1. „Out of the Impact‟
Charting the learning journey of a group of adults
returning to education

2. „Out of the Impact‟
 Introduction
 Rationale
 Context/Study group
 Methodology
 Findings
 Recommendations

3. „Out of the Impact‟
„While the impetus or stimulus to learn comes from outside
the sense of discovery and comprehending comes from
within‟ (Rogers, 1969, p.35)

4. „Out of the Impact‟
“I’ve had a horrible few years on my own, rearing my children.
My husband left and moved in with a younger girl…….. I
decided I’m going to make a life for me and the four kids. Do
course, get a job and be happy” Lisa
“Everyone was saying like you should be doing something…a
lot of friends find it hard to believe your happy….but I was
perfectly happy at home” Sophie
“I was pregnant and dropped out of college…then it was for me
to go back , that I wasn’t a statistical young mother” Fiona

5. „Out of the Impact‟
Study Group
Age Profiles* 20-30 yrs. 30-40 yrs. 40-50 yrs. 50-60 yrs. Total
No. of students 7 11 5 3 26
% of total 27 % 42.3 % 19.2 % 11.5 % 100

6. „Out of the Impact‟
Work Experience
Work Working in Not Working in Not working Total
experience Childcare working in other outside of the
at time of Childcare employments home at time
study. at time of at time of of study
study study
No. of students 9 17* 5 12 26
% of total 34.6 % 65.3 % 19.2 % 46.1 % 100

7. „Out of the Impact‟
Educational Experience
Educational Completed Participated Participated Participated Total
experience 2nd level. in 3rd level/ in other in other e.g.
University adult staff training
level course education courses
course
No. of 18 5 8 15* 26
students
% of total 69.2 % 23.5 % 17.6 % 64.7 % 100

8. „Out of the Impact‟
 Methodology:
 Literature Review
 Qualitative Research
 Case Study
 Questionnaire
 3 x Focus Groups
 Participant Observation

9. „Out of the Impact‟
The main questions this research asks are:
 In what ways, if any, does returning to education impact on a group of adult
learners?
 What were the motivating factors behind their decision to return to education?
 How did returning to education impact on the families of the learners?
 How did returning to education impact on the identity of the learners?
 How did returning to education impact on peer relationships?
 What was the impact of the teaching methods on the students learning?
 In what ways can we better support adults who choose to return to education?

10. „Out of the Impact”
Methodology: Focus Groups
The six themes identified are;
 Motivation to return to study.
 Impact on the family.
 Perception of self as adult learner: Impact on identity.
 Communities of practice: Impact on peer relationships.
 Teaching and learning methodology: Impact of teaching
on learning.
 Impact of education as facilitator of self-efficacy and
positive risk-taking behavior.

11. „Out of the Impact‟
 Findings: Motivation
“I decided what I want to do with my life, not just to better my son‟s
life, which might sound quite selfish, but it‟s to better my life as well. I
want that degree, I want to better myself, to have a career, not just a job
but something I am passionate about, that I really enjoy doing as well”
Erin

12. „Out of the Impact‟
 Findings: Impact on Family
“My children go to my mother‟s house at nine o‟clock 9 in
the morning…and again I‟m home from work and I‟m ready
to come down here, they‟re not home so I don‟t see them
until the next morning. It„s hard” Vanora
“I‟m in the office now and I‟m doing me work and I‟m
constantly thinking – Jesus – I should have finished the
ironing before I sat down...what time is it now. Do I need to
get up and put on the potatoes” Tracey

13. „Out of the Impact
 Findings: Impact on Identity
“I do feel better about myself and for some reason feel more
acceptable to other people…I feel the classes have given me
an awareness of life outside my little world. I‟m mixing with
people other than my friends and family…Nobody has an
expectation of me” Grainne

14. “Out of the Impact‟
 Findings: Impact on peer relations
“This is not so much a class as a community” Fiona
“The class are a lovely inspiring group of women from all social
and opinion holding groups and there was a sense of being in it
together…..We talked, gave out and helped each other throughout
the course” Erin

15. „Out of the Impact‟
 Findings: Impact of teaching on learning
“We‟re not just sitting there. He tutor‟s giving examples of real
life things you can relate to. Openly debated opinions, self-
expression and even jokes allow for information to be both
discussed and learned” Michelle
“Give me a hand. I‟m not telling you to spoon-feed me the
assignment. I‟m just telling you to be more clear about what
we‟re going to do…more clarity that‟s what I want” Tracey

16. „Out of the Impact‟
 Findings: Impact of education as facilitator of self-
efficacy and positive risk-taking behavior.
“I suppose I‟m trying to do things that used to cause me
social anxiety….I don‟t know where it is going to lead, it‟s
going to take me years to get there. I want to work with kids
and I want troubled kids they‟re going to be ok…‟cause I
thought I was doolally, you know what I mean” Kate

17. “Out of the Impact‟
In what better ways can we support adults who choose to
return to education?

18. “Out of the Impact‟
Where is the point at which the merely individual
Explosion breaks
In the path of an action merely typical
To create the universal, originate a symbol
Out of the impact? This is a meeting
On which we attend
T.S Eliot (1888–1965), "A Note on War Poetry."