Readiness to Teach and Learn in College: Faculty and Adult Learner Perspectives

Abstract

This study was designed to explore perceptions of faculty and adult learner readiness to teach and learn in undergraduate gateway courses. Both faculty and adult students perceived that experience contributed to their readiness. However, they disagreed about the adequacy and quality of each other’s experience. Faculty felt that their academic credentials and teaching experience of any kind readied them to teach adult students. Learners perceived that instructors who were not adult-focused were not ready to teach gateway courses despite being knowledgeable in the course content. A second mismatch in perceptions involved the stress faculty placed on the importance of foundational skills as opposed to that of the learners, who felt that their work and life experiences, coupled with motivation to learn, made them academically ready to succeed in most subject areas. Findings suggest that readiness is fluid, situational, and needs to be reinforced and renewed.

Keywords:

• Readiness
• preparedness
• gateway courses
• adult learners
• higher education

Ethics Statement

This research was approved by the Franklin University Institutional Review Board (approval number IRB 2020-24).

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Michelle Turner, Jasmine Suber, and Daniel Cisneros, who assisted with interviews and transcript preparation and who approved this acknowledgment.

Disclosure Statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The contents of this manuscript were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and endorsement by the federal government should not be assumed. This work was supported by the Office of Postsecondary Education [P031F170016].

Notes on contributors

Constance E. Wanstreet

Constance E. Wanstreet most recently coordinated a U.S. Department of Education grant to improve undergraduate retention and graduation at Franklin University. She has developed training programs for adult learners in workplace settings. Her research interests include readiness to teach and learn, electronic coaching in communities of inquiry, and online knowledge building.

Patrick A. Bennett

Patrick A. Bennett leads a diverse team of faculty and staff dedicated to improving teaching and learning at Franklin University. He assists in developing and implementing high-quality learning solutions for Franklin and external partners, including universities, Fortune 100 corporations, and governmental entities and leads the School of Education.

Yuerong Sweetland

Yuerong Sweetland is Director of Assessment and Faculty of Evaluation, Assessment, and Research Methods and Design at Franklin University. She oversees the design, collection, evaluation, and reporting for program and university assessment. She is a doctoral faculty advisor and a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).