Although the emphasis on adult literacy/basic education is increasing, the high dropout rate from programs in these areas is a concern. Why learners choose to participate or not to participate in such programs can be understood in terms of three sets of factors. Learner-inherent factors include self-evaluation, goals, and capabilities. Life factors include the conditions and circumstances surrounding an individual that affect enrollment and participation in adult education programs; three such factors are information, transitions, and barriers. Program factors, the nature of the educational programs available to adults, include organization, content, procedures, and personnel. It is not enough to understand these separately and independently. A more complete understanding of participation/nonparticipation is reached by applying Bateson's (1958) model of differentiation/congruency in examining how these three sets of factors interact. Devising and implementing an adult education program is both a complex and complicated task. The program must provide for interaction between instructor and students, students must understand how what they are learning relates to their life goals, and provision must be made for involvement of the learners in their learning. (36 references) (YLB)