NC Reconnect, an effort of the John M. Belk Endowment (JMBE), aims to engage or reengage adult learners over the age of 25 in North Carolina's community colleges to bridge the postsecondary education attainment gap and improve economic mobility within the state. This paper applies the Five P Framework to examine processes at 15 community colleges…

Previous studies have not adequately explored the complex relationship between learning satisfaction and perceived learning achievement in adult online education. This study explores the chain mediating effect of online instructional service quality and engagement in online learning on the relationship between learning satisfaction and perception…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nontraditional students' experiences and strategies used to overcome math anxiety. It addressed two research questions; how adult students developed their beliefs about math anxiety, and how they described the strategies used to change their beliefs and become successful in completing an…

A quantitative predictive correlational study was conducted to find to what extent, if any, gender and adult student status, individually or in combination, moderates the predictive relationships between resilience and self-regulated strategies of Goal Setting (GS), Environment Structuring (ES), Task Strategies (TS), Time Management (TM), Help…

In this paper, I explore the ways that educators can nurture transformative learning for adult students by engaging emotions, particularly shame. I discuss how shame mitigates adult student experiences, successes, and failures in higher education, and how a relational pedagogy of vulnerability can support adult learners. This approach not only…

Research informing adult education teachers' didactic practices in distance education is scarce. Approaching the adult learner's perspectives on how distance education is perceived is key to informing future initiatives. This study explores adult learners' perception of distance education, concentrating on aspects such as, social presence, course…

This article considers the potential benefits of integrating the knowledge base on adult learning with teacher inquiry. The first part of the article provides an overview of key concepts discussed in the literature on adult learning, including the characteristics of adult learners, self-directed learning, experiential learning, transformative…

In this study, the attitudes of adult learners towards distance education were examined and the study motivation and satisfaction level of adult learners, which are two important factors affecting participation, continuation and even dropout, were examined. This study was conducted in a relational research design in quantitative research model and…

Purpose: This study aims to provide new insights into the relationship between individual characteristics, particularly personality traits and mature students' intention to use (ITU) mobile learning (m-learning). Design/methodology/approach: The research model was constructed by integrating the Big Five personality traits into the unified theory…

This brief explores the experiences of college students aged 25 and older using data from the Fall 2023 Student Financial Wellness Survey. These modern learners experience financial insecurity and time poverty at higher rates than their younger peers, which can impact their academic success.

Adult learners, those individuals 25 years or older just starting their college career or returning after some time, often face unique obstacles, such as time constraints due to full- and part-time work, financial pressures, childcare availability, family needs, and the challenge of adapting to new technologies. Understanding their needs and…

This report examines how higher education institutions define and describe undergraduate-adult learners, why it matters, and explores creating a common definition for the undergraduate-adult learner. The survey upon which this report was based was conducted to benchmark U.S. higher education and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars…

Adult learners seeking to earn a high school equivalency (HSE), like the general education development (GED), must often overcome major difficulties to persist (Comings, 2007) and succeed academically (Hansman & Mott, 2010). Adult learners might require hundreds of hours of training in GED programs to make up for early departure in high school…

Some adult learners are self-directed, but most benefit from ongoing guidance and support from educators--even more so in technology-rich environments. The purpose of this column is to explore ways to leverage digital tools to enhance collaborative learning experiences among adult educators and learners. Rather than aim for mastery of a digital…

Adult learning policies need to be based on an understanding of the inequalities in the uptake and benefits of learning and why adults might not participate. This needs to go beyond a mere insight in barriers that, once removed, do no longer provide a reason for adults not to participate. This article aims to delph deeper in understanding what…