Host country education can be crucial for the social integration as well as labour market outcomes of refugees and asylum seekers. To meet the same admission criteria for studying at German higher education institutions (HEI) as other international student applicants, refugees and asylum seekers can attend pre-study programmes at preparatory…

In Spring 2022, the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC) conducted a survey of Illinois high school seniors to better understand their college-decision-making processes. Although a vast majority of seniors who answered the survey were attending 4-year or 2-year college, a non-negligible number (n = 355, 14% of the…

Many adult English learners enroll in U.S. Adult Basic Education programs every year. The federally defined goal of these programs is to increase adult learners' skills to enable them to enter the workforce, but it is not clear whether this purpose matches learners' own motivations for entering these programs. Using the lens of self-authorship…

In 2016, the GED® introduced college readiness benchmarks designed to identify testers who are academically prepared for credit-bearing college coursework. The benchmarks are promoted as awarding college credits or exempting "college-ready" GED® graduates from remedial coursework. I show descriptive evidence that those identified as…

Immersive scheduling engages students in one or two subjects at a time over short teaching periods. While there is incipient evidence that immersive delivery can heighten academic outcomes in undergraduate education, much less is known about its effectiveness in pathways or access programs. This exploratory mixed-methods study investigated how a…

Adult English language instruction is the fastest growing segment of U.S. adult basic education population. Supporting adult emergent multilingual students through English as a Second Language or English for Speakers of Other Languages classes, referred to here as ES(O)L, and developmental literacy programs presents a "wicked problem"…

This paper examines the relation between formal and social-psychological elements of secondary schooling and college major selection. Students select their college major based on a "secondary sorting process" where their high school experiences are key factors that transmit certain advantages for some students and disadvantages for…

This article explores the sustained impact of an Access module on mature students from disadvantaged backgrounds as they progress to undergraduate study. Framed in the context of OfS concerns about attrition and conceptualisation of dispositional, situational and institutional barriers, student survey and tutor focus group data were collected in a…

For many mature-aged students, there can be a considerable gap between finishing formal study and beginning university. They are often required to draw on qualifications and skills, including mathematics, which are dated, but necessary for success. Most universities offer several pathways that prospective students can take to enter university:…

This study examines the levels of self-directed learning skills for students on the Access to HE course at City College and how these skills relate to their academic achievement. In this study, 101 students participated in a survey and their self-directed learning readiness was measured using the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SRSSDL).…

For linguistically diverse students, the path to college is often defined by language. Depending on assessments and institutional policies, students may be placed into course sequences in developmental English, adult basic education, and/or English as a Second Language courses. The purpose of this study was to better understand developmental…

This article investigates Brown's assertion that students today exhibit an unwillingness/inability to engage in critical thinking (CT). He describes this as a 'critical thinking deficit'. The question of whether CT can be taught or whether we can only create the conditions in which CT can thrive and develop is explored through analysis of data…

The variability effect occurs when learners' exposure to highly variable tasks results in better learning. It was hypothesised that learners who studied high variability worked examples would obtain higher post-test scores compared to learners who studied low variability examples, and learners who self-generated problem solutions for the same high…

Many adult English language learners (ELLs) aspire toward postsecondary educational programs but do not go on to obtain college credentials after beginning classes in Adult Basic Education (ABE) or community college English as a second or other language classes to prepare for college-level English. Understanding how adult ELLs experience learning…

This paper focuses on written corrective feedback and its challenges for teachers working with adult learners in the English language classroom. The teachers introduced in this paper teach in dedicated language centres, specifically a private college specialising in journalism courses and a university English language centre. Both teachers teach…