A quasi-experimental investigation assessed the impact of multiple factors, including financial aid and proactive advising, on retention of undergraduate students at a small, private university that primarily serves online learners. In-house proactive advising over three academic years was positively associated with increased retention…

Workplace experiences are central to adults' learning and development, providing opportunities for significant and valuable lifelong learning. Research into adults' learning in volunteer work attests to its significance and value across the spectrum of adult learning, serving instrumental, social, and altruistic purposes for the learner and…

The field of instructional design and technology (IDT) has become an alternative career path for many former K-12 classroom teachers who have left the teaching profession. The purpose of this study was to determine the transferable skills, skills gaps, and their impacts on former K-12 educators who have made this career transition. A mixed methods…

Through our shared interest in articulating a knowledge base for teacher education, we believe a deeper examination of the "work" of teacher educators would contribute to a fuller understanding of who teacher educators are and the work they do. Recognizing how context and positionality influence conceptions of teacher education and with…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine how future teachers can be better prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners. This study applied the theoretical framework of andragogy to the diversity strategies used in a teacher education program at a university in southeast Missouri. This qualitative case study included two…

In this dissertation study, we investigated professional learning practices common to tiered systems, with specific focus on the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention. First, we outlined tiered models and how they address the rising, multiple needs of students, and the fitness of Ci3T for the current educational…

As the enrollment cliff, fueled by declining birthrates and fewer students graduating from high school, continues to challenge colleges and universities to find new enrollment and revenue streams, one area of opportunity is increasing the enrollment of adult learners in on-campus, hybrid, and online programs. Colleges, like Northeast Religious…

This study is the first to investigate subject-level variability in sociolinguistic evaluative judgements by 30 adult L2 German learners and explore whether the observed variability is characterizable as a function of individual differences in proficiency, exposure, and motivation. Because group-level estimates did not paint an accurate picture of…

Nontraditional students represent a substantial number and significant percentage of students in higher education. While these adult learners have similarities, they also span 50+ years with generational differences. At the same time, online learning is on the rise, offering opportunities and challenges for nontraditional students and those who…

A "mind, brain and education" (MBE) approach applies the best evidence regarding how people learn to real classroom settings. Much of the work in the field to date has involved child learners, but MBE is increasingly turning to the study of adult education, supported by a growing understanding of how adults and children differ in their…

This article critically examines the intricate balance between instrumentalism and the pursuit of a comprehensive perspective within higher education. Specifically, the study investigates the experiences of vocational teachers enrolled in a master's program at a Norwegian university, as they grapple with the challenge of reconciling academic…

The "(M)other Tongue" project is a contribution to research in applied linguistics on the use of generative intelligent tools (AI) for additional language learning. 2023 saw the commercialisation on-line of several AI-enabled multilingual video services, with at least one including lip-synchronisation and translation functions. The…

The United States government is perennially in need of employees with proficiency in critical foreign languages to communicate with foreign counterparts and maintain relationships worldwide. In order to fulfill this need, the government devotes significant resources training federal employees to advanced levels of language proficiency through…

Self-determination has been a primary focus of efforts to enhance quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Learning self-determination enables individuals to assume greater responsibility and control in their lives. The primary causal agency perspective on self-determination highlights the importance of learning self-determination for…

In today's digitally interconnected world, one's ability to collaboratively create with others and compose multimodal texts is essential. Yet, high-stakes standardized assessments that value individualistic print centric conceptions influence instruction, leading schools to often undervalue the multimodal and collaborative composing processes and…