Adults learning a new language tend to judge unconventional utterances more leniently than fluent speakers do; ratings on acceptable utterances, however, tend to align more closely with fluent speakers. This asymmetry raises a question as to whether unconventional utterances can be statistically preempted by conventional utterances for adult…

Pre-university mathematics enabling courses can potentially change adult learners' perceptions and beliefs around mathematics, enhance self-efficacy, personal confidence, motivation, and enable achievements that support future study and career goals. Enabling courses, however, often require highly individualised curricula and approaches that can…

The present study explores the impact of different levels of competition involved in gamified learning on adult e-learners' intrinsic motivation, learning engagement, and language learning performance. One hundred and twenty participants were evenly and randomly assigned to two groups. A gamified learning procedure with a higher level of…

This article re-evaluates the concept of participation in adult learning and education (ALE), introducing a novel framework based on Kelty's work on modes of participation. The article contends that investigations into ALE must venture beyond simplistic, one-dimensional approaches to participation that focus solely on participant numbers or hours…

The adult participants in this study range in age from 20 to 50 years. They describe their remembered experiences of learning mathematics in both primary and secondary education. None of the participants achieved the qualifications in mathematics which would allow them access to higher education. They are now studying mathematics after many years…

Purpose: The psychological theory of self-determination postulated that gamification enhances learning engagement by intrinsically motivating learners to undertake tasks spontaneously. Gamification has then been integrated into adult learning as part of the initiative of learner-centred pedagogies to curb the low retention rates of adult learners…

This study explores the effectiveness of social practice approach by integrating social practices along with modern teaching strategies, and teacher training to address the challenge of low academic achievement among adult learners in basic literacy programs. For a 4-month experiment, two of a metropolitan city's fourteen adult literacy centres…

The paper examines the influence of cultural capital from one's family of origin on adult participation in education. International research confirms that factors such as education level, professional status, age, and attitudes significantly explain variations in adult learning. To explore inequalities in adult education participation further, the…

In this paper, we aim to understand how perceptions of adult learning and continued vocational education and training (CVET) are related to participation in these activities. Specifically, participation within the previous 12 months in different kinds of adult learning and CVET is analysed, distinguishing between (1) formal, (2) non-formal…

Open universities can improve learning outcomes and overall satisfaction among adult learners by addressing and enhancing online learning motivation. By applying latent profile analysis (N = 494) and adult learner interviews (n = 16), this mixed methods study aimed to better understand adult learners' motivation profiles in online learning…

This paper reports on the coping strategies of mature female students whilst studying a Foundation Programme at a Business School. In recent years, research has focussed less on the problems that confront adult learners and more on how they exercise personal agency and cope with the multifarious challenges of combining study with part-time…

Adult learners are a neglected species in the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) era. The sweeping changes brought by GenAI in the educational arena have implications for adult learning. GenAI in education will usher in a world of adult learning that will be radically different from its predecessor. However, how adult learners will apply…

Opsimaths are a unique group of late learners among adult learners who qualify as Knowles' 'neglected species'. Opsimaths usually face more daunting challenges in their academic journey than other adult learners. In this study, we employ the [exploratory] phenomenological design to present the experiences of 15 opsimaths in Ghana who entered the…