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Morphological knowledge refers to an individual's understanding of the structure and meaning of words based on their familiarity with morphemes (i.e., word parts, including prefixes, suffixes, and bases). This knowledge is crucial to developing various aspects of language and literacy to successfully function in 21st century education and workplace settings, including vocabulary, spelling, phonological awareness, word reading, and reading comprehension. This research digest provides a brief review on why morphological knowledge is important to literacy for adult education leaners. Next, we briefly describe the literature on adult morphological and etymological instruction and provide examples for how to integrate them in the classroom with adult education learners. We conclude with future directions and resources for research and educational practice.

Online courses are particularly attractive in continuing education because they offer a high degree of autonomy and flexibility, although this requires learners to take greater responsibility for self-regulating their learning. That can be challenging for adult learners as they need to handle other obligations in addition to learning. Thus, self-regulated learning (SRL) support might be needed. In the present study, we aimed to investigate how the specific SRL challenges that adult learners face in online courses can be supported adaptively. Main challenges for adult learners consist in managing learning resources (e.g., time, attention, learning environment). To address these challenges, we developed an adaptive support intervention comprising several features. To assess the effects of the adaptive support on the self-reported SRL strategy application of adult learners, we analysed data from five iterations of a continuing education online course comparing iterations with adaptive support (with a total of N = 36 participants) to iterations without (with a total of N = 35 participants). Results indicate that the adaptive support significantly improved environmental structuring but did not significantly affect other SRL strategies. Further analyses revealed that learners who did not use the support deteriorated in managing their learning time and in setting specific learning goals during the course.

This is a study of the process of biographical learning and how it can be observed in narration. There have not yet been empirical studies focused explicitly on the learning aspects of biographical learning, as scholars have focused more on the biographical part of the concept -- more on the question of what is learned than of how it is learned. This text therefore concentrates on the learning process itself within biographical learning, using data from 29 biographical narrative interviews with mature students studying for education degrees in Czech higher education. The results show that narrators do not present their experiences separately in their narration, one after another. The narrative analysis revealed that their experiences are intertwined. In adding another experience, the narrators discover new meanings. It is therefore possible to talk about the learning process going on in the narration. The narrative analysis identified three types of this biographical learning as reflected in narration: learning by analogy, learning by audit, and learning by authority. In learning by analogy, experiences are compared to one another, creating an analogy between them. Learning by authority involves the influence of a past experience on the present day. Learning by audit is a retrospective movement, looking at a past experience through the lens of the present. The results presented here have implications for both adult education research and practice.

Students face various barriers in learning English via distance education. The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to collect quantitative and qualitative data regarding students' emotional intelligence (EI) and the situational barriers (SB) they faced in learning English via distance education. In phase one, 238 students voluntarily submitted their questionnaires containing Schutte's Self-Report Inventory Emotional Intelligence scale. The mean EI score of the distance learners was 130. Based on the EI scores, three subgroups of respondents; HighEI, MidEI, and LowEI were identified. In phase two, 18 participants chosen based on their EI scores were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. The qualitative data revealed eight major situational barriers. Out of these, SB1 Job, SB2 Family and Home, and SB4 Time were most frequently cited. The study also found that distance learners' EI was significantly related to their perceptions of the situational barriers to learning English through distance education. Studies affirmed higher EI students are better at moderating the negative effects of challenging circumstances and achieving their goals. Thus, it is crucial to fortify students' EI through training, mentoring, and counselling programs to empower them to moderate their barriers, persevere, communicate with others, and make informed decisions to achieve academic success.

Adult English language instruction is the fastest growing segment of U.S. adult basic education population. Supporting adult emergent multilingual students through English as a Second Language or English for Speakers of Other Languages classes, referred to here as ES(O)L, and developmental literacy programs presents a "wicked problem" for many community colleges. This article compares literacy standards and instruction across adult ES(O)L and developmental literacy contexts in six Texas community college systems. Colleges held loosely shared organizational goals but lacked sufficient leadership, structure, and time for goal enactment. Through a systems theory lens, the article explores colleges' potential to become learning organizations supporting adult multilingual students' college transition.

