Adult Education Programs Research Articles

Higher Education Environment Monitoring and Quality Assessment Model Using Big Data Analysis and Deep Learning.

A university exists to help students develop their skills. The goal of university development is to raise the standard of personnel training, and the core component of university development is teaching quality. Whether the level of practical training can as soon meet the requirements of enterprise employment. For responding to the demands of professions and occupations, it is essential. Teaching quality evaluation is a crucial cornerstone for ensuring the quality of instruction. Universities and colleges should therefore concentrate on evaluating instruction. Schools and colleges can more rapidly and thoroughly comprehend how their off-campus cooperative adult education programmes are running while also enhancing the efficacy and impartiality of their quality assessment by utilising educational data mining and learning analysis technology. Currently, issues with backward evaluation instruments, a single evaluation topic, and easy evaluation methods exist when evaluating the quality of schooling. Big data technology is used to create a higher vocational education environment monitoring and quality evaluation system that offers new and varied approaches to evaluate teaching quality. The technique for evaluating the quality of schooling is expanded upon in this research using various big data mining technologies. The improved collaborative filtering algorithm's mean absolute difference is approximately 18.23% when the data set is larger. In conclusion, when applied to big data sets, the technique in this work performs with greater accuracy than the conventional collaborative filtering algorithm. The scoring matrix becomes denser as there are more scoring items in the model. In turn, this results in a more accurate similarity calculation at the beginning of the programme, albeit the similarity calculation error increases as the scoring matrix becomes denser.

Substance Use and Trauma Among Adult Education Students in the United States

Adult basic education (ABE) programs in the United States serve millions of students annually to help them achieve high school equivalency, English proficiency, and other skills. These skills are necessary for upward mobility and competitiveness in the labor market, which is important for ABE students who are disproportionately affected by racial/ethnic disparities and poverty. Among learners who are not in ABE programs, substance use and trauma affect student outcomes. Similar research is limited among ABE students. Understanding the influence of these factors among ABE students can better inform interventions. The current study, grounded in Stress and Coping Theory, examined rates, risk factors, and gender differences for substance use and trauma among 286 ABE students. Results indicated that trauma is prevalent and associated with substance use, substance use suggests a need for brief counseling, and there were gender differences in substance use behaviors. Recommendations for interventions among ABE programs are discussed.

Реализация программ профессионального совершенствования преподавателей специальных дисциплин вуза в соответствии с принципами андрагогики

The paper aims to reveal the specificity of organizing additional foreign language education for special disciplines teachers on the basis of andragogy principles. The article describes additional educational programs developed by Foreign Languages Department and aimed to improve special disciplines teachers’ methodical and professionally oriented foreign-language communicative competence. Scientific originality of the study involves justifying the thesis that andragogy principles should be taken into account when developing adult education programs. The research findings are as follows: the author reveals the specificity of implementing additional educational programs for special disciplines teachers and proves that reliance on andragogy principles helps to raise learners’ level of satisfaction.

Development and Formative Evaluation of a Death Education Program for Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults

Planning for end-of-life (EOL) care in advance can enhance one’s quality of life at EOL. Culturally sensitive educational programs are needed in Chinese populations to enlighten the public and encourage advance planning due to a culture of death-denying and avoidance. This study describes the team’s efforts to develop and formatively evaluate a death education program designed for community-dwelling Chinese older adults. The program was designed based on the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior Model, as a 2-session 3-hour program spreading over two days with 1.5 hours for each day. The content paid attention to discussing the importance of making plans for EOL in Chinese culture and discussing how to have death-related conversations with the family and health care professionals. In 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted by phone with 12 health care professionals and researchers, and four Chinese older adults in China to obtain their feedback on program content and delivery. The directed content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Although they confirmed multiple challenges in conducting death education in China, such as family avoidance even if an older adult initiates the death-related conversation, health care professionals not feeling comfortable with such discussions, etc., they also felt the urgency and importance of delivering death education among older adults and in society as a whole. Detailed suggestions were categorized into relationship building, program preparation (e.g., setting, materials), multiple ways of recruitment, target population, length, various formats of content delivery, content (e.g., pay attention to spiritual care), and general support from the public.

