This dissertation explores the experiences of adult English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in an Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. ABE/ESL learners are a unique but integral population within the language learning community and are largely excluded from the scholarly discourse. Research in the context of language learning and instruction…

The purpose of this study was to use a Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology to understand the learning experiences of trainers who completed a professional development trainer certification. Specifically, this study explored how trainers described their learning experiences, the catalysts trainers identified as instrumental to their…

This study investigates the neurocognitive underpinnings of early language learning in adults and examines the modulating effects of individual differences in prior bilingual experience and cognitive capabilities. This study used a pre/post short-term longitudinal design with a 10-day Dutch language training via Rosetta Stone. Event-Related…

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand biblical worldview development of church members at Community Church. The theory guiding this study was Garrison et al.'s (2010) Community of Inquiry. The central research question for this study was: Using a blended online learning approach based on instructional design and…

The Education Center serves many adult learners that have the goal of receiving their high school equivalency. Adult learners face many barriers when pursuing this goal. The research in adult education focuses on the barriers that learners face and what drives them to succeed. There is limited research on what learners' perception of knowledge is.…

Adult learners often encounter obstacles that hinder their academic progress and subsequently withdraw from a course or drop out of school. There has been significant research conducted on the differences of how to teach children versus adults. However, not enough research has been conducted on the relationship between programmatic persistence and…

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…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of older adult students who learn in a community college academic environment. The rationale for the study stemmed from a lack of knowledge regarding this group's experiences. The research question asked in this study was the following: "How do older adult students in a community…

This study explored the mathematical learning experiences of adult students enrolled in a community college developmental mathematics course during the Fall 2023 semester. The study's main objective was to identify the types of experiences that help adult students learn foundational mathematics. Another goal of the study was to provide empirical…

Are there developmental pathways for learning that provide continuity from early learning through adulthood with measurable intervals for assessment and with transitions for learning that are understandable, stable, identifiable, communicable, flexible, and affordable to implement? If so, what are the foundations for learning that enable students…

Working adult students may have difficulty mastering complex concepts when taking courses online. Researchers have argued there is a need for in-person, peer-teacher interaction available in traditional classrooms that is lacking online. The purpose of this dual-focus phenomenological study was to explore the meaning of purposeful interpersonal…

The present study seeks to develop a situated construct of learner engagement within an instructional experience. Despite compelling potential benefits to instructional practice, extant learner engagement research has been limited to either within-the learner constructs or adding a simplistic behavioral component to a model and largely discounting…

The problem is English language learners (ELLs) in adult education and college programs in the United States need support in achieving learning goals due to a lack of qualified English as a second language (ESL) teachers in their home countries. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how ELL students in Indiana perceive the…

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine a group of adult students' learning world languages, literacies, and cultures and their experiences in the World Language and Culture Program (WLCP) at a large western land-grant university in the United States during the spring of 2019. I (the author and primary investigator) am the developer and…

Adults who are unsuccessful in completing their educational program will not receive the needed certification or diploma to be competitive in a global economy and job market. The completion percentage of adult basic education learners remains low at an adult basic education site in a Western state. The purpose of this study was to better…