Improving Retention and Completion for Adult Learners at Nashville State Community College: A Needs Assessment
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Date
2025
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Vanderbilt University. Peabody College
Abstract
According to the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), a troubling national trend is underway: the completion rates for adult learners (25+ years old) are generally lower than traditional-aged students (<25 years old). At Nashville State Community College (NSCC), the number of adult learners decreased by 4 percent from fall 2021 to fall 2022, and their completion rates continue to fall below that of NSCC traditional learners. To help NSCC leadership respond to this trend, researchers conducted a mixed-methods needs assessment utilizing survey data from 1,341 enrolled adult and traditional-aged students and 27 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with enrolled adult learners. This study was centered on the following three research questions: 1) What are the characteristics of the NSCC adult learners? 2) What are the needs and strengths of NSCC adult learners, and how do they vary by student characteristics? 3) What supports address the needs and strengths of NSCC adult learners?
Researchers conducted descriptive statistics on both survey and interview responses to identify the strengths, needs, and motivational orientations of all students and a two-tailed t-test to determine the statistical significance between the motivational orientations of adult and traditional-aged students.
Using Kotera et al. (2023) Shortened Academic Motivation Scale, researchers found that traditional-aged students are more strongly motivated by two specific intrinsic motivators (joy and satisfaction) and amotivation (uncertain about their reasons for attending college) than their adult learner peers. Researchers also identified unique strengths that adult learners bring to the NSCC community, including informal mentoring, discussion and facilitation contributions, and a general willingness to provide ongoing feedback. Additionally, accessibility factors impacting motivational orientations and subsequent decision-making exist on a continuum and are influenced by the presence (or absence) of adult learner theory-informed support structures. Although statistical significance did not emerge for extrinsic motivation factors (preparation, feels, and prestige) or the intrinsic motivation factor (pleasure), further research is needed to determine the meaning of the direction of differences and apparent similarities. These differences may be accounted for by needs and strengths that are developmental in origin or a combination of developmental and environmental factors.
Considering these findings, researchers offer the following recommendations:
1. Adopt an adult learner organizational priority in strategic planning, policy development, operations, and research prioritization
2. Create an adult learner welcome center to address key intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors via programming, support staff, and advocacy
3. Expand community-building opportunities to foster peer-to-peer connections and formalize intergenerational mentorship structures
4. Establish an adult learner research priority to address adult learners who have already stopped out and learn more about the shared motivational orientations between adult and traditional-aged students.
These findings include important insights into national, state, and institutional priorities to improve educational outcomes for adult learners (US Department of Labor, n.d.). By adopting these recommendations, NSCC stands to strengthen institutional loyalty to its community, gain recognition as an adult learner-friendly institution, strengthen collaboration efforts with peer institutions, and bolster the US workforce.
Description
Leadership Policy and Organizations Department capstone project
Keywords
andragogy, access, adult transition theory, asset-based community development, barriers, community-engaged research, emotional support, motivation, retention theories, personalized guidance