Saving Senior Smiles: A Community Outreach Educational Program and Pilot Research Project

Globally, poor oral health has been evidenced more frequently among older adults. Thus, it is imperative to develop strategies for improving the oral health knowledge and access to dental care amongst the older adult population. The Saving Senior Smiles (S3) pilot outreach program was launched as an oral health education and awareness program for community-dwelling older adults across senior centers in the greater Boston area (Massachusetts, USA). The outreach consisted of oral health educational seminars presented by pre- doctoral dental students from three dental schools in the Boston area. The presentations highlighted the significance of oral health, and the importance of seeking routine dental care. Pre and post-test surveys were administered to assess the participants’ utilization of oral health services and oral health knowledge. The surveys were completed by 85 older adults (Female= 58.8%) across five senior centers. Questions pertaining to utilization of dental services revealed that 78.8% of the participants had a dentist. Expectedly, the center that reported the greatest number of missing teeth (Fenway center= 70.6%) had the least number of individuals who had a dentist (58.3%). With regard to oral health knowledge, before the seminars, less than half of the participants (42.2% ) across all the senior centers were aware of the common oral conditions that affected older adults ( dry mouth, gum recession and changes in oral bacteria) and after the presentation over 60% of the participants responded correctly to these knowledge questions. Overall, these findings emphasize the value of simple community-based interventions for older adults.

A Trauma-Informed Inquiry of COVID-19’s Initial Impact on Students in Adult Education Programs in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on adult education programs throughout the world, abruptly transforming in-person instruction to distance teaching/learning. Can the lessons learned from adult students, especially related to the “digital divide,” be leveraged to enhance adult education and create more inclusive policies and practices moving forward? To grapple with this question, this exploratory qualitative study sought the insights of adult learners in the northeastern United States through an online survey of primarily open-ended questions. Through multiple rounds of coding using a trauma-informed lens, the following themes emerged: (a) anxiety and loss; (b) distractions, adjustments, and balance; and (c) distance learning and its advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations for modifying preservice preparation and ongoing professional development for educators of adults were asserted. These recommendations focused globally on addressing adult students’ needs for ongoing academic and psycho-social-emotional support to enhance their digital literacy and educational outcomes. Limitations of the study and areas for future research were also identified.

The effects of social marketing efforts in motivating unemployed adults' participation in skills training programmes in South Africa

PurposeThe concern in this article is that there is low interest in adult education and training (AET) programmes of the unemployed adults in developing countries. The purpose of the article is to determine the effects of social marketing efforts in motivating adult learners to acquire marketable skills for poverty reduction.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the qualitative (semi-structured interviews) method for data collection from 12 adult learners and five managers of AET centres of South Africa. The qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviews helped the researcher to present the data from the perspective of the centre managers and adult learners on how the AET centres used social marketing efforts in motivating to acquire and utilise skills in entrepreneurial ventures.FindingsThe findings reveal that the effects of social marketing efforts consisted of persuading adult learners to enrol for skills training programmes, to attract their engagement to acquire marketable skills and to form business groups or co-operatives as a means of transition from skills acquisition to entrepreneurial ventures. As elements of social marketing effort in the skills training delivery, the AET centres used teaching and learning approaches and motivated the adult learners to acquire skills.Practical implicationsFrom the social marketing perspective, the practical implication of the findings for the policy consists of demonstrating the importance of social marketing efforts in skills training programmes to reduce poverty amongst poor and unemployed adults. The findings demonstrate the need for coordinated campaign activities at AET centre regional levels to motivate the engagement of the unemployed adults; hence, they will become aware of the benefits of the skills training programmes to improve their lives.Social implicationsThe lack of motivation is still the main barrier for participation in adult skills programmes, although there is significant progress made in many countries. In addition, social marketing efforts point to a need to promote, encourage and recognise participation from private sector for joint stakeholder cooperation.Originality/valueThis article is unique because it provides empirical findings on how to mitigate the barriers blocking adult participation in skills training programmes by using the social marketing efforts in motivating them to acquire marketable skills. The article contributes to the body of knowledge by determining the effects of the social marketing efforts in motivating adult learners to acquire marketable skills for poverty reduction. The efforts entail developing and implementing campaigns to motivate adult learners in their communities and stakeholder cooperation.

Determinants of Yam Farmers’ Choice of Coping Strategies to Economic Recession in Oye Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria.

