The purposes of this study were to investigate the reliability and construct validity of measures of reading component skills with a sample of adult basic education (ABE) learners, including both native and nonnative English speakers, and to describe the performance of those learners on the measures. Investigation of measures of reading components…

Education for All is a global commitment to quality basic education for everyone. However, in Southern countries such as the Philippines, it has resulted in adult education receiving even less attention than before. In this article, the author reflects on his life in education, the changes he has seen and the lessons he has learned. The author…

Development as a growth process is what every person, nation and state seeks from day to day. The issues of development and better welfare are generally important to the average man and woman, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Nigeria and other African countries need to instigate the principles and strategies that will bring about…

This phenomenological study examined the stories of illiterate African American adults to determine the factors that led to their illiteracy. Narrative techniques were utilized to discern themes from narrative accounts of eight participants. The participants were enrolled in one of two adult basic education programs referred to as ABE I and ABE…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify ways to improve learner persistence in General Equivalency Diploma (GED) programs in the U.S. The participants in this multiple case study were GED instructors and adults without high school diplomas who were enrolled in two GED programs were located in the Southern and Southwestern U.S.…

In May, President Obama stated the need for every American to have at least one year of postsecondary education. That sentiment echoes the Nellie Mae Education Foundation's 2008 report, "What It Takes to Succeed in the 21st Century--and How New Englanders Are Faring." The report cites a growing consensus that reveals the minimum…

For many, achieving a college degree is a lifelong dream, characterized by opportunity, hope for a bright future, long-term career options, and an overall improved quality of life. Yet, access to American higher education continues to be limited by complex structures and systems such as financial barriers, expectation gaps in learning between high…

With "basic education" now firmly a part of the current development discourse, this paper discusses how a selection of donors in Pacific education relate to this notion in terms of shifts in their development policy, their financial commitment and their underlying political agenda. With Levesque's (2001) notion of "perception…

With the formation of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2001, a single post-16 learning and skills sector (LSS) was created for the first time in England with huge potential to support lifelong learning. It was this momentous change that prompted the authors in 2004 to begin a study entitled "The impact of policy on learning and…

This qualitative research study explores key challenges and literacy needs of adults from war-affected backgrounds. Poverty, stress and anxiety, years of formal education, and lack of English language proficiency were cited by the adult learners as barriers to fulfilling their potential. This study also presents perspectives of teachers who have…

Library-based adult literacy programs rely on volunteers to provide tutoring services to adult learners. A high percentage of volunteer tutors are matched with a reading-disabled adult literacy learner. Although all tutors are required to complete preservice tutor training, there is a limited amount of research that documents whether they utilize…

In the conversation about underserved populations in New England, higher education often revolves around "school-aged" students of color and students from low-income families. This is understandable; after all, these are the fastest growing populations in the region. In this article, the author says it is time to reinvent education. One…

This 124-item bibliography lists various materials that are concerned with or related to the field of Adult Basic Education. The materials are available for group study. (DB)

Describes the need for more effective counseling and specialized educational programs in order to alter the personal and social characteristics of the disadvantaged adult. (Editor)

The mail order catalogs of T. Eaton Company and Robert Simpson Company have been the most universally used texts for adult basic education in Canada's remoter areas. (MF)