Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate the barriers that non-traditional students (defined as over 40) face in self-directing their own learning and the strategies they develop to succeed. First established are the main elements that define non-traditional students, and the critical role that self-directed learning plays in their complicated educational journey towards degree attainment. The author then analyzes firsthand accounts and triangulates the findings with seminal research, which confirm that institutional, situational, and dispositional barriers in higher education pose serious difficulties to non-traditional students. Among the strategies for self-directing their learning in order to mitigate barriers and achieve success are setting attainable goals, seeking support, staying informed, remaining positive and focused when challenged, and planning. The chapter concludes with recommendations for higher education administrators regarding policies and procedures relative to non-traditional students and diversity in 21st-century education.

Perceived Barriers and Levels of Satisfaction with Student Services for Adult Learners

Adult students face a multitude of issues when attending college and seeking assistance from student support services to succeed. Because of other responsibilities outside their education, such as full-time jobs and family or household responsibilities, adult students have minimal access to these support services. This study was intended to investigate differences in level of satisfaction with student support services used by adults seeking a baccalaureate degree, and to examine the barriers faced by these students. The study examined situational, institutional, and dispositional barriers at one public research university, which may shed light on areas in student services which need to be addressed in higher education.

Work, Family and School – Balanced Postgraduate Programs for Full-Time Workers in Finland

Today employees have to update their knowledge, skills and competencies to excel in the working world. Therefore, the number of adult students has increased in all forms and levels of education including universities. Adult students bring non-traditional characteristics to campuses including part-time enrollment, full-time employment, and increased family obligations. In this paper, an analytical model for analyzing different roles of professionals returning to university is developed. The model is then applied to describe the current support systems for adult learners in Finland and to analyze a Finnish postgraduate program solely targeted for professional returning to college. The findings of the study suggest that programs dedicated to adult learners help returning students to find a better balance between their work, family and school roles and thus overcome more easily the institutional, situational and dispositional barriers to study.

Overcoming Barriers: The Local and the Innovative Dimensions of Inclusive Socio-Educational Practices

This paper discusses some results of a broader research, focusing on a set of eleven socio-educational practices aiming to overcome school failure and dropout, developed in Portugal, giving particular attention to the local and innovative dimensions. This research aims to understand the point of view of the several actors involved, about which factors, processes and relationships contribute the most to building such practices. Data was gathered through documental analysis and semi-structured interviews with those (institutionally) responsible for each practice under study, and was analysed using two instruments. From the point of view of the people responsible, the practices that contribute the most to overcoming school failure and dropout fall into one of four categories: Study Support (4 Practices), Student Grouping (3), Mediation (3) and Pedagogical Differentiation (1). Some practices mobilise resources; others interfere with learning and life contexts, in order to confront institutional, situational and dispositional barriers to participation and learning. Those practices seem to have an impact on school-family communication. Formal schooling, as well as the socio-cultural inclusion of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, are seen as relevant; yet, we can observe a somewhat fragile involvement of families and communities in practices aimed at promoting their youth’s educational success.

Nonparticipation in Adult Education

In this article, the authors propose that dispositional factors do not sufficiently explain nonparticipation in adult education programs. Many nations report low participation rates, but empirical studies have usually been conducted with enrolled adults. This study, however, included 279 poorly educated mestizas and Native women in two regions of Mexico who were not participating in institutional programs; a mixed quantitative–qualitative methodology was used. The study focused on self-perceptions and beliefs, assuming that values for these variables would be low acting as dispositional barriers to participation; however, this hypothesis was not confirmed. On the contrary, high levels of self-concept, self-efficacy, and a belief that women are intelligent demonstrated that these women have a very positive self-image. Discussion points to sociocultural categories as an alternative explanation to why rural women harbor positive self-perceptions and why remedial basic adult education is not relevant to their social sphere.