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…

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…

The research in this volume takes account of the context of policy promoting Chinese as a second language (CSL) in several countries and regions, (Australia, East Asia and South-East Asia), and the wider social context of multilingual and multicultural societies. Furthermore, this book reports results of two research studies which investigated how…

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…

Research on factors associated with motivation to learn (MtL) is limited, particularly among middle-aged adults and immigrants. This study examines educational attainment, literacy skills, and nativity (foreign-born vs. native-born) as predictors of MtL in middle-aged adults living in the U.S. Nationally representative data of middle-aged adults…

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…

Older adults continue learning for intrinsic and extrinsic reasons. Literature has often portrayed the reasons for learning in older age as either intentional or as predetermined by socialisation. This emphasis on either agency or social structures is found, not least, in the humanist and critical principles of older adult education. This article…

This book traces the motivational dynamics embedded within lifelong foreign language learning trajectories, examining the factors which generate and sustain motivation throughout a learner's life. Embracing a complexity approach, it views motivation as a long-term individual process that evolves along a narrative continuum, developing over the…

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…

This study examined nontraditional students using linguistic inquiry and word count (LIWC) of their reflective writing assignments. Participants included 364 adult students enrolled in a degree completion program. Data comprised a multiweek reflective writing assignment and demographic data, linguistically and statistically analyzed. The study…

Whether an adult is motivated or unmotivated to learn depends on the actual learning experience. To further our understanding of English as a second language (ESL) learners and their language learning experience, this paper delves into the intricate realm of learning resistance. Ultimately, we seek to provide a comprehensive perspective on…

Using structural regression analyses, data from the U.S. 2017 Program on International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) background survey were examined to test the effect of informal learning (observed through everyday activities, such as reading the newspaper or using the Internet to find information about issues) on civic engagement…

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…

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.…