In the era of digital transformation, the intersection of adult learning, digital competence, global progress, and sustainable development emerges as a pivotal focus. This article dives into the complex interaction of these factors centering on the pivotal role of digital competence in advancing sustainable development goals through adult education. By exploring the dynamic landscape of technology and education, the paper investigates how enhancing digital competence among adult learners facilitates global understanding and fosters sustainable behaviors. The accessibility afforded by digital education empowers individuals at any life stage or circumstance to actively participate in lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling. The research systematically examines literature to capture the essence of the study, emphasizing the vital importance of digital competency for global understanding and sustainable development. It elucidates key concepts, unraveling the intricate relationship between digital transition, adult education, and the overarching pursuit of sustainability. This study posits hypotheses that underscore the critical role of digital competence in sparking global knowledge and catalyzing sustainable development within the dynamic realm of digital change. It contends that digital technologies, through personalized education, contribute significantly to the achievement of global sustainability goals. The findings accentuate how the digital revolution in adult education transcends conventional boundaries, leveraging technology to democratize knowledge and foster global collaboration. Empowered as change agents, learners equipped with both global awareness and sustainable skills have the potential to propel society towards a more interconnected and sustainable future. The study concludes with insights underscoring the profound link between digital competency, global awareness, adult education, and sustainable development, offering valuable guidance for educators, policymakers, and academics.

Sustainable development has become an increasingly important topic in recent years as the world has become more aware of the need to protect the present and the future. Sustainable development is concerned with the improvement of life quality for all. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without denying the needs of future generations. In general, sustainable development means meeting human needs. The emphasis in the given article is on adult learning and education from the perspective of sustainability in different contexts: formal, non-formal, informal; the eight key competences for sustainability are defined, namely: systematic thinking competence; anticipatory competence; normative competence; strategic competence; collaborative competence; critical thinking competence; self-awareness competence; integrated problem-solving competence and the essence of these sustainability competences is explained. At the same time, some methodological guidelines for the training/development of sustainable competences for adults are proposed. The andragogic model of adult learning and education from the perspective of sustainability is presented schematically and clarified in detail, it focuses on three dominant principles: the principle of centering on the learner; the principle of centering on action and active learning; the principle of construction/reconstruction. Also important are the results of the adults' survey regarding their perception of sustainability, which led to the formulation of relevant conclusions: formal, non-formal and informal education have a determining role in sustainable development, because it is precisely within these forms of education that people can develop the necessary competences for to be part of the sustainable development of humanity, and qualitative adult learning and education must include in itself the purpose, relevance and values of sustainability.

This article explores the sustained impact of an Access module on mature students from disadvantaged backgrounds as they progress to undergraduate study. Framed in the context of OfS concerns about attrition and conceptualisation of dispositional, situational and institutional barriers, student survey and tutor focus group data were collected in a case study at the UK's largest distance learning university. Findings suggested an Access module impacted by aligning learner confidence with improved academic writing, provided a crucial preparatory starting point, and led to enhancements in student time management and competence in learning online. Institutional barriers were mitigated through a 1-1 proactive tutoring model. Recommendations about the implications for improving support for Year 1 students are made.

College Unbound is a degree-completion college working to ensure all adult learners are valued as scholar-practitioners and have access to a bachelor's degree. As College Unbound has developed over the past decade, they have tried to interrogate what education for the public good means. College Unbound advances the public good inside three integrated curricular structures that enrolled students pursue concurrently: local, in-person seminars; intensive online courses; and a robust "Learning in Public" program. College Unbound serves as a model for adaptation as an institutional ethic that can fuel continued development and iterative assessment in response to student needs, exemplifying a commitment to the public good that moves the focus on higher education from "how it is" to "how it could be."

From November 2015 to October 2020, Canada had welcomed 44,620 Syrian refugees to more than 350 communities across the country. In 2019, it further surpassed the United States and Australia in the number of refugees settled. Lacking the necessary language skills for living and working in a new country is one of the most critical barriers refugees face. This paper aims to inform language-teaching professionals about pertinent linguistic and nonlinguistic issues as well as pedagogical implications associated with supporting adult Syrian refugee learners, drawing both on the literature more broadly and on the author's research in the Canadian context.

Mathematical dispositions, or an individual's behavioral (i.e., things they say and do), cognitive (i.e., attention and memory), and affective (i.e., emotions and beliefs) tendencies related to mathematics, are critical to the learning of mathematics and choices related to STEM. Previous research has suggested that adult learners may possess unproductive mathematical dispositions, such as high math anxiety and low math self-efficacy. This paper argues that unproductive mathematical dispositions may serve as a barrier to adult learners' STEM choices and provides strategies and techniques to help move adult learners towards productive mathematical dispositions and potentially stronger attraction to STEM fields.

