Critical thinking, a complex set of cognitive skills, and the ability to communicate one's thoughts are vital in successful studying for new higher education students. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of socioeconomic background and prior academic performance on new students' critical thinking and writing. The participants were 1006…

This study sought to investigate the psychological network structure of adult Spanish heritage language (HL) learners' motivational profile by considering interconnections among the following variables: the possible HL selves, family influence, intended HL learning effort, HL achievement goal orientations, HL enjoyment, HL anxiety, perceived…

Prior language and literacy support from home, community and heritage language (HL) schools provides young HL learners with linguistic and metalinguistic foundations for language and literacy development (Chinen & Tucker "Heritage Language Journal" 3:27-59, 2005; Koda et al. Chinese as a heritage language: Fostering rooted world…

This article explores the quality of life of adults with poor literacy capabilities (reading, writing and numeracy) in western Rwanda. A concurrent mixed methods research design was used. Data was collected from respondents aged 18 years and over through a survey and focus group discussions. Quantitative results from linear regression analysis…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore through platica (conversation), the life experiences of Latinx students who prepared for and completed the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) to critically understand both the risk and protective factors related to their ability to persist until the completion of their certificate.…

The purpose of this study is to examine the barriers non-traditional students experience in their attempt to complete their degree program. Semi-structured interviews revealed four key themes: family; support; generational-gaps, and community. These themes highlight areas in which non-traditional students feel they have experienced obstacles in…

This dissertation examined how adult learners who took developmental mathematics in a community college and passed the courses, viewed their self-efficacy and the roles they felt self-efficacy had on their successful completion of mathematics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 adult learners in two U.S. community colleges.…

Gender, learning achievements, parents' occupational status, social-economic backgrounds, and a few traits of schools affect students' occupational expectations. However, no research had integrated the above factors to investigate the generative mechanism of students' occupational expectations. After combining student-level and school-level PISA…

Obtaining a bachelor's degree is often conceived as the ultimate goal for post-secondary and diploma students. However, this goal is not always immediately available or accessible for students. Delays in higher education enrolment have considerable disadvantages for students as they are often associated with lower graduation rates and lower…

This research highlights how 20 Costa Rican women sustain their learning and overcome adversity in Colegios Nocturnos (Night High Schools), with the unrelenting support of family, friends, and their own "sense of self." Zuga (1999) stated that women's experiences are shaped by their societal position, which directly impacts their…

In the state of Utah, adult education students often leave their programs before 100 hours of instruction. This can leave students without the necessary academic knowledge, skills, and credentials to move forward with postsecondary education and training or employment opportunities. This phenomenological study examines the key factors of…

This quantitative cross-sectional survey study sought to determine three significant but under-researched factors influencing adult learners' career choice in Ghana. A sample of 350 respondents was selected through stratified sampling to engage in this survey. Analysis of the data obtained showed statistically significant relationships between…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the adult students' perceptions of Game-Based Learning's mitigation of math anxiety in a STEM math course at a mid-sized university in Southeast Texas. The participants in this study included 11 students who identified as adult learners with math anxiety taught by the researcher in a STEM…

The purpose of this study was to use a comprehensive review and analysis of the literature to help fill the research gap regarding school-based services for Salvadorian immigrant youth in the United States. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, journal articles were critically analyzed for the five elements of the ecological…

This article argues for the need to regard social origin as a complex phenomenon in order to better understand the determinants of individuals' participation in adult learning. It: (1) discusses the conceptualisation of social origin; (2) analyses how two of its components -- parental (both father's and mother's) class and education -- are…