Crisis, Confidence, and Conserving Resources: Examining How Adult Education Students Navigate Stressors and Marginalization
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| Title: | Crisis, Confidence, and Conserving Resources: Examining How Adult Education Students Navigate Stressors and Marginalization |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Frances J. Griffith (ORCID |
| Source: | Adult Learning. 2025 36(4):265-279. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (DHHS/PHS) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (DHHS/NIH) |
| Contract Number: | T32DA019426 F32AA029627 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Adult Education Adult Basic Education Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Adult Students, Stress Variables, Adult Basic Education, Trauma, COVID-19, Drinking, Self Esteem, Occupational Aspiration, Disadvantaged |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10451595241291888 |
| ISSN: | 1045-1595 2162-4070 |
| Abstract: | Social and systemic barriers contribute to students' attrition from K-12 education and enrollment in adult basic education (ABE) via the reduction of available resources. Informed by Conservation of Resources Theory, the current study assessed the impact of stress-related risk factors, including trauma and COVID-19-related stress, on ABE students' (N = 227) vocational confidence. Understanding these factors can inform ABE program development and retention efforts. Survey methods with convenience sampling were used for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between trauma exposure and COVID-19-related stress on the outcomes of alcohol use, as a stress response, as well as vocational confidence. On average, past traumatic experiences were more common among ABE students who reported greater social or economic marginalization, especially those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or with a history of being unhoused. More past traumatic experiences predicted higher COVID-19-related stress and alcohol use. Higher COVID-19-related stress, in turn, predicted lower vocational confidence. ABE students experiencing marginalization face compounded barriers to achieving their educational and vocational goals when they experience trauma exposure and subsequent stressors. Based on findings, we make practice recommendations for ABE centers, including targeted psychoeducational resources to offset social and systemic stressors that may bolster the vocational confidence of enrolled students. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1487409 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Social and systemic barriers contribute to students' attrition from K-12 education and enrollment in adult basic education (ABE) via the reduction of available resources. Informed by Conservation of Resources Theory, the current study assessed the impact of stress-related risk factors, including trauma and COVID-19-related stress, on ABE students' (N = 227) vocational confidence. Understanding these factors can inform ABE program development and retention efforts. Survey methods with convenience sampling were used for data collection. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between trauma exposure and COVID-19-related stress on the outcomes of alcohol use, as a stress response, as well as vocational confidence. On average, past traumatic experiences were more common among ABE students who reported greater social or economic marginalization, especially those identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or with a history of being unhoused. More past traumatic experiences predicted higher COVID-19-related stress and alcohol use. Higher COVID-19-related stress, in turn, predicted lower vocational confidence. ABE students experiencing marginalization face compounded barriers to achieving their educational and vocational goals when they experience trauma exposure and subsequent stressors. Based on findings, we make practice recommendations for ABE centers, including targeted psychoeducational resources to offset social and systemic stressors that may bolster the vocational confidence of enrolled students. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1045-1595 2162-4070 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10451595241291888 |
