In an effort to examine the usefulness of adult learning research for improving college teaching, this study investigated tenets of adult learning research which may be manifest in effective college teaching and sought the perceptions of administrators, faculty and students. The study incorporated a multi-site, integrated research design combining qualitative and quantitative measures of guided interviews, naturalistic classroom observation, and two assessment instruments. Sites included a community college, a traditional university, and a nontraditional university. Three administrators from each institution participated and provided names of four to six "effective teachers." These faculty participated and 279 of their students were surveyed with 95 percent participating. Results indicated that effective college teachers are interested in adult learning research and desire to become more learner-centered; that disparities exist between administrators' perceptions of teaching practices, faculty perceptions of teaching practices, and the students' perceptions of the learning experience; and that the quality of the learning experience may not be changing at the same pace as researchers expect. Overall, the students perceived the teaching to be effective and enjoyable though many did not value or fully understand the learner-centered approach. (Contains 41 references.) (JB)