he school has the mission of "providing life-long learning opportunities for adults and their families to improve their skills, pursue knowledge, seek advancement, and enhance their self worth" (Fresno Adult School, 2004, p. 1). The school attempts to: provide new skills (technology); communicate basic skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills); teach students to analyze, synthesize, and apply information; help students understand and use their resources; and set and meet personal goals.
Research is lacking regarding adult student needs related to multiple areas (career, academic, and crisis counseling, support services, and other needs). Fresno Adult School serves a population of adult learners who are primarily Hispanic. To better serve this school's students, a study was needed to gather more information regarding student needs.
Research regarding adult students' wants and needs is limited to areas related to learning styles. For example, Carroll (1998) pointed out that adult learners have learning characteristics that differ from those of younger students. Learning can be either exhilarating or it can be frustrating and painful or both and adults may demonstrate learning difficulties in different ways than a child or adolescent. Stanley and Waterman (2000) noted that adult schools must deal with diversity in students, which affects the type of teaching strategy that must be used. ZhonggangGao (2001) further noted that many adult students need to learn a second language and the acquiring of a new language requires a different process as an adult. Different learning styles and instructional techniques are needed for the adult learner who is more independent. Teachers may need to serve more as managers. While Bowden and Merritt (1995) found that studies noted needs related to problems such as work schedules, there are more needs that the adult student has when resuming their education, which must be i...