The study assessed the determinants of yam farmers’ choice of coping strategies to economic recession in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State. Specifically, this study identified measures adopted by the yam farmers to cope with economic recession in the study area. Data for the study were collected through structured questionnaire which was administered to 122 yam farmers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data for the study. The result of the study indicated that over 70% of the farmers were engaged in petty business and Intensify on on-farm activities to cope with economic recession. Estimates of Tobit regression model showed that sex of the farmer, level of education, occupation, extension visit, and association membership were significant at 1% level of probability, while farming experience and household size were significant at 5% level of probability. The result implies that yam farmers’ choice of coping strategies to economic recession is determined by these variables. Based on these findings, it is recommended that adult education programmes should be organized by the local government in order to increase the literacy levels of the respondents, likewise extension visit should be strengthened through provision of necessary logistics so that farmers will be sensitized on the different strategies to cope with economic recession. Farmer’s associations should be encouraged by the extension agent, as it is an avenue for sharing information and knowledge among themselves which could help in making better choice of coping strategies. The involvement of farmers in other occupation could serve as an avenue to earn additional income which could help in the choice of coping strategies to economic recession.

M-learning: A Nexus for Adult Learners’ Motivation and Readiness to Learn in Federal Universities at Southwest, Nigeria

The aim of this study was to examine the perspective of adult learners on the relationship that exist between motivation to learn, readiness to learn and the use of m-learning for teaching and learning activities. In order to accomplish this, descriptive research survey design was adopted by this study. The population of the study comprised of adult students at the distance learning programmes of Federal Universities in Southwest, Nigeria. The sample for the study comprised of one hundred and twenty adult learners that were selected using multistage sampling techniques. A questionnaire was designed for data collection and validated through face and content validity while the reliability was done through Cronbach Alpha with coefficient 0.89. Collated data were analyzed through simple percentage and Pearson product moment correlation. The findings revealed that adult learners use mobile devices and there are significant relationships between motivation to learn, readiness to learn and the use of m-learning. It was recommended that m-learning should be formally introduced into adult education programme in Nigeria.

LOCAL BODIES’ EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIONS TO RAISE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PREFECTURE OF LARISSA IN GREECE

<p>The present research aimed at documenting the educational actions and programs about climate change that have been implemented in the Prefecture of Larissa, Greece, and at investigating whether their design and implementation aligns with the principles of adult learning. It also sought to examine whether the participants of these programs have developed environmental awareness and whether they have adapted to the new conditions created by climate change. Following a qualitative methodological approach, this research conducted semi-structured interviews with local bodies’ executives and educators who plan and organize educational programs and events within the scope of climate change. According to the findings of this study, the climate change-related programs implemented in the Prefecture of Larissa were mostly organized by public institutions, had a short duration, and did not always include a practical or experiential part. Their primary purpose was to lead to a more comprehensive approach towards environmental issues and to contribute to the citizens’ and professionals’ adaptation to the changes that have occurred due to climate change. Even though the analysis of target population needs and the program evaluation are generally considered as basic steps in the process of designing adult education programs, this study revealed that local institutions departed from following the abovementioned established practices. In the cases examined, the structure of the content and the implementation of the program were determined by the organizing bodies’ knowledge and capacity. Furthermore, the educational events that offered experiential activities contributed to the participants’ better understanding of the climate change phenomenon, motivated them to become more actively engaged with this issue and led them to the occasional undertaking of initiatives that signified their possible development of environmental awareness. The process of informing, raising awareness and helping people adapt to the consequences of climate change requires time, effort, and persistence by the local institutions and by the state, who can achieve these goals by properly designing and implementing programs that meet the educational needs of the target population.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0921/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Knowledge and Attitude of Guardians in Management of Avulsion of Primary and Permanent Teeth of Children: A Questionnaire-Based Study

Aims: This study aims to assess knowledge and attitude of guardians in management of dental avulsion of the children.
 Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Pakistan, from April to May 2021. A total of 400 parents were recruited. An online self-administered questionnaire was circulated to the parents after taking the informed consent. 17 questions regarding demographics, knowledge and attitude were included. Chi-square test was used for association between demographics and responses of the participants.
 Results: Of the 400 participants, there were 140 (35%) males and 260 (65%) females. Most of the 180 (45%) participants belonged to 18-30 years age bracket. About 63% of the children did not have past dental trauma history. Predominantly, 80% chose dentists being most appropriate of emergency treatment. 33% believed to visit the dentist within 30minutes for treatment. About 50% participants agreed avulsed teeth can be placed back into its original position. More than half knew different transport mediums, with milk (21%) and Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (19%) being commonly selected. Younger age group and females were more knowledgeable regarding emergency management.
 Conclusion: Dental avulsion is a common finding in childhood, which mandates proper knowledge for the guardians. There is still a gap present in adequate knowledge for management of such emergencies which mandates organizations of education and awareness programs for both children and adults.

