Practical Recommendations for Accommodating Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education in Adult Education Programs in the United States
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| Title: | Practical Recommendations for Accommodating Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education in Adult Education Programs in the United States |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | David A. Housel (ORCID |
| Source: | Adult Learning. 2026 37(1):24-34. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Adult Education Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Refugees, Adult Education, Adult Students, Trauma, Trauma Informed Approach, Access to Education, Educational Policy, Student Needs, Best Practices, Preservice Teacher Education |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10451595241297660 |
| ISSN: | 1045-1595 2162-4070 |
| Abstract: | The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) affirms that millions of people across the globe are displaced annually because of "persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations." Given the abrupt departures from their countries of origin and their time in resettlement camps, these migrants are typically denied access to educational opportunities. They thus arrive in countries like the United States as students with limited or significant interruptions in their formal educations (SLIFE). They then access adult education, often ESOL, programs that are typically ill-equipped to address their unique needs and staffed by instructors who are ill-prepared to provide impactful instruction. The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the extant research literature to formulate policies and practices that could be implemented to address the needs of adult SLIFE, ideally in more culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and decolonized ways. In addition to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the approach most often cited in this literature review was the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (MALP) as devised by DeCapua and Marshall (2023). Using this paradigm and its corollaries as a conceptual foundation, the authors offer practical suggestions regarding administrative policies and instructional practices for adult education programs to address the psychosocial and instructional needs of adult SLIFE more effectively. Areas for future investigation and implementation were identified, including incorporating these best practices into preservice preparation and continuous professional development for instructors of adults, especially those of emergent bi/multilingual learners. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1491837 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) affirms that millions of people across the globe are displaced annually because of "persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations." Given the abrupt departures from their countries of origin and their time in resettlement camps, these migrants are typically denied access to educational opportunities. They thus arrive in countries like the United States as students with limited or significant interruptions in their formal educations (SLIFE). They then access adult education, often ESOL, programs that are typically ill-equipped to address their unique needs and staffed by instructors who are ill-prepared to provide impactful instruction. The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the extant research literature to formulate policies and practices that could be implemented to address the needs of adult SLIFE, ideally in more culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and decolonized ways. In addition to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the approach most often cited in this literature review was the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (MALP) as devised by DeCapua and Marshall (2023). Using this paradigm and its corollaries as a conceptual foundation, the authors offer practical suggestions regarding administrative policies and instructional practices for adult education programs to address the psychosocial and instructional needs of adult SLIFE more effectively. Areas for future investigation and implementation were identified, including incorporating these best practices into preservice preparation and continuous professional development for instructors of adults, especially those of emergent bi/multilingual learners. |
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| ISSN: | 1045-1595 2162-4070 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10451595241297660 |
