The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if, and to what extent, correlations existed between self-esteem level, age, and grade level change of an adult male inmate enrolled in a Functional Literacy (FL) Program in the Southern Region of Arizona. Current research examined the relationships between self-esteem and age…

Most adult literacy studies tend to focus on learner outcomes, and the few that do include tutors usually focus on their compassion as volunteers and/or assess the effectiveness of tutor training. Since community adult literacy programs are largely dependent on volunteer tutors to provide instruction, tutors come from various backgrounds and are…

The paucity of professional development opportunities in the adult basic education (ABE) teacher field is alarming, suggesting the need to explore the challenges that impede a stable professional development delivery among ABE teachers. Given that teacher professional development is repeatedly magnified in the K-12 educational sector, it is…

Formative assessment may assist teachers in identifying gaps in learning for individual students, thereby providing an avenue for teachers to adjust instruction accordingly. The problem addressed in this study is the insufficient achievement in literacy for English language learners. English language learners may have an even greater need for…

While adult literacy programs have historically been marginalized within the US educational system, there is growing interest in making these programs more academically effective. Because of this, the General Education Development (GED) exam was recently revised to be more rigorous, especially in its assessment of writing. Although these changes…

This dissertation focuses on adult emergent literacy learning of English, which is underexplored relative to children's literacy learning and fully literate L2 learners of English. Although research has pointed to the fact that "adults often arrive [to literacy programs] with prior experiences of authentic reading and writing" (Lytle,…

Job performance may be adversely affected by stress. Job stress is a primary contributor to serious physical and emotional health consequences. This quantitative study examined adult literacy program administrator perceptions of occupational stress and coping mechanisms related to job satisfaction, job efficacy, career longevity, and overall…

Postsecondary institutions are finding more students without the literacy proficiency to study on the collegiate level, yet little research has been completed in the area of adult literacy instruction. Due to this deficiency, literacy instructors have relied on utilizing children's reading strategies which have proven ineffective in an adult…

At the 1978 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization conference, literacy was determined as a right as expressed in the foundation of learning and the vital first step to the achievement of other human rights. However, in the state of Georgia, many high school students enter the working environment without minimum literacy…

Most microcredit institutions focus on giving out credit to their clients with the assumption that these clients have the capacity and ability to manage the credit efficiently and the human capital to operate efficiently. There is evidence to show that most women in the Savelugu/Nanton district of Ghana have access to credit but lack the…

This was a study of Adult Multiple Intelligences, investigating whether there would be a wide range of differences or a fairly standard outcome when the AMI survey was administered to two adult student populations. The second purpose for this study was to observe the reactions of the two different populations when they became aware of their…

This dissertation focuses on the educational aspirations and expectations of a heterogeneous group of women who were enrolled in, or had graduated from, adult education and literacy programs in Boston, Massachusetts. The research questions guiding the inquiry are: (1) Why do educationally disadvantaged women value education--how are these values…

Approximately fourteen percent of English-speaking Americans are functionally illiterate. Given this high figure, it is important to understand the barriers that undereducated adults face when they decide to return to school to improve their literacy skills. This qualitative study examines spousal support as one of these barriers. Through…