The production-oriented approach (POA) is a nascent language-teaching approach that considers the aptitudes of Chinese learners. This study compared POA with task-based language teaching (TBLT) and presentation-practice-production (PPP) theoretically and empirically. A four-quadrant model and a theoretical comparison table are proposed to clarify the commonalities and differences among the three teaching approaches. In the experimental design, a mixed-method approach was employed to compare the effects of POA with the other pedagogical methods on adult Chinese learners' English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learning. A total of 343 Chinese college freshmen and six English teachers were invited to participate in an 18-week pre- and post-test quasi-experiment. The ANCOVA results indicated that the students' English proficiency test scores (excluding speaking) in the POA group were significantly higher than those in the PPP group (moderate effect size: 0.27) and the TBLT group (small effect size: 0.17), albeit non-significant. MANOVA step-down analysis showed that the POA group significantly outperformed the TBLT and PPP groups in terms of vocabulary acquisition and writing. The implications and suggestions for better dissemination and implementation of POA for adult EFL learners in China and other Asian contexts are discussed.

This article focuses on a case study of adult learners in Accra Learning Center (ALC) to explore limiting factors to learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) using distance education (DE) mode in Ghana. Educated adults possess experiences that help them take up leadership roles and transform communities. However, limiting factors including lack of media support and employment opportunities to adult learners in HEIs were highlighted by this study. Mixed method research (MMR) that tilted toward qualitative study was employed, and a dialogical approach to MMR was adopted. Semi-structured interview schedules were developed and administered to 45 adult learners. Random sampling procedure was used, and descriptive and interpretivist approaches were adopted in presenting the results. Simple descriptive statistics were adopted to help build a case for using the qualitative data which sought participants' voices, meanings, experiences, and understanding of limiting factors to learning in HEIs by DE mode. Poverty, the high cost of education, and poor time management constituted some of the limiting factors to adult learners in HEIs. The article recommends that HEIs adopt flexible terms of fee payment for adult learners and that young adult learners seek jobs and learn to save while learning in HEIs.

This study examined nontraditional students using linguistic inquiry and word count (LIWC) of their reflective writing assignments. Participants included 364 adult students enrolled in a degree completion program. Data comprised a multiweek reflective writing assignment and demographic data, linguistically and statistically analyzed. The study found that nontraditional students have low clout, a high drive for achievement, and a high motive of allure. In addition, students participating in credit for prior learning (CPL), also referred to as prior learning assessment (PLA), have statistically higher analytical thinking, drive for affiliation, and reward as motive. These results offer implications for prospective and nontraditional students, for academic advisors and instructors, and for higher education institutions and CPL programs.

The aim of this study is to examine what it means to be a student in a vocational education and training programme in the municipal adult education system in Sweden and how the interplay between school and working life affects students' identity formation. To achieve this, 12 students from two different programmes have been interviewed at the end of their education: one group of assistant nurses and one group of floor layers. The results show that learning a vocation and developing a vocational identity is a journey through different practices with whom students both identify and dis-identify themselves. In these processes of identification, students can also undergo personal development in a broader sense or develop an identity as an adult. Understanding adult student identities, in particular how they see themselves as learners, can be beneficial for those working with and in adult learning. Furthermore, what the school teaches may conflict with the expectations and daily demands of working life, creating a divide between practices. Understanding the divide between school and working life, and how students are affected by this divide, can also facilitate the understanding of their vocational identity development process.

The federal adult education program serves over 2 million eligible adults who seek basic literacy and English language skills. Using administrative student-level panel data, this study provides the very first assessment of the relationships between adult education teacher characteristics and student achievement using hierarchical linear modeling design. Results show that students in classes with teachers with a bachelor's or higher degree have higher post-test scores. Having a part-time adult education teacher was associated with lower odds of students transitioning to postsecondary education. Compared to teachers specialized in English as a second language, having an adult secondary education teacher is correlated with an increase in test score gains as well as higher odds of transitioning to postsecondary education. We also identified student characteristics (age, disability status, attendance hours, race, and employment status) and program characteristics (size, quality, and setting) that are statistically significantly correlated with student learning and students' transition to postsecondary education.

Positive priming encourages adult immigrant students to become more involved in their learning activities and increases their chances of success in their host society. The use of priming effects in teaching adult immigrants, however, is not sufficiently explored in the educational literature. This article therefore fills this gap by presenting a pedagogical strategy consisting in using positive priming activities in civic integration classes to develop a positive mental attitude in students. The paper explains how the effect of positive priming can be achieved by engaging adult students in sharing their positive impressions and experiences in the host society. The practical strategies discussed were tested in multicultural groups composed of men and women and they can be used by educators to animate civic integration courses as well as instructors working with adult students in other programs.

