¶ … Learning Environment
This is a guideline and template. Please do not use as final-turn-in paper.
This article focuses on retention of educationally disadvantaged adults in adult education programs and specific teaching strategies to improve retention (Kerka, 1988).
The author's supposition is that educationally disadvantaged adults do not have the self-confidence, literacy skills, or positive attitude toward education to sustain an interest in participating in adult education programs.
Research has showed that these adults can be divided into groups based on these "deterrence factors." Besides a general strategy to retain them, more specific strategies can be customized for the different groups which would be more effective.
The author summarized both general and specific teaching strategies for retention. A few of the general strategies include: devoting as much time and effort to retention as to recruitment, emphasizing proper placement, orientation, and counseling early in the program, and following up inactive students with phone calls and keeping track of them, among others.
Specific teaching strategies are then presented in this article as addressed to each deterrence factor group. As an example, for the groups that suffer from low self-confidence, one strategy might be to make sure, early in the program, that each student knows that his or her own goals are reachable. Make sure they are provided with goals that will be within their reach.
Then the author discusses five real cases of successful adult retention programs, and concludes that it takes total commitment on the part of everyone involved in the program to make it work.
Why is This Information Important?
Education of disadvantaged adults increases their literacy to make them employable. It also increases their self-confidence and capability to become a positive contributor to society.
Bibliography
Kerka, S. (1988). Strategies for retaining adult students: The educationally disadvantaged. ERIC digest no. 76. (ED299455). Retrieved July 23, 2009, from ericdigests.org: http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-929/adult.htm.
