Research Support

Description Motivational research identifies utility value, or the importance of a learning task to future goals, as central to motivation to learn. This study analyzed survey data (N = 86) collected from adult literacy learners to examine their utility value of writing improvement in grammar and spelling skills, word processing skills, and planning, drafting, and revising skills. Findings revealed that participants had a high utility value of improving writing in all three skill areas and possessed a variety of underlying motivations, including obtaining further education, seeking future employment, and personal reasons. Participants' age, educational attainment, and reading levels showed relationships with utility value of improving grammar and spelling skills, and age showed an additional relationship to utility value of improving word processing skills. This work extends research on motivation in this population and supports the application of expectancy-value theory to both adult motivation and writing motivation. A free video is available on the utility value of improving writing skills for adult basic education students on this page. A subscription or one-time payment is required access this full publication from the Writing in Adult Secondary Education Classes team. 

Description This tool kit is designed to help research teams plan for and develop effective evidence-to-action researchproducts. Although useful for a wider audience, the tool kit was written for research contractors who work for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and for DOL staff who review and provide guidance on research contracts. This guide can help research contractors reach and influence practitioner audiences (referred to in the toolkit as users). This toolkit will help DOL contractors and DOL: brainstorm options for evidence products and services, devise effective dissemination strategies, share expectations on what DOL wants from evidence products and services, build contractor and staff capacity to deliver products and services that lend themselves to E2A, and conduct quality assurance reviews to assess whether they are E2A-ready.

Description This brief highlights key findings from the first component of The Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM)-SkillBlox Instructional Support Pilot—an implementation study of the TSTM framework. Findings from this study—including promising practices and lessons learned in supporting TSTM-aligned instruction—are intended to shape TSTM-SkillBlox development but may also inform efforts in the field to support TSTM implementation. 

Description This issue brief presents a profile of immigrant and U.S.-born adults, based on analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. It looks at characteristics such as age, parental status, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, English proficiency, and employment and income. The analysis identifies disparities between immigrant and U.S.-born adults in income, levels of formal education and employment type. It also discusses the implications of key data trends for adult skills programs. From: The Migration Policy Institute