Date of Graduation

5-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Adult and Lifelong Learning (EdD)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

Advisor/Mentor

Kevin M. Roessger

Committee Member

Kenda S. Grover

Second Committee Member

Gary W. Udouj, Jr.

Keywords

ABE, Adult Basic Education, Arkansas, Carroll's Model of School Learning, Educational tests & measurements, TABE, Test of Adult Basic Education

Abstract

This study examined Carroll’s Model of School Learning (MSL) on adult basic education (ABE). The study's central question was, “Does Carroll's MSL account for additional variance in TABE 11 or 12 scores beyond instructional time after controlling for age?” A non-experimental cross-sectional design was employed to explore the fiscal year 2019–2020 dataset (n=99) from Arkansas ABE centers to show how instructional time and MSL account for variation in adults’ post-test reading scores. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were run to predict the correlation between MSL and the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) Reading score. The results show that MSL is not significantly correlated to the TABE Reading score. Further investigation was conducted on the relationship between the five constructs of MSL (time allocated for learning, perseverance, aptitude, quality of instruction, and the ability to understand instruction) and TABE 11 & 12 Reading post-test scores. Based on an adapted MSL framework, findings suggested that the adult learner’s ability to understand instruction predicted the TABE Reading post-test score. Implications for the research community include being aware of opportunities for further research and support for policy change in ABE.

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