People, Policy, and Praxis

Freirean pedagogy in adult education programs that embrace an open dialectic can be responsive to situations where ambiguity in policy implementation results in discrimination and disenfranchisement. The case presented below comes from my experiences as an educator in a Freirean, Spanish-language, high school equivalency (HSE) program in New Jersey during significant national changes to HSE credentialing in 2014. It describes policy implementation in the local context within the relationships between governing institutions, service organizations, and the people policies are meant to govern. The case constructs a narrative for the relevant policy environments and actions at the time through the assemblage of primary sources, such as policy documents and internal organizational reports, as well as an analysis of 25 news reports and commentaries taken from 2013-2014. I argue that all policies, even those initiated at the national level, are ultimately enacted locally through the dialectic relationships between policy makers, administrators, program staff, and students at a variety of public and private organizations. I show how Freirean approaches to program design and operation respond to political, policy, and programmatic complexities to address discrimination and disenfranchisement. In conclusion, I discuss implications for educators seeking to adopt a Freirean framework into their own program design and implementation. These include the development of local praxis within an analysis of larger oppressive structures, thoughtful design and critical flexibility to work closely with students in program operation, and engagement in dialectic relationships with existing or potential collaborators.

Process evaluation of an educational programme for preventing recidivism by adult firesetters

PurposeFire-related offences are costly in human and financial terms. Fire education is widely used with juveniles and with adults in forensic psychiatric settings; however, with prison/probation clients there has been a lack of focus on its potential. This study asked participants of a structured fire education programme for adults how they experienced it and its impact on their feelings about firesetting.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were 15 programme completers, including ten males and five females. All were adults that had attended the programme during their sentence, either in the community or whilst in custody.FindingsUsing an inductive thematic analysis this study interpreted the following themes: a supportive and responsive approach, impactful learning materials and methods, a new way of thinking, and picking up the pieces. This study proposes that the intervention may activate change through its powerful methods including fact-based arguments and support from legitimate experts.Practical implicationsFiresetters’ Integrated Responsive Educational Programme (FIRE-P) is a novel example of a specialist structured fire education programme for adult firesetters. This is the first paper to outline its structure and content. Understanding how change occurs in FIRE-P has implications for intervention design and delivery with this client group.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study of a structured fire education programme for adults and provides researchers and practitioners with insight into the ingredients of a successful fire education programme.

The andragogical value of content knowledge method: the case of an adult education programme in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province of South Africa

The andragogical value of content knowledge method: the case of an adult education programme in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province of South Africa

Face to Interface: Instructional Strategies of an Online Talmud Class

ABSTRACT As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Jewish adult education programs transitioned from in-person learning to synchronous webcast classes. This move creates new questions about the practice of teaching Jewish texts in the new medium. The author describes a case of an online Talmud class and the instructional strategies used by the practitioner. In the new medium, she is restricted in her use of interpretive-relational pedagogies, such as havruta that she would employ in person. Findings describe the ways she navigates these new challenges, emphasizing a tangle of strategies and tactics.

International Network AgroBioNet activities on agrobiodiversity conservation in East Europe

The article describes the activities of the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Biosafety at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and the history of creation the International Network AgroBioNet. A chronology of research projects and international conferences is presented. Information on educational projects and adult education programmes is given. Publishing activities of the members of the international projects is analyzed. The Journal ‘Agrobiodiversity for the Improvement of Nutrition, Health and Life Quality’, which has been published since 2017, is an online platform where the results of collaborative research are accumulated.

Teacher Effectiveness in Adult Education: The Relationship Between Teacher Characteristics and Student Test Gains and Transitions Into Postsecondary Education

The federal adult education program serves over 2 million eligible adults who seek basic literacy and English language skills. Using administrative student-level panel data, this study provides the very first assessment of the relationships between adult education teacher characteristics and student achievement using hierarchical linear modeling design. Results show that students in classes with teachers with a bachelor’s or higher degree have higher post-test scores. Having a part-time adult education teacher was associated with lower odds of students transitioning to postsecondary education. Compared to teachers specialized in English as a second language, having an adult secondary education teacher is correlated with an increase in test score gains as well as higher odds of transitioning to postsecondary education. We also identified student characteristics (age, disability status, attendance hours, race, and employment status) and program characteristics (size, quality, and setting) that are statistically significantly correlated with student learning and students’ transition to postsecondary education.

