This study explores the lived experiences of individualized and interdisciplinary students enrolled in a 4-year public university in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Those enrolled in this individualized degree program are working adults with significant family, work, and life obligations. As Brookfield (2006), Knowles (1980), and…

One of the most worrying issues in Spanish education is the high school dropout rate, especially for those students who leave compulsory secondary education with no qualifications. Some of these students re-enter the system via adult education centres (AECs), where they can obtain the minimum qualification required by the labour market (the…

This research investigates the initial degree programme of a new Higher Education Provider (HEP) through a practitioner-based case study focusing on the experiences of senior leaders enrolled as mature degree apprentices. The qualitative study utilised an interpretivist and constructivist approach involving in-depth interviews and a focus group.…

This paper describes the methodological design of a qualitative research strategy that followed the bricolage approach. The research, a qualitative case study, followed the empowerment journey of 12 adult learners in a second chance educational programme, aiming at recording the mechanisms through which the learners were empowered or disempowered.…

This paper outlines the pedagogical approaches taken on a University Access course, teaching predominantly mature students on a 12-week 'inclusion in education' module. The methods aimed to validate and develop literacy and academic skills for students undertaking undergraduate courses. Practice on the programme of study, replicated over three…

Within the Caribbean, the number of students pursuing postgraduate studies in higher education institutions (HEIs) has increased over the years. Consequently, locally contextualised epistemologies and empowering methods are needed to help adult learners in Caribbean higher education (HE) navigate their studies. This paper presents findings from a…

Purpose: The focus of this study is to explore the perceptions of motivation for further training and empowerment in future jobs of participants in different training activities under a public programme implemented in Catalonia (Spain), which delivers continuing vocational education and training (CVET) courses for unemployed and for active workers…

This follow-up study aimed to examine (a) the impact of 4.5 years participation in postsecondary education (PSE) on students with intellectual disability (ID) compared to adults with ID who did not participate in PSE, (b) whether a different impact on crystallized and fluid intelligence after 4.5 years would be found among PSE students with higher…

A late modern rationale for the education of older people has not yet been sufficiently explored. In this action research, I explore Giddens's life politics as a framework for a late modern rationale for older adult education. Eleven older learners were recruited voluntarily to an online study group conducted via Zoom at a University for the Third…

Academics around the globe have examined the ethics of care theory and its application across various educational contexts; however, little research has focused on this approach within the adult English as an additional language (EAL) context. Additionally, educational research on digital literacies has examined the competencies necessary to be…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how undergraduate dance students describe somatic experiences in dance technique classes and their influence on their critical thinking, feelings of empowerment, and dance technique at a private southwest university. The theoretical foundation for the study was critical pedagogy. Using critical pedagogy,…

In today's education context, not all young people are able to complete their high school education. In fact, in 2016, the number of low-income young people ages 16 to 24 years who did not complete high school or were not enrolled in high school was 3.7 times higher than those of high-income families (McFarland et al., 2018). This may be due to…

The Spring of 2020 saw educational institutions around the world abruptly convert to online teaching formats. While this transition may be unfamiliar--and even uncomfortable--the skills and techniques needed to engage and empower online learners can be learned and mastered to serve the current and ever-expanding need. This indispensable resource…

By leveraging research-backed strategies from the learning sciences, adult educators can help learners develop effective study habits that lead to deeper learning. This paper will discuss the harm in perpetuating neuromyths and how doing so can lead to negative outcomes for learners. Then, six strategies will be shared to help adult educators…

The purpose of this article is to enhance understanding of how Black female working class adult scholars cultivated support and advancement in the academy with the goal of entering the professoriate. In this critical ethnography, the authors elaborate on the concept of empowerment agent to detail how professionals within the academy created…