Paper Summary
Share...

Direct link:

The Lens through which Young Adults in Second-Chance Education Conceive Learning: Understanding Low-Educated Adults’ Unique Learning Belief Systems

Thu, April 24, 9:50 to 11:20am MDT (9:50 to 11:20am MDT), The Colorado Convention Center, Floor: Meeting Room Level, Room 110

Abstract

This study explores the complex learning psychology of adult learners in second-chance education (SCE), a critical yet often overlooked demographic in lifelong learning initiatives (Boeren, 2017; European Commission, 2016). Adults with lower levels of education frequently encounter significant barriers that discourage their participation in further learning, including deeply ingrained hindering beliefs about learning (Boeren, 2009; Cross, 1981; Desjardins, 2006; 2015; Van Nieuwenhoven & De Wever, 2022; 2024).
The well-established theoretical frameworks guiding this study integrate perspectives on cognitive and regulatory learning-teaching conceptions (van Rossum & Hamer, 2010), and motivational beliefs, such as outcome and efficacy beliefs, causal attributions, and task-value beliefs (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). In this study, these elements are integrated into belief systems constituting the lens through which individuals conceive learning (Klatter et al., 2001; van Rossum & Hamer, 2010; Vermunt & Donche, 2017). As SCE-learners often have been overlooked in research underlying this theorization, by employing qualitative interviews (N=16), analyzed through an abductive approach (Timmermans & Tavory, 2012), we aim to uncover not just the dominant belief systems consisting of a theoretically consonant combination of learning-teaching conceptions and motivational beliefs, but also the unexpected and therefore theoretically dissonant belief systems that potentially characterize the unique learning dispositions of SCE-learners. A nuanced understanding of the learner’s perspective will inform the development of learning environments that effectively engage these learners, ultimately enhancing their educational experiences and outcomes (Klatter et al., 2001; van Rossum & Hamer, 2010; Vermunt & Donche, 2017).

Authors