Resonating embodiment

The Safaliba are an Indigenous Ghanaian ethnolinguistic group of 7,000–9,000 people (Sherris, Schaefer and Mango Aworo, 2019). They mostly inhabit their traditional lands in a rural area of Ghana’s Savannah Region. There are seven towns and villages where Safaliba (the name of both their language and themselves as a people) is a dominant communicative language resource, as well as another seven towns where Safaliba as a communicative language resource is subordinate (see Fig. 1) to approximately eleven additional Indigenous Ghanaian languages (e.g., Birifor, Choruba, Dagaare, Deg, Gonja, Jula, Kamara, Lobiri, Siti, Vagla, and Waali). Safaliba is a Gur language with an expanding and vibrant, although small, grassroots literacy activity in five government primary schools, two private primary schools, and one informal adult education program. Safaliba storytellers, poets, and teenagers in the communities are using the language in booklets, newsletters, and in some experimental attempts at Safaliba Hip Hop. The purpose of this paper is to document Safaliba metaphors that have as their source domain the human body and their target domain everyday human interactions. We argue that these target domains, although abstract, transform the limits of embodiment and thereby resonate with similar materiality. For instance, if we look at the verb phrase le o? baya poo, which literally means /fall between someone’s legs/, in conceptual metaphor theory that would be the source domain. Its target domain is its figurative meaning, which for the Safaliba is /to beg someone for help or something/. The target domain resonates with components of the original embodied state of something or someone falling between the legs of another, yet is transformed to mean, metaphorically, an abstraction – to supplicate, beg, plead. Another example would be dibi nye?a, which as a source domain means /press chest/, and its target domain is the figurative /console, comfort/.

Public Speaking Coaching for Adult Special Olympics Athletes

Purpose Individuals with intellectual disabilities often face communication challenges that can impact verbal communication, social interactions, and public speaking effectiveness. These challenges include decreased speech intelligibility, eye contact, and storytelling organization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefit of a 4.5-month public speaking coaching program for adult Special Olympics athletes with intellectual disabilities. Method Using a pre–post design, four athletes and their parents or caregivers completed questionnaires that rated the athletes' public speaking skills in 10 areas relevant for effective public speaking before and after the 4.5-month program. Graduate students in communication sciences and disorders worked with the adults on individualized goals identified from a preliminary speech and the self-report questionnaires. Differences in pre- and post-program response ratings and pre- and post-program speech behaviors were evaluated. Results Participation in the program resulted in positive changes in the athletes' public speaking ratings and behaviors, as measured by the athletes' and familiar-listeners' pre- and post-program questionnaires and the athletes' observed public speaking performance. Conclusions The results support the benefit of individualized coaching in public speaking programs. Because public speaking skills are important for communicating effectively in community interactions more broadly, the program also has potential relevance for use in clinical settings and education programs for adults and adolescents with and without intellectual disabilities.

‘Prime Time of Life’, A 12-Week Home-Based Online Multimodal Exercise Training and Health Education Programme for Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Laois

<strong>Introduction:</strong> Multimodal exercise training can ameliorate the physiological decline associated with ageing. This study aimed to investigate whether 12 weeks of a home-based online multimodal training and health education intervention could improve functional ability and perceptions of physical and mental health in middle-aged and older adults. <strong>Methods:</strong> Sixty-one male (N = 18, 59.1 ± 7.0 years) and female (N = 43, 60.9 ± 6.8 years) participants with various clinical conditions completed two 60-minute training sessions per week for 12 weeks delivered online via Zoom. All sessions included aerobic, resistance, balance, and flexibility exercises. One weekly session incorporated 15 minutes of health and fitness education. The pre/post testing sessions were conducted in a local community centre in line with COVID-19 public health guidelines. Paired samples t-tests and the Wilcoxon signed rank tests were utilised to compare scores pre and post intervention. <strong>Results:</strong> There were significant improvements in participants 6-minute walk (p &lt; 0.0001), sit-to-stand (p &lt; 0.0001), timed-up-and-go (p &lt; 0.0001), sit-and-reach (p &lt; 0.0001), squat jump (p &lt; 0.0001), core endurance (p &lt; 0.0001), grip strength (right hand p = 0.03, left hand p = 0.04) and balance (right leg p &lt; 0.0001, left leg p = 0.004) tests post intervention. Perceptions of physical (p &lt; 0.0001) and mental (p &lt; 0.0001) health also improved significantly. <strong>Discussion:</strong> Twelve weeks of online multimodal training and health education can significantly improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, power, balance, flexibility, and perceptions of physical health, mental health, and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. While there are some limitations to online interventions, the benefits are numerous and equal to those reported for onsite interventions and should be considered for wider rollout in this population.