We document and disseminate various results, trainings, and resources from our research, programs, and projects.
This report grew out of a study of professional development for adult basic education (ABE) teachers. The NCSALL Professional Development Study was conducted between 1998 and 2000, with the goal of understanding how ABE teachers change as a result of participating in professional development and what factors influence that change. During the course of that…
This Research Brief highlights key findings from a study that is a subset of a larger study being conducted jointly by NCSALL’s John Strucker and Kentaro Yamamoto, and Irwin Kirsch of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). This study builds on the proposition that a reader’s comprehension performance is largely determined by his or her abilities…
This Research Brief highlights findings from a qualitative study of the contextual factors that shape engagement in adult literacy education. Engagement is mental effort focused on learning and is a precondition to learning progress. Some researchers focus on engagement as a cognitive, or mental, process closely related to such things as motivation and self-efficacy. They…
The goal of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) is to conduct high quality, relevant research that contributes to the improvement of the quality of education provided by adult basic educators. NCSALL is also committed to ensuring that research is shared with practitioners in formats that are accessible and…
This study investigated how adult education teachers changed after participating in one of three different models of professional development (multisession workshop, mentor teacher group, or practitioner research group), all on the same topic of learner persistence. The study also investigated the most important individual, professional development, program, and system factors that influenced the type and…
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (“welfare reform”) and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) have influenced greatly the provision of services in adult basic education (ABE). WIA and welfare reform provide two excellent cases for the study of questions related to how federal legislation affects ABE practice at the program and classroom level….
Teachers need research that is relevant to their practice, with strategies and techniques they can use in their work. NCSALL’s Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network (PDRN) set out to create and support systematic partnerships between practitioners and university researchers to better connect research and practice, with the ultimate outcome of improved practice, policy, and services…
Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory presents a concept of intelligence, not specific educational approaches or activities. Yet it offers promising opportunities for adult literacy instruction and assessment, as this study involving teachers as research partners demonstrates.
Various national efforts, particularly the National Reporting System, measure outcomes of adult education programs but many questions remain about how local programs might document outcomes in ways that are immediately useful to students, teachers, and programs. This study is a response to those questions.
In much research, learners’ perspectives tend to be considered in light of a program’s expectations or U.S. society’s definitions of learner needs, rather than considering how learners would define and make sense of their own experiences, hopes, and needs. In contrast, this study considers learners’ meanings as the fundamental starting point for exploration.
World Education strives to build lasting relationships with partners across diverse geographic regions and technical sectors to produce better education outcomes for all.
