Predicting Women's Persistence in Adult Literacy Classes with Dispositional Variables

Adult literacy programs offer individuals, particularly women, opportunities to improve their educational levels and economic circumstances; however, persistence in these programs is an issue for many. Two hundred forty five participants in a statewide adult literacy program took the Adult Education Persistence Scale, a measure of self-efficacy, resilience, attitudes toward school, and attributions, a measure we developed in an effort to identify dispositional variables that predict persistence. Results indicated that dispositional variables modestly predicted persistence, identifying high and low attendees with 69% accuracy. We recommend screening for dispositional variables to identify those at risk for dropout and to provide relevant support.

This research was supported by a grant from the Tennessee Department of Human Services to the University of Tennessee Center for Literacy Studies. The views encompassed in this research do not necessarily reflect the views of the Tennessee Department of Human Services

Notes

∗p < .05.

∗∗ p < .01