According to the 2020 Training Industry Report conducted by "Training Magazine," organizations across all industries and sizes have spent $87.5 billion in training per year. The average training budget for a large company was reported at $22 million, whereas a midsized company was $808,000 and a small-sized company reported a yearly…

This study examined adult learners' satisfaction, motivation, and engagement in online academic writing courses. Utilizing a mixed method, causal-comparative design, the study investigated the experiences of adult learners, who have distinctive characteristics from traditional learners. The findings revealed that adult learners are highly…

Educators are often looking for ways to increase engagement and academic achievement in their classrooms; therefore, the problem addressed in this study is the decrease in academic achievement caused by a low level of classroom engagement amongst high school seniors. The purpose of this qualitative action research study is to increase academic…

The rapid changes in our society have amplified the need for adult learning opportunities. However, adults often make decisions not to persist in formal learning experiences in a smooth, linear fashion. The decision to pause or terminate formal learning is a complex behavioral decision that includes knowledge, the cognitive process, personal…

Strikingly apparent within the demographics of New England, Portuguese is a language rich in standard and nonstandard varieties. In studying Portuguese, it is common for some students to acquire language more easily than their peers, despite receiving the same linguistic input, and others display negative attitudes toward their instructor's…

This study examines if a relationship exists among three rich research streams, specifically the behavioral science of motivation, adult learning and leadership. What motivates adult professionals to continue learning and how is that connected to their style and efficacy as leaders? An extension of literature to connect Andragogy,…

This study explored the educational preferences and motivational typology of Modern Orthodox adults, a community that according to previous research appeared to present a contrasting educational paradigm than that evidenced by other adult students. The research conducted in the liberal Jewish community and in the broader contemporary field of…

Andragogy and self-directed learning (SDL) have long been touted as pillars of adult learning theory, but much of the existing SDL research has been predicated on adult learner assumptions that have gone largely untested. This dissertation developed a model based on adult learning and training literatures to assess the antecedents and outcomes of…

The emergence of a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy has prompted adults to seek additional knowledge and skills that will enable them to participate effectively in society. The rapid growth and popularity of the internet tools such as Web 2.0 tools have revolutionized adult learning. Through the rich support of Web 2.0 tools, adult…

This action research study was designed to elicit urban, secondary school teachers' understandings of themselves as adult learners and their perceptions of job-embedded professional development in a single, urban school district in Connecticut. The conceptual framework that guided this study was derived from Knowles, Holton, and Swanson's (2011)…

The leadership of the United States Fire Service (FS) believes that higher education increases the professionalism of FS members. The research problem at the research site, which is a multisite fire department located in southeastern United States, was the lack of research-based findings on the factors influencing the achievement of higher…

This two-phase sequential mixed methods study examined the relationship between professional development, whether in the form of traditional professional development, a professional learning community and/or lesson study, and teacher self-efficacy and self-directed learning in order to gain a greater understanding of the role professional…

The purpose of education has been viewed in a variety of ways and much attention has focused on learning that is validated or certified by certificates, diplomas, degrees, and the like. Studies suggest that the higher one's formal level of education the more desire there is for continued learning. Many adults in the U.S., however, are without the…

This dissertation focuses on interpreting the impacts of foreign language anxiety and individual characteristics on the achievement expectations of Chinese second-language learners and English second-language students at the university level. Four research questions are examined through quantitative design. In relation to methodology, this study…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine continuing education students' perceptions of adult education instructional practices at an urban community college. The continuing education students recently graduated from programs of law enforcement, truck driving, and health occupations. Perception analysis was based on the six principles…