Adult Education Teacher Inquiry Projects 1998-99

These seven projects were completed during the 1998-99 academic year. Final reports are posted here; hardcopy reports are available upon request.

Lynn Foley Project RIRAL 170 Broad Street Providence, RI 02903 , telephone 331-0766

How can I help my students be motivated to study science? How can I present GED science topics and terminology in ways that address learning styles and improve retention?

I have found it difficult to excite and motivate my students to learn science using typical reading and writing assignments taken from the GED science book. I began thinking about doing hands-on science in such a way that would address not only the motivational problems, but the different learning stules of my students as well. I also considered involving other classes and teachers in the school to further benefit my students in a peer teaching kind of siutation.

Sally Gabb and Beth Pastore The Genesis Center 620 Potters Avenue Providence, RI 02907 email: genctr@ride.ri.net

SAYING 'YES SIR, BOSS,' ISN'T SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE: Reflections on defining adult ESOL instruction for career and employment purposes

How can the Genesis Center's work-related educational programs pursue process and outcome objectives which meet the employment-oriented expectations of funders/employers while maintaining a curriculum process that is both learner centered and based on communicative/whole language approach to language instruction?

Robert Geake BVARC email: RGeake@concentric.net

Can an integrated setting of ESL students seeking employment through the welfare to work program and individuals with developmental disabilities also seeking to improve work related vocabulary and find employment, foster a shared respect for the challenges each faces and cooperation in learning and taking the first steps to gainful employment?

Kathy Guglielmi and Gayle Dzekevich Cranston Adult Education

Peer Tutors/Mentors: Effect on Motivation and Persistence in the GED Classroom

Student retention continues to be a major concern for adult educators. Students come to our pgroams for a variety of reasons, but frequently leave prior to completeion of their program... We hope to develop a process through which we can positively affect student retention in the GED program initially, and in other adult education programs eventually. This model will serve to attend primarily to issues of student self-efficacy and motivation, with secondary results of reducing barriers to persistence.

Midpoint report on the project, March 24, 1999

Student Persistence, Retention in the Displaced Worked Education Program's Part-time Evening Class

What can our everning worker-centered ESL and GED program do to insure that workers who enter our classes remina enrolled and attend regularly? As the intake/assessment person for these classes, I have been made aware of the fluctuations in rosters and of the irregular attendance among students. I am curious to know what the forces at work in students' lives are and what motivates some students in the program to remain for many mothers while others don't attend reguarlly or for long.

Mid-cycle summary of David's project on Motivation and Persistence, March 24, 1999

Siobhan Ritchie, Institute for Labor Studies and Research

What is the relationship between an adult learner's initial motivation/reasons for enrolling in or attending a class and his/her continued motivation and progress?

Marcia Sullivan and Judy Hall Providence Housing Authority 100 Broad Street Providence, RI 02903 751-6400

Marcia and Judy studied retention and motivation in PHA adult education programs.

last updated August 27, 1998

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