The disruptive effects of the COVID pandemic on vulnerable and/or minority demographic groups among 1) student populations and 2) persons employed in low wage sectors are well-established. This study examined whether disparity in the disruptive effects of the pandemic extend to adult learners employed in "bright prospect" sectors (e.g., computing and information technology). Survey results from a sample of 989 employees enrolled in an online Masters of Science in Computer Science program during the onset of COVID-19 revealed significant disparate impacts to work and learning as a function of age, race, and psycho-social factors (e.g., social support). The findings show that disparity in the effects of the pandemic transcend wage to affect the education and professional development of persons engaged in knowledge-based occupations. While results are based on the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, they provide observations and implications for navigating ongoing and future disruptive events. Specifically, results highlight the value of a 'whole-person' approach to more precisely identify the pathways by which these disruptive effects occur, particularly in the context of career development. At the institutional level, interventions to support adult learners through disruption should incorporate such an approach. Because continuous professional learning is critical for career advancement in knowledge-based sectors, the findings have implications for improving participation and mobility of underrepresented groups in computing and related fields.

This article explores the experiences of a group of women who having achieved success in education and returned to the adult learning environment again. A creative methodological approach allows the women to describe in their own words experiences of educational success and motivations to return to learning. Discussion points predominantly focus on outcomes that fall outside those typically measured. These include alternative interpretations of success; benefits of diverse learning groups; personal growth and bias, and connections and friendship. Questions of success and outcomes in later life are also explored. Conclusions identify the importance of recognising the diversity of experience in adult education, the varying methods of measuring success and the need to ensure learner stories are heard.

The funding model for further education and training (FET) in the Republic of Ireland currently describes provider and learner success in narrow quantifiable terms as captured on the national Programme Learner Support System (PLSS). FET practitioners have grappled with the restrictive rigidity of these outcomes and measures of success for adult learners. This article investigates the concept of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) as a means of widening outcomes and measures in FET.

This case study aims to explore English language vocabulary acquisition experiences and conceptualizations of a single adult English language learner with mild dyslexia by drawing on metaphors and semi-structured interviews. In the study, we aimed to view the learner's perception through different lenses to gain deeper insight into her ulterior motives and desire. In the findings, language vocabulary acquisition experiences and conceptualizations attributed to the language were revealed by metaphors. This highlighted the learning barriers which obstructed the learner's foreign language acquisition; her comprehension of the English language and personal motives to overcome the challenges.

English, as a language, has become a common way of communication across the globe, resulting in a need for many to read and understand the language. As various countries have opened up to foreigners who seek to do business, study, or live in non-English-speaking countries, the need for having a common language has led to the establishment of English across the world. Over the years, non-native English-speaking countries have developed curriculums for their citizens, especially adults to enable them to teach themselves English. However, the courses have been rather expensive to undertake, leaving the underprivileged looking for alternatives. This paper seeks to look into the issue of accessibility by introducing the benefits of technology in learning English as a Second Language (ESL) and discussing how it has revolutionised teaching in non-native speaking countries. More specifically, this paper will look at Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and its importance towards teaching ESL. Additionally, it will highlight the importance of technology towards teaching students ESL through software and websites, as well as shed light towards some of the negative aspects of technology integration in ESL adult learning.

In this paper, the researchers report an experimental study on conceptual knowledge learning and application through embodied interactions, expecting that bodily movements would facilitate learning in a positive manner. The intervention was enabled by Unity3D and Kinect V2, and taught novice adult learners the concepts of and conversions between binary and decimal numbers. Fifty-three adult participants were recruited, and randomly assigned into the experimental and control groups. During the intervention, participants in the experimental group manipulated and interacted with the learning materials through their body movements enabled by Kinect; while those in the control group learned the same content but interacted using conventional mouse and keyboard. Pre- and posttests results indicated that embodied interactions facilitated conceptual learning for the participating adult learners. However, compared with the mouse interaction, the embodied interactions did not lead to significantly better knowledge retention and application results. The study outcome implies that embodied interactions do not necessarily lead to better learning performances over traditional mouse-based interactions, and the 'how' and 'how much' may play critical roles for such interventions. Suggestions and challenges in designing learning systems utilizing embodied interactions enabled by novel technologies are provided.

In Canada, various studies investigating literacy learning have contributed to our understanding of the lives of the adult student. Through a consolidation of empirical evidence, a portrait of the adult learner is sketched, drawing upon pluralistic interpretations of the important life changes that have resulted from their participation in literacy education. This portrait highlights the significance of a variety of learning outcomes that go beyond traditional measures of knowledge and skills acquisition, with an emphasis on the relevance of such outcomes for different types of literacy learners, in various settings, and along three diverse learning pathways. International implications are highlighted in the discussion.

