An Investigation of the Relationship between Student Attendance and Educational Functioning Level Gains by Level for Adult Basic Education Students

Retention is a well-established challenge for Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs. Information related to advising ABE students toward realistic expectations and accurate goal setting could lead to increased success experiences for students and build students’ academic self-efficacy leading to the greater persistence needed for completion of the high school equivalency. This study investigated the differences between ABE students’ varying educational functioning levels (EFL) at pretest and the number of instructional hours associated with making an EFL gain. The researcher also sought to gain a deeper understanding of factors ABE students perceive as influencing their attendance and progress as ABE students. Results indicated there was not a significant difference of EFL at pretest based on the number of hours associated with an EFL gain. Emergent themes generated from student interviews exploring students’ perceptions of factors influencing attendance and progress were also identified