Comparisons of adult learners' self-regulated learning literacy, learning preferences, and adaptive teaching in formal, non-formal, and informal education institutions

Self-regulated learning literacy (SRLL) is a specific strategy of self-learning (SL) and a key competency for engaging in lifelong learning. If a person's learning literacy is limited in any dimensions, i.e. cognition, affection, and skills, he/she will experience difficulties that can impact upon the fulfilment of a vision of Education for All and the Learning Society. Therefore it has become crucial in adult education to understand adults' lack of SRLL in order to enhance their competencies in SL. In terms of individualized instruction, a learner's psychological characteristics include both learning preference (LP) and adaptive teaching (AT) and these need to be addressed to enrich individual learning effectiveness. For adults with comparatively stable psychological characteristics, it is important to understand the relationship between SRLL and LP and how to employ AT according to different SRLLs and LPs, and whether adult learners in formal, non-formal and informal education institutions show any difference in these three variables. This paper explores these issues based on empirical studies carried out via a questionnaire survey and individual and group discussions. Adult learners with lower SRLLs were sampled through norm comparisons and then their LPs and the corresponding ATs were formulated to improve the effectiveness of SL.

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