Purpose: It is now considered commonplace to teach in a multigenerational higher education classroom that is made up of Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y and Z students. To ensure that all students, regardless of their generational identity, are successful in the classroom, educators must teach purposefully, with an understanding of the variables that…

This chapter highlights several of the significant design and facilitation considerations used to support adult working learners pursuing online learning across educational contexts. These include the integration of inclusive online learning practices, the design and facilitation of quality interactions in the online environment, and application…

This qualitative study was an exploration of the lived experiences of adult learners (over age 24) enrolled in graduate teacher preparation programs and their distinct needs and expectations related to program entry, persistence, and completion. Five graduate teacher preparation degree-seeking study participants openly shared their respective…

Older adults are a growing population. This article reviews the literature on older adults in "Adult Learning" from its inception in 1989 through 2020. Topics focus primarily on program reports, programmatic learning needs, personal reflections, and classroom methods. Key findings include that "older adult" is not well-defined…

This commentary urges researchers and readers to rethink definitions of adulthood and its relevance in literacy research by arguing that adult readers are distinct from children and even college students. More specifically, it argues that adult literacy learners (those reading at the 8th-grade level equivalent or below and those who did not…

Research on social emotional learning (SEL) and employability skills has shown positive outcomes for learners over the past three decades. They both represent skills and competencies that are important for adult learners in gaining workplace success. However, rather than focusing on each set of competencies separately in instruction, adult…

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of adult learners in a first-year seminar course at Columbia State Community College, located in middle Tennessee, to determine if the content of the course has an impact on the learners' adjustment to college. With the statewide initiative to reach a goal of 55% of the state's population…

Adult students have different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, abilities, interests, and learning needs. Hence, teaching all learners the same way is not the most effective. Individual differences should be considered. Exposing a whole class to one set of content, exercises, and assessment activities is unrealistic. In other words, to learn…

Adult basic education (ABE) programs in the United States serve millions of students annually to help them achieve high school equivalency, English proficiency, and other skills. These skills are necessary for upward mobility and competitiveness in the labor market, which is important for ABE students who are disproportionately affected by…

From November 2015 to October 2020, Canada had welcomed 44,620 Syrian refugees to more than 350 communities across the country. In 2019, it further surpassed the United States and Australia in the number of refugees settled. Lacking the necessary language skills for living and working in a new country is one of the most critical barriers refugees…

There are a multitude of reasons why students choose to attend adult education. Some enroll to obtain their GED® credential, while others enroll to improve their literacy or numeracy skills or wish to improve their employability. In any case, for many adult learners, there are gaps and barriers present that have resulted in the need for remedial…

This article presents 50 year patterns of adult student participation in colleges and universities in the United States. These patterns changed dramatically in the 1970s and 1980s and then stabilized. Following these changes, adult student participation has continued to be significant and predictable in U.S. colleges and universities. In addition…

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…

Adult students comprise a significant percentage of community college enrollments. However, these students have consistently completed college programs at lower rates than traditional-aged students. Community college structures, including student advisement, often align primarily with the needs of traditional-aged students. This has resulted in a…

Adult music learners may expect to be more independent and therefore more inclined to engage in self-directed learning than younger learners; however, adults may not feel encouraged or supported to self-direct. In this qualitative study, the relationships between six adult instrumentalists and their teachers were examined using Grow's Staged…