Supports and Barriers to Persistence

Step 3: Focus on an aspect of your practice

Read these two articles:

"A Learner's Story." Marvin Lewis, Focus on Basics, Volume 2, Issue A, March 1998.

Summary:
A former ABE student describes how assuming a program leadership role can foster motivation and persistence in adult learners.

Read the entire article. (Opens new browser window. Close it to return.)

"Supports and Hindrances: A Force-Field Analysis."Andrea Parrella, Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue A, March 2000.

Summary:
The author describes a process designed to guide groups of learners through an examination of the forces that hinder and support their efforts to achieve educational goals.

Read the entire article. (Opens new browser window. Close it to return.)

• Conduct a force-field analysis, as described in Parella’s article, with your students.
• Review your journal notes on negative and positive forces for student persistence and ideas for addressing these forces, as well as your journal notes that list the barriers and solutions. Using the findings from the force-field analysis you conducted, add to those lists.
• Select one idea for supporting persistence that you would like to try in your practice. What are the factors that might hinder and support the implementation of this idea? How might you reduce the hindrances and increase the supports?
• Try out your idea for supporting persistence and keep notes on your experiences and observations. Share your experiences, questions, challenges, and insights with your colleagues.

More self-studies on Persistence