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The purpose of this study was to investigate the tenability of a proposed path-analytic model relating resourcefulness and persistence in the context of adult autonomous learning. Data collected from a nonprobability sample of 492 American adults using valid and reliable measures for resourcefulness and persistence were analyzed. Results suggest that although adults intend to persist in valued learning activities, they often do not choose to engage in such activities. Methods are discussed that may help educators foster autonomous learning tendencies in their students, thereby supporting their development as lifelong learners.

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Lifelong learning as a field has leapt forward, but work remains to inform the structuring and practice of lifelong learning institutes. This study furthers the field of institution-based lifelong learning by utilizing cross-institutional research regarding the value of lifelong learning to older adults. A content analysis coding approach is undertaken to categorize and organize 4,400 lifelong learners' responses to the question: 'What about your Osher Institute has been valuable/important to you?' Responses came from 12 institutes across the United States. The organization and interpretation of the themes fell along four dimensions: (a) learning experience, (b) community environment, (c) learning quality, and (d) learning access. Subthemes within each of the four broad themes are identified and discussed. Slight demographic differences regarding codes assigned are highlighted. Institutional differences were more notable demonstrating that the structures and practices of institutes warrant more research.

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This article reports on a study that explores the role of power in the transformation of individuals who have become ethical vegans. A case study of one kind of transformation is presented. Further research is needed to identify whether transformational learning can be described as a generic model or whether different types of transformational change suggest different models of learning. Show less

This article reports the results of an inquiry into the embeddedness of nonformal education (NFE) in the work of knowledge service providers, analyzing the dilemmas they experience in their operations around a public housing precinct. It explores the proposition that the networking of NFE providers is a mechanism by which a fragmented community might be repositioned socially and economically. NFE is seen as a bridge for extending and deepening existing social capital. The learning activities offered by the knowledge service providers are compared with the lifelong learning outcomes expected through NFE. The analysis positions these NFE providers in terms of their relative strengths and weakness, and indicates how these impact on their projected sustainability. Community learning through non-formal education via the networking of knowledge providers is shown to involve serious tensions.

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Using the PIAAC data, we show how exposure to various dimensions of nonformal and informal learning relates to the problem-solving capacity in a technology-rich environment for working adults. The sample included permanent staff from various economic sectors, self-employed individuals, and casual employees doing fixed-term contracts (n=1248) between 16 and 65 years, 38 per cent of participants were males.

A regression analysis showed that managerial practices such as degree of autonomy, frequency of interaction with coworkers, participation in training and counseling, and handling of routine and complex in-job problems are important factors associated with problem-solving scores for the respondents at every level of educational attainment. Underdevelopment of managerial practices can be connected to the lingering transition to the market system which hinders the flexible transition of skills and training in the workplace and lowers problem-solving scores in Russia compared to OECD countries.

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This article discusses aspects of metacognition and motivation that may distinguish the learning processes of adults in higher education from those of traditional-age students. Questionnaires about their strategy use, motivation level, and memory abilities relating to a psychology class in which they were enrolled were completed by students from the two groups. Data from this study indicate the need for educators in high education to respond to differences in the motivation and learning processes of non-traditional age students. However, the authors suggest caution in the use of the data as they are limited by the relatively small sample and because questions concerning the relationship between reported strategy and course characteristics could not be addressed. Show less

Grounded in an analysis of interviews with migrant farm workers in Canada, this article explores how learning in the everyday contexts of temporary transnational labor migration is implicated in both migrant identity formation and the social reproduction of an established and growing labor migration regime. The article focuses on thinking through how workers negotiate the intergenerational workplace tensions that permeate life in Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. The findings suggest that through their sustained participation in the everyday social practices that develop through dormitory-living, transnational laborers learn to become migrant workers. This formation of migrant worker identities in turn contributes to the reproduction of the social relations that support the ongoing practice of circulatory labor migration in the Canadian agricultural industry.

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This article reports on the findings of a quantitative survey of North American adult education faculty and a textual analysis of websites of adult education graduate programs in North America conducted in the fall of 2013. This study examined background information about adult education faculty and programs; the nature of faculty work interests, motivations, and satisfaction; and involvement with the Commission of Professors of Adult Education. It is informed by prior studies in the field, the role of professional organizations literature as related to social capital, and the faculty satisfaction literature.

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Faculty characteristics are changing, and traditional theories may not account for the intersection of increasing numbers of women faculty and career changers to higher education in examining faculty development. Using a conceptual framework composed of adult transition and career development models, this phenomenological study investigated the career transition and strategies of women midlife career changers to the professoriate. Findings included a midlife career transition process and related challenges, supports, and strategies to navigate the process with implications for theory and practice.

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A fit-for-purpose, functional program is the vehicle that guarantees the relevance of an education system by ensuring the sustainability of the society. Failure of a program to be relevant has the potential to cause crisis in a society. This basic qualitative research study explored the experiences of the beneficiaries of a skills development program (SDP) in the rural Kgalagadi south subdistrict of Botswana with specific reference to the benefits and challenges of the program and its potential to improve their livelihoods. Twelve beneficiaries (program participants) of the SDP and their four trainers were purposively selected and interviewed. Data were also collected through observation.

The findings indicated that the participants benefited from the SDP training in terms of knowledge, skills, and competencies that they had acquired. As such, they now could make good quality products. The findings also showed that the beneficiaries faced certain challenges with the SDP, especially the lack of financial muscle to sponsor their products. With the necessary improvements, the SDP promises to improve the livelihoods of those who undergo the training in the Kgalagadi south rural communities. This study sheds new insights on the benefits and challenges of the SDP, and this can help decision-makers and funders (Botswana government in particular) in the review of the program.

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