Adult learners globally face a multitude of challenges in learning and obtaining educational degrees. This can be due to a variety of reasons including academic stress, as well as additional responsibilities with managing families, childcare, household duties, careers, and jobs. Different cultures may face unique barriers in education; however,…

This paper contributes to pedagogical debates on how to meet the learning needs of young people who are disconnected from school. It presents a case study of a program which aimed to prepare students for their Year 10 equivalent school leaving qualification in a basic education section of a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) college in…

The data for this "Briefing" are from the 1995 cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY). The findings reported here are from three recent LSAY research reports, which are listed at the end of this "Briefing". The cohort comprises young people who were in Year 9 at school in 1995. Data in this…

This paper reports on the progress of a project to redevelop the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) in Australia. It describes the progress to date and the expected next steps, and it lists 10 Accreditation Principles that must be met for a curriculum to be approved. Descriptions of routes for attaining the CGEA (foundation and…

This document provides guidelines for the process of moderation and verification of assessments for educators involved in adult education. As used in the education establishment in Australia, "moderation" is the process of ensuring the standardization of assessment. Through the moderation process, assessment procedures conducted in a…

Describes an Australian university experiment providing adult students with an alternative to high school equivalency tests as an entry route to university studies. (EM)

This study analyzed the economic benefits of an increase in the proportion of Australian students achieving a 12th-grade equivalent education. Earlier research examined the direct costs and benefits of a program that increased 12th grade equivalent education for the five-year cohort 2003-2007. This study built on that by incorporating the indirect…

Since her Certificates in General Education for Adults class had not achieved the required competencies at writing for self-expression, a teacher felt it would be an appropriate genre for her to model. She drafted, edited, and completed the text on a large-screen computer. When trying to decide whether each text achieved the competencies required…

A study examined the reasons for the relatively low level of participation in adult, community, and further education (ACFE) in Victoria, Australia. Of the 1,229 randomly selected individuals surveyed via telephone, 942 (77%) had never participated in ACFE, 184 (15%) had not participated since 1994, and only 103 (8%) were currently enrolled in an…

This paper comprises four case studies that illustrate the State Library of New South Wales' (Australia) commitment to learning. The first section describes a shared learning environment for graduate information studies students that was collaboratively developed by the State Library and the University of Technology, Sydney (Australia). The second…

The Salvation Army Brunswick (Australia) Job Placement and Training (JPET) project was first established as a recreational project for connecting workers with young people, but it grew to address the educational needs of at-risk youth. Staff working in the program follow a non-conflict, adult education model, emphasizing the development of a…

A study examined experiences of early leavers in the United States (US) and Australia in the first two years beyond high school. Data were from these comparable longitudinal surveys: US data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988; Australian data from the 1975 cohort of the Youth in Transition surveys. Findings indicated similar…

In the context of math education, students should achieve transferable understanding and skills that allow students to use math flexibly (such as understanding a percentage in a newspaper article), functional performance (such as being able to take medicine or use public transportation), and social knowledge (concepts necessary to interpret and…

This publication presents five reports that represent research conducted by adult educators. "Supporting Adult Educators in Researching Their Practice" (Janelle Davis, Jean Searle) presents results of four action research projects related to developing literacies for disadvantaged groups or groups with special needs. "Towards Mutual…

This resource book features texts and activities for students in Australian correctional environments to develop skills necessary to complete the Certificates of General Education for Adults (CGEA). Resources and activities are geared for students at level 3 of the CGEA in reading and writing. A table provides examples of how texts and activities…