This project examines the supervisory roles and clinical experiences in a School of Education program that offers multiple pathways to licensure, including the Transition to Teaching (T2T) alternative route to certification program. Through our reflective supervisory and instructional experiences within this program, we explore the unique challenges in supervising non-traditional adult learners entering into teaching after experience in various professional disciplines. We use a Critical Whiteness Studies lens to create a composite narrative of these experiences as an approach to: (1) better understand adult learner dispositions; (2) contribute to research pertaining to the field of educational supervision and clinical experiences in an the under-researched area of alternative certification programs; and (3) provide field-based social justice-oriented practices grounded in critical reflection, discussion, and praxis for supervisors who work with adult learners in urban elementary contexts.

Online learning has become a prevailing trend among adult learners. Therefore, this study investigated the learning time preference and the relationship between the course completion and learning activities among adult learners based on data from one online learning platform. Results indicate that a periodical fluctuation of participating online course study exists among adult learners. Additionally, the activity of posting on the discussion board is a main learning activity factor that influences their online course completion. It is expected that this study would help online learning system designers, education administrators and instructors to better understand the characteristics of adult learners and their learning activities to provide better accessibility and flexibility in online learning environments for them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented impact on our world. In a short period of time, it has exposed deep and entrenched inequalities between and within societies and has prompted a radical rethink of the purpose and function of education. It is clearly no longer sufficient to impart learners with mere curricular knowledge. It is imperative that learners learn 'how to learn' and understand the process of becoming and being a learner. 'Learner Identity' is an emergent construct linked to learning 'how to learn'. This paper interrogates the relevance of learner identity for educators and for adult learners in a post-COVID-19 world.

This paper draws on both a theoretical understanding and a semi-autoethnographic approach of the lived experience of working class adult learners in higher education during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In particular, the paper warns of the doxic notion of current working class struggles being singularly attributed to COVID-19. Rather it is vital to assert that the societal structures that frame and reproduce inequality -- written by the dominant classes and cultures -- are the root of the problem. The daily struggles of working class adult learners have been amplified by the pandemic, but through Freire's love as a political force, there is space for radical hope.

Decades of career in adult education confirmed the author's assumption that adult learners possess lots of lived experiences, exhibit different learning styles and have immediate learning needs to fulfil. Some learners may be slow and take time to grasp information while others might be shy, introverts, lack confidence or extroverts who like to lead and be heard. These characteristics of adults do not require rigid educator control. Human rights, social justice and democracy require educators to be innovative, flexible and implement teaching approaches that could suit learning styles of adults in community college programs. The objective of this case study was to explore various teaching approaches that can maximize learning among adults in three community college classrooms in Limpopo province in South Africa. Data were collected through interviews and the study confirmed that adult learners have different learning styles and to promote learning among them educators should use various teaching approaches.

Many critical educational philosophies assume that learners are naïve and unable to critically read their social reality. Critical educational gerontology (CEG) aims to emancipate learners from oppression, to which they are oblivious. This strand of older adult education charges teachers with the task of raising learners' naïve consciousness, by leading them on the (Freirean) path of critical reflection and critical action. Literature employing CEG concludes that this path often ends with learners being reluctant to engage in critical action because of their ongoing (internalised) oppression. In this paper, we adopt a critical stance towards CEG's logic of emancipation guided by Anthony Giddens' structuration theory. As such, we question the inability of older learners to understand, and act on, their social reality independently from teachers. Starting from Giddens' theory, we apply a reflexive thematic analysis to interview data tackling the socio-economic reality of 11 older learners at a university for the third age in Lebanon. The results support the conclusion that older learners at the U3A can decode their social reality and reflexively engage in social change, but their efforts or reluctance are influenced by constraints, not necessarily naïve consciousness. Consequently, we recommend a revisit of CEG's logic of emancipation.

The purpose of this paper was to explore the experiences of adult learners enrolled in a non-traditional undergraduate academic program. This project examined if students minimised their disability in the academic environment, thus not making use of institutionally available accommodations. Through an explanatory case study design, findings revealed that students perceived stigmatisation of their disability and often attempted to ignore or diminish the role and impact of their disability in their postsecondary academic journey.

This article focuses on adult working learners who attend postsecondary institutions in Canada and the United States. We identify how these institutions deliver curriculum and instruction in the form of career-technical education (CTE) and vocational education offering occupational credentials. In British Columbia and the U.S., most vocational programming culminates in the associate degree whereas the rest of Canada commonly confers diplomas as well as associate degrees. Other postsecondary credentials, including certifications and licensure, are integrated within programs in both countries. This chapter analyzes policies, programs, and practices for adult working learners in the two countries and provides perspectives on how a focus on the capabilities of adult working learners is beneficial to the needs of the individual, communities, and society as a whole.