There is a growing trend of states offering alternative pathways towards a high school equivalency outside of the traditional standardized test. Amidst this landscape, this study utilizes elements of teaching inquiry, participatory action research, and qualitative methods, to investigate the outcomes of using multimodal play in a composition unit…

This article describes strategies used by the author in intermediate level reading, writing and social studies-history GED classes in Harlem and the Bronx. Since four out of five of the New York State TASC exams are based on reading, I assign extensive reading and discussion, as well as strategies for answering multiple-choice questions. In…

Federal accountability policies requiring rapid, measurable outcomes have increasingly shaped the nature and type of public literacy services available to adults. However, little empirical research has explored the impact of accountability policies on program practice in adult basic education, and almost no research has focused on the effect on…

A major challenge in research with struggling adult readers is their heterogeneity in reading-related competencies and demographic characteristics. The purpose of this investigation was to identify unique profiles of skill sets among struggling adult readers and explore informative demographic differences between profiles. Using latent class…

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the actual conditions of youth in social difficulties in Japan and to examine the characteristics and meanings of 'educational support' for them from the viewpoint of literacy theory as a social practice. My colleagues and I carried out a four-year qualitative study of several private groups supporting young…

Social science research often uses educational qualification as a signifier for characteristics such as abilities, earnings potential, and civic participation in adulthood. This study focused on two types of adult literacy students who were native speakers of English and identified words at the 3rd to 5th grade levels but differed in one key…

In the current context of extensive national and cross-cultural migration, the education of migrant and refugee children is an important and critical consideration. In the U.S., the education of migrant children--who move with their farm worker parents within states, across state borders and sometimes across national borders--brings challenges…

This article reports on a mixed methods study that investigated aspects of formal, non-formal and informal learning for workers and adult high school learners seeking literacy and essential skills. Three key themes emerged from the qualitative data: motivations for participation in various forms of learning; seeking out informal learning…

This study examined the efficacy of general education development (GED®) acquisition and GED® completers' perceptions of college readiness and social capital using a quantitative methodology. Also, the study used a descriptive, cross-sectional research design framed by the social capital theoretical perspective. The conceptual framework developed…

While a long tradition of sociocultural literacy research suggests that out-of-school youth engage in a range of meaningful literacy practices, we know little about how programs for returning students foster or constrain students' literate identities. Drawing on data from a qualitative study conducted in a community college-based program for…

In 2003, 37 adult literacy students were interviewed within the context of a qualitative study of two community-based adult literacy programs in Manitoba, Canada. In addition to sharing their perspectives on these programs, the students proffered information about their own regular school experiences and why they left without graduating. Several…

Rough patches occur at both ends of the education pipeline, as students enter community colleges and move on to work or enrollment in four-year institutions. Career pathways--sequences of coherent, articulated, and rigorous career and academic courses that lead to an industry-recognized certificate or a college degree--are a promising approach to…

This article describes how faculty provided opportunities for urban high school students to develop literacy proficiencies in reading, writing, and technology. The 12 students participating in an on-campus summer program completed four projects using technology. The faculty collected and reviewed a variety of sources to gain insights into the…

In 2003, a study of two Canadian adult literacy programs included 37 learners who revealed a variety of reasons for having dropped out of school as teenagers and younger adults. Chief among these were the influences of parents, siblings, and peers both in and out of school. This article considers these research findings, in light of the…

Kohlberg proposed that various cultural, social and educational factors may influence moral reasoning. As far as the authors know, participants in previous studies of moral reasoning have been, largely, educated persons, irrespective of their culture. Two studies on moral reasoning were conducted in a Mexican--United States border city. The first…