Research on learning strategies and learning motivation in different educational contexts has provided valuable insights, but in this field, low-educated adults remain an understudied population. This study addresses this gap by means of a person-oriented approach and seeks to investigate whether quantitatively and qualitatively different learner…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore adult immigrant learners' perspectives and motivations for participating in an ESL program through the lens of McClusky's Theory of Margin. Nine adult immigrant ESL students were interviewed about their learning experiences. Creswell's (1994) systematic process informed the…

Purpose: Using the framework of Adult Learning Theory, this study worked to uncover the composition of rural landowners' information sources and learner characteristics that impact information-seeking behavior among maple syrup producers in Wisconsin. Design: Regression models were used to analyze data from a survey targeted at Wisconsin maple…

In 1963, Howard Y. McClusky wrote the theory of margin, defining the personal ratio of power to load. Margin theory has been used to predict success; however, more research is needed to redevelop how this sixty-year-old theory is situated in the current environment. This grounded theory study examined the changes to margin by hybridization.…

This study's main purpose was to identify adult learners' motivation to pursue learning at Saudi Arabia's Yanbu adult-education schools. The study also investigates if there is a difference by gender, by age, and among learners in terms of their internal and external motivation to learn. The study's theoretical framework came from Knowles' theory…

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…

Shame both stymies and motivates learning; it prevents adults from participating in educational programs yet, with accompanied self-examination, it can be the catalyst for transformation. While fundamental for understanding adult learning, shame is (shamefully) inadequately theorized in the field of adult education: We don't talk enough about…

Drawing on the PIAAC data, in this paper I examine how motivational factors such as motivation to learn and grit are related to low-numerate adults' employment status and their actual participation in lifelong learning in Germany, the United States and South Korea. In particular, the study uses PIAAC self-reported data on the degree to which the…

As national coordinator since 2012, the Learning and Work Institute has played a role in bringing together partners across the UK to talk about adult learning. The joint projects aim to build experience, share best practice, and research what works. This is particularly crucial in the UK where there are different--some would say…

Adults return to study mathematics for a range of varied and complex reasons. This article addresses the boundaries and barriers that adult learners of mathematics may have faced in the past, or in the present and the future. Taking into account the impact of our era of rapid technological change, I argue for the importance of developing…

The advent of the so-called "post-literacy" era imposes on an individual the need to master not only various verbal, but also visual, artistic and scientific languages that have been developed in modern culture, which requires an adult to constantly improve their general educational and cultural level and to constantly struggle against…

This paper focuses on the importance of multilingual literacy in the 21st century and, specifically, how adult learners across the globe can develop multilingual literacy skills necessary for successful communication and global citizenship. The paper includes a theoretical (research background, definitions, critical framework) and a practical…

This study's main purpose was to identify adult learners' motives to pursue learning at Saudi Arabia' Yanbu adult-education schools. The study also investigates if there is a difference, by gender, by age, and among the learners' perceptions, about both the internal and external motivation to learn. The study's theoretical framework came from the…

Neighbourhood Houses in Australia are spaces of education and learning that cater to and work with adult learners across a lifespan. They are known as fourth sector education providers in the Adult and Community Education (ACE) sector. With a history spanning nearly 45 years, Neighbourhood Houses provide vital education opportunities for adult…

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…