The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine continuing education students' perceptions of adult education instructional practices at an urban community college. The continuing education students recently graduated from programs of law enforcement, truck driving, and health occupations. Perception analysis was based on the six principles of Knowles' (1968, 1980) theory of andragogy. The principles of adult learning are the learner's (a) need to know, (b) self-concept, (c) prior experience, (d) readiness to learn, (e) orientation to learning, and (f) motivation to learn (Knowles, 1968, 1980). The Adult Learning Instructional Practices Survey (ALIPS) was created to collect quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 167 participants out of a sample of 600 responded, yielding a response rate of 28%. The quantitative findings from research question one indicated that four constructs emerged from the factor analysis. The four factors were labeled Instructional Expectations, Self-Directed Learning, Encouragement and Motivation, and Individualized Learning with Student-Centered Instruction. Instructional Expectations explained the most amount of variance and closely aligned with Knowles' principle of the need to know. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to answer research question two and there was no statistically significant difference found between age and adult learning instructional practices on any of the four constructs. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to answer research question three and there was no statistically significant difference found between type of program and adult learning instructional practices on any of the four constructs. The following three themes emerged from a content analysis of the qualitative data (a) participants expressed their desire for hands-on instruction, (b) participants wanted extra assistance and detailed explanations from the instructor, and (c) participants wanted encouragement and motivation from the instructor. The implications from the findings for continuing education workforce development programs suggest that instructors should (a) adopt androgogically-centered instructional techniques to enhance student success and (b) encourage active student involvement utilizing real-life examples to ensure class connectedness. Recommendations for future research include (a) surveying employers' perceptions of the instructional practices of continuing education programs, (b) analyzing other continuing education workforce graduates' perceptions, such as welding and manufacturing, and (c) exploring the impact of variables such as gender and ethnicity on student perceptions of desirable instructional practices. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]