Helping Adult Learners to Learn: Towards Key Challenges Identification
COM1 Level 3
MR1, COM1-03-19
Examiners: Associate Professors Heng Cheng Suang and Oh Lih Bin
Abstract:
In this fast-changing world, it is important that the workforce continues to upskill and reskill to stay practically relevant. Yet, adult learners, defined as students over 24 years who often have family and work responsibilities, are known to have a high dropout rate when they attempt to upskill and reskill (e.g. Park 2009). Researchers have been concerned with this problem with a long period. However, we found that three deficiencies in extant studies limited their value to solve the attrition issue in practice. Considering the importance of this topic, this study aims to take the first to address the limitations by identifying key challenges confronting adult learners in lifelong education. With reference to a list of challenges built through our literature review, we will then conduct a multiple-case study to further investigate the most important key challenges for adult learners. In the future, with the identification of key challenges, we will make use of information techniques to design effective and implementable interventions to help adult learners continue lifelong learning.