This page lists, in alphabetical order, research reports that discuss some of the unique characteristics and challenges of adult learners in postsecondary education.
Adult Literacy and Postsecondary Education Students: Overlapping Populations and Learning Trajectories
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=523
Author: Steven Reder (1999)
In J. Comings, B. Garner, & C. Smith (Eds.), The Annual Review of Adult Learning & Literacy (Vol. 1, pp. 111-157). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved on February 10, 2005 from the National Center for the Study of Adults Learning and Literacy (NCSALL).
Reder looks at the literacy proficiency of adult learners completing adult literacy programs and those beginning postsecondary education. He finds similar basic skills are addressed in both types of institutions because the students often have similar levels of literacy proficiency. Weaving several studies together, Reder highlights factors related to the lack of persistence and completion of postsecondary education for students with GEDs and other non-traditional credentials and the lack of alignment between the two educational systems. See an outline of the section headings.
To learn more about the Annual Review, please visit the NCSALL Website at http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=493
Community College Students: Goals, Academic Preparation, and Outcomes
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2003164
Hoachlander, G., Sikora, A.C., & Horn, L. (2003)
This report provides information on the varying goals, preparation, and outcomes of community college students using three different data sources. While one of the data sources is comprised of students coming directly from high school, the other two sources include older learners. Among the findings is the likelihood that older students attend community college to receive a certificate rather than an associates degree or to transfer to a 4-year institution.
Focus on Basics: Transitions
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=177
Volume 6, Issue D, February 2004
In this introduction to the February 2004 issue of Focus on Basics, Editor Barbara Garner highlights the challenges faced by students who go on from Adult Basic Education to college. The entire issue is downloadable from this link.
Low-Income Adults in Profile: Improving Lives Through Higher Education
http://www.acenet.edu/bookstore/pubInfo.cfm?pubID=310
Cook, B. & King, J. (2004)
This highly engaging report is the first product of a three-year national project sponsored by the Lumina Foundation for Education and conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE). It describes the low-income adult student population and the challenges they face in higher education. A guest essay by economists Anthony P. Carnevale and Donna M. Desrochers, outline the benefits and barriers to college for these learners.
Opening Doors: Students' Perspectives on Juggling Work, Family, and College
http://www.mdrc.org/publications/260/full.pdf
Matus-Grossman, L. & Gooden, S. with Wavelet, M., Dias, M. & Seupersad, R. (2002).
This study by Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC) used
information gathered in focus groups of former, current, and potential
students at six community colleges. Key findings showed that working students
typically took longer to complete programs and were more likely to require
remediation. They experienced an "income gap" that resulted from reducing
work hours to attend college, therefore, needed more than standard financial
aid in order to afford college. Adult students found it difficult to balance
work, family and college responsibilities and had complex child care needs.
Tight schedules made it difficult to participate in the work-based safety
net services because public agency hours conflicted with work and college
schedules. Students felt they needed campus-based academic and personal
supports but were unaware of existing services on the campus. Faculty
policies (such as attendance, group versus individual assignments, late
assignments) were cited as greatly influencing success.
Special Analysis 2002: Nontraditional Students
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2002/analyses/nontraditional/
index.asp
This discussion of adult students from the postsecondary side of transition is provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). To reach this report you will need to start at The Condition of Education (COE) opening Web page and "click" on the Quick Jump menu at the bottom of the page. Choose "2002: Nontraditional Undergraduates."
Why Go Beyond the GED? A Conversation with FOB
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=171
Focus on Basics: Transition,6(D), February 2004
In this interview in Focus on Basics (FOB), NCSALL researcher, Dr. John Tyler, outlines the compelling economic pressures that drive adult students to continue their education. Although obtaining a GED improves employment options, postsecondary education is needed to move beyond the low-income job market. One of Dr. Tyler's suggestions is to consider the GED in terms of a "bridge" to college.
Working Their Way Through College: Student Employment and Its Impact on the College Experience
http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&
CONTENTID=16295&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm
The majority of students, traditional and nontraditional, work while enrolled in college. This brief report describes how many hours students work, why they work, and the impact of working, both positive and negative.
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