Adult Education Quarterly current issue

Transformational Learning in Botswana: How Culture Shapes the Process

Merriam, S. B., Ntseane, G. — 2008-04-15

Transformational learning as presented by Jack Mezirow has been critiqued for its Western, rational, and cognitive orientation. This qualitative study was conducted in the African nation of Botswana and examines how that culture shaped the process. In-depth interviews were held with 12 adults who acknowledged having an experience that had profoundly changed their view of themselves and/or their perspectives on the world. Spirituality and the metaphysical world, community responsibilities and relationships, and gender roles are 3 culturally specific factors embedded in how participants constructed the meaning of their experience; these factors are also evident in their changed perspective.

Overlooked and Understudied? A Survey of Current Trends in Research on Adult English Language Learners

Mathews-Aydinli, J. — 2008-04-15

This article provides a synthesis and review of 41 recent research studies focusing on the population of adult English language learners (ELLs) studying in nonacademic contexts. It notes the unique qualities and importance of understanding the English-language needs of this population, provides a critical overview of the existing literature, and concludes that both more research and research from diverse methodological perspectives are necessary.

First- Versus Continuing-Generation Adult Students On College Perceptions: Are Differences Actually Because of Demographic Variance?

Giancola, J. K., Munz, D. C., Trares, S. — 2008-04-15

The profile of students is changing, with an increase in first-generation and adult students. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in college perceptions between first-generation and continuing-generation adult undergraduates while controlling for demographic variables. The study and hypotheses are grounded in the Model of College Outcomes for Adult Students. It was hypothesized that first-generation students would report higher importance and lower satisfaction scores on the following variables: instructional effectiveness, academic advising, registration effectiveness, campus climate, safety and security, academic services, admissions and financial aid effectiveness, and service excellence. The results revealed that sex (more females) accounted for variance between first- and continuing-generation students on importance. There were no differences regarding satisfaction. With a higher number of female adult and first-generation students, higher education should better examine how to meet these students' needs. Recommendations for future research and practical implications are provided.

From Autonomy to Reciprocity, or Vice Versa? French Personalism's Contribution to a New Perspective on Self-Directed Learning

Eneau, J. — 2008-04-15

After many years of research focused on the individual and psychological aspects of self-directed learning, the field has taken into consideration the context and situation surrounding the education of an adult, placing the development of individual autonomy into a constructivist perspective. But it is only recently, in France at least, that researchers have begun to look more closely at the interpersonal dimensions of learning and that new theoretical approaches have introduced the ideas of reciprocity and exchange, allowing the consideration of the construction of this autonomy in new ways. Referring particularly to French personalist philosophy, following Mounier's and Ricœur's line of thought, Labelle's theory of educational reciprocity reverses the perspective, seeing the process of an adult's autonomization as the result of the reciprocal relationship between him or her and another person.

Book Review Essay: Using Narratives in Research and Practice: Narrative and the Practice of Adult Education (Professional Practices Series), by Marsha Rossiter and M. Carolyn Clark. Malibar, FL: Krieger, 2007. 187 pp., $27.50 (hardcover). Using Biographical and Life History Approaches in the Study of Adult and Lifelong Learning: European Perspectives, edited by Linden West, Peter Alheit, Anders Silig Andersen, and Barbara Merrill. New York: Peter Lang, 2007. 310 pp., $62.95 (paper)

Wiessner, C. A., Pfahl, N. L. — 2008-04-15

Book Review: Enhancing Learning Through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The Challenges and Joys of Juggling, by Kathleen McKinney. Bolton, MA: Anker, 2007. 201 pp., $27.95 (softcover)

Rowland, M. L. — 2008-04-15

Book Review: Democratic Practices as Learning Opportunities, by R. van der Veen, D. Wildemeersch, J. Youngblood, and V. Marsick (Eds.). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers, 2007. 204 pp., $49.99 (paperback)

Brookfield, S. — 2008-04-15

Book Review: Social Science Theories in Adult Education Research, edited by Agnieszka Bron and Michael Schemmann. London: Lit Verlag, 2002. 344 pp., CAD$29.95 (paperback)

Remtulla, K. A. — 2008-04-15