Research, Theory, & Professional Wisdom
and Their Relationship to
Texas Indicators of Program Quality (IPQs)
for Curriculum and Instructional Practices in Adult Education
and Literacy Programs

By
Marilyn Byrd, Dominique T. Chlup, Ken Appelt, and Harriet Vardiman Smith

Since the National Literacy Act of 1991 mandated federally funded State and local adult education programs to incorporate Indicators of Program Quality (IPQs) into program design and evaluation processes, there has been greater push for accountability within adult education programs. In 1993, a task force representative of adult education professionals from across the state assisted the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in developing indicators that reflect the needs of adult learners in Texas. These indicators provide a model for the scope and content of Texas adult education programs through specific program domains. One such domain, curriculum and instruction, directly relates to practitioners’ instructional practices and the use of materials that adhere to the objectives of the State’s IPQs. The domain of curriculum and instruction stipulates instructional processes are based on:

• learner outcomes
• reflecting a participatory approach
• functional contexts
• contributing to the development of problem solving skills
• formative and summative evaluation
• utilizing a holistic, learner-centered assessment.

During a meeting of state adult education administrators in the summer of 2004 , discussion included identifying instructional practices and instructional materials (if any) that can be linked to research or other evidence of effectiveness. Because adult education policy-makers, program developers, educators, and practitioners are now required to use instructional practices “built on a foundation of research,” TCALL was approached to provide a reference document that will inform decision-making in the area of curriculum and instruction.

This report is a collection of literature from empirical research, adult education theory, and professional wisdom that support Texas’ Indicators of Program Quality. The report contains two tables in matrix format and an annotated bibliography. Table 1 lists the curriculum and instruction IPQs and cross-references them with findings from the literature review. Table 2 lists recommended practices in the area of curriculum and instruction that have emerged since Texas’ IPQs were incorporated into local programs across the State. The last section of this report is an annotated bibliography with summaries of the referenced sources listed in the matrices.

To date, few empirical research studies have been found in adult basic education in the area of instructional practices and/or the use of instructional materials. However, this was not surprising since there have been few research studies that directly address instructional effectiveness in adult or family literacy (Padak, 2002). Yet, practitioners are tasked with complying with the State’s IPQs by designing instructional practices that are consistent with prescribed goals and objectives. Fortunately, there has been substantial research conducted in K-12 contexts that can be applied to adult basic education (Padak, 2002). Another stipulation of the State’s IPQs is that curriculum and instruction is consistent with adult learning theory. Although there is no universally accepted adult learning theory that constitutes good practice (Comings, et al., 2003), valuable contributions to the theoretical foundations of adult learning, such as the theory of transformational learning have been made (Mezirow, 1991). Theories of adult learning that draw on research from the field of education and other disciplines have provided practitioners with a rich resource on which to base their instructional decisions (Comings, et al., 2003).

It has been further determined that teachers utilize professional wisdom to inform instructional practice. Professional wisdom refers to the judgment individuals acquire through experience, including identifying and incorporating local circumstances into instruction (Bingman, 2005). Practitioners in the field demonstrate professional wisdom by: 1) using their own beliefs, values, and experiences to evaluate the validity of research, and 2) gaining new insights from experiences and practices that can be applied to instructional strategies (Kennedy, 1997). According to Comings, et al. (2003), theory-based and experience-based knowledge can lead to decisions that support effective learning; however, the adult education models that have evolved from these approaches alone do not have strong evidence of effectiveness. For this reason, the U. S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences issued the following definition of evidence-based adult education:

The integration of professional wisdom with the best available
empirical evidence in making decisions about how to deliver instruction.

The goal of this report is to provide insight to policymakers and administrators in determining whether or not the existing IPQs are indeed supportable practices. Furthermore, we identified several key areas not currently addressed by the IPQs largely in the areas of learner persistence, learner disabilities/difficulties, technology integration, and transitioning students. The discovery that new trends have developed in adult education suggests that the current IPQs should be considered for revisions in relation to addressing the needs of adult learners. Emerging instructional practices and trends identified during this project include methods that: are based on persistence, utilize distance education, utilize multiple intelligences, incorporate issues of transition, emphasize contextual strategies, and address special needs of adult learners.

Bingman, B. (2005). Using research to build evidence-based programs. Presented at the 2005 TALAE Conference, Austin, Tx.

Comings, J. P., Beder, H., Bingman, B., Reder, S., & Smith, C. (2003). Establishing an Evidence-based Adult Education system. The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy: Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Kennedy, M. M. (1997). How teachers connect research and practice. Midwestern Educational Researcher, 10(1), 25-29.

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Padak, N. (2002). Strategies that work: What does evidence tell us? Research to practice. Ohio State Literacy Resource Center, Ohio State Dept of Education, Columbus.

United States Department of Education. (2003). Evidence-based Education (EBE). Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst Assistant Secretary Educational Research and Improvement. United States presents overview of EBE. December 18, 2001. Retrieved 2-9-05 from: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/presentations/evidencebase.ppt

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