• Adult Learners Lives project: setting the scene - Progress Report (pdf 2.77 MB)
• Adult Learners Lives project: setting the scene -Summary (pdf 268 KB)
• Linking learning and everyday life: a social perspective on adult language, literacy and numeracy classes
• Listening to Learners - report (pdf 165 KB)
• Relating adults lives and learning: participation and engagement in different settings
• Understanding the relationships between learning and teaching: a review of the contribution of applied linguistics – Summary (pdf 150 KB)
• Understanding the relationships between learning and teaching: an analysis of the contribution of applied linguistics – Report (pdf 267 KB)

• Adult Learners Lives project: setting the scene
• Listening to Learners
• Understanding the relationships between learning and teaching: an analysis of the contribution of applied linguistics
• Linking learning and everyday life: a social perspective on adult language, literacy and numeracy classes
• Relating adults lives and learning: participation and engagement in different settings
• Motivation and Persistence booklet
• Development through practitioner research booklet
• Developing adult teaching and learning: Practitioner guides - Bridges into learning for adults who find provision hard to reach
• Developing adult teaching and learning: Practitioner guides - Responding to people's lives
• Learners' experience of work
• Progression: Moving on in life and learning

The Adult Learners’ Lives project is addressing questions about the significance of language, literacy and numeracy in the lives of adults who have difficulties, including their experience of learning programmes.

It is exploring the relation between how people deal with difficulties and their classroom experiences, investigating the ways in which factors related to provision interface with factors related to the learners.

In the classroom we are looking at links between teaching and learning, participation, motivation and persistence. We are interested to know what motivates and engages adult learners.

Through collaborative research we aim to identify teaching and learning strategies that are more effective at encouraging and supporting Adult Basic Skills.

These are some of the initial themes from the research:

• Relationships matter in learning, including teacher/student and student/student relationships, also the networks of support learners are part of
• Learning environments often offer structure and stability in learners’ lives
• Being in control is key motivation for learning
• Health is often a barrier to learning, both physical and mental health
• There is a need to assess and recognise small gains in LLN skills and the wider benefits to learning and learners. Learners value knowing what progress they have made.
• There is a complex relationship between teaching and learning: learners don’t learn what teachers teach
• There needs to be more effective interagency response to the social and learning needs of students seeking asylum
• In ESOL classes, learners’ often express satisfaction with their classes, but there is a need for more free use of language and "bringing the outside in" as part of the learning process
• Involving teachers in research projects can have great impact, on the teachers’ professional development, on the culture of their work-places, and on regional networks.