge. The content is typically dissociated from both context and leadership experiences and a “one size fits all” approach is adopted. This approach does not account for the corporate culture that is unique to every organization, even every department. In this innovation in practice article, we present a leadership practicum course tailored for adult learners that provides an experiential approach to leadership training enhanced by expert coaching. Initial results indicate that health care professionals appreciate the ability to transfer theory to practice and the feedback they receive from expert coaches. We present the practicum course and provide two cases to explicate the process; we share initial findings from the course and end with our next steps.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82685958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-04-27DOI: 10.1177/1045159521997583
Rosite K. G. Delgado, Q. Sun
Immigration is a hotly debated and deeply polarizing topic in American society. The past few decades have seen an influx of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and the Americas who contend with having a double-minority status. This qualitative study advances an understanding of the lived experiences and acculturation process of immigrant academics of color within American academia. Findings indicate struggles of cultural disequilibrium, marginalization, and the challenges of gaining or regaining cultural, professional, and social capital. Their experiences and perspectives have explicit implications for adult learning.
{"title":"Challenges, Changes, and Choices: Immigrant Academics of Color in American Academia","authors":"Rosite K. G. Delgado, Q. Sun","doi":"10.1177/1045159521997583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159521997583","url":null,"abstract":"Immigration is a hotly debated and deeply polarizing topic in American society. The past few decades have seen an influx of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and the Americas who contend with having a double-minority status. This qualitative study advances an understanding of the lived experiences and acculturation process of immigrant academics of color within American academia. Findings indicate struggles of cultural disequilibrium, marginalization, and the challenges of gaining or regaining cultural, professional, and social capital. Their experiences and perspectives have explicit implications for adult learning.","PeriodicalId":45115,"journal":{"name":"Adult Learning","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73361922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}