In a specialist further education college, it was recognised that students aged 16/17 transferring to vocational study after their compulsory schooling were refusing to take up their entitlement to additional learning support. This created a shortfall in the college's predicted units of funding; also, course managers reported that several of these…

The field of teacher education has seen a significant rise in the number of non-traditional students entering teacher preparation programs. Research shows these learners come to teaching with varying attitudes, motivations, and dispositions. This qualitative study examined a population of adult, non-traditional learners who have chosen a 22-month…

There is increasing recognition of the role of self-study in building teachers' knowledge base. As teachers make decisions about what and how to teach, they draw upon a knowledge base that includes numerous types of knowledge. This knowledge base is not static, but rather changes and expands throughout one's teaching career. An important method…

Allan Ridley has many interesting qualities, not least his determination. Though he is totally blind, he doesn't let that stop him pursuing his interests, whether he is water skiing or learning database design. When asked to tutor blind learner Allan Ridley, the author had to give a lot of thought to making the curriculum accessible. This article…

Although limited research exists on the appropriateness of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs for gifted secondary learners, these courses serve as the primary methods of meeting the needs of gifted students in most high schools. This qualitative study employed a grounded theory approach to investigate how…

This study explored the learning experiences of CEOs in organizations for profit throughout the United States. Malcolm Knowles theory of Andragogy was used as the framework of the inquiry. While the CEO' position is considered unique from other executive positions, it has not been the focus of many studies. The findings suggest how CEOs learn and…

What role can online communities play in meeting the informal learning needs of a professional association? This article presents the results of an interpretive study of the experiences of coordinators of Alberta Community Adult Learning Councils who participated in an online community of practice designed to support informal workplace learning.…

This paper examines the effects of intercultural experience on teacher professionalism. The main methods for data collection consist of semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires. Analysis of participants' experiences of Department for International Development's (DFID) English language teaching projects shows that intercultural…

English as a second language (ESL) is taught in Australia to adult learners of mixed language backgrounds through the medium of English, and there is currently no requirement that ESL teachers speak another language. This paper reports on a study which asked what advantages there may be for ESL teachers to have proficiency in two or more…

In response to the need for the tertiary sector to ensure the ongoing quality of teaching and learning, a Western Australian university has implemented a divisional strategic plan in order to gain quality student feedback and support staff professional development. In 2000-2002 the Business Division within the university established a systematic…

In recent years, educators have begun to use learning portfolios as a means of evaluating student learning in higher education. Research indicates that learning portfolios can help students understand better the learning process as well as enhancing learning outcomes. They promote reflection on the learning experience and encourage students to…

The year 1998 was one of immense change for adult learning and literacy, as significant new legislation was passed and the field headed more deeply into the mainstream. Along with these developments came greater demands for program accountability, expanded strategic alliances and partnerships, new instructional methodologies, changes in public…

The manuscript explains the rationale, development, and success of a computer-mediated asynchronous learning (CMAL) program of graduate studies in Educational Leadership and Higher Education offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln . It details the evolution of the concept focusing on an integrated sequence of high-quality learning to:…