Understanding the Intercultural Motivators That Encourage Adult Basic Education ESL Students to Pursue General Education Opportunities

Per internationalization, the world of Adult Basic Education (ABE) has exponentially increased within the last decade (National Center for Statistics, 2015). Subsequentially, the Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second Language (ESL) student population has experienced a huge upsurge nationwide. However, the students who have the English language proficiency to expand their academic and vocational skills by taking General Education classes (GenEd) are underrepresented in GenEd courses. Research posits ESL students are more apt to accomplish their academic and professional aspirations if their teachers employ interculturally competent (ICC) practices in the classroom. Nonetheless, Adult Basic Education (ABE) educators are not required to purposefully exercise ICC practices in the classroom nor are they expected to augment curricula to meet the diverse representation of cultures in their classes (Lansangan-Sabangan, 2018; Rodriguez-Garcia, 2014; Schalge & Soga, 2008). Hence, this qualitative action research study amplifies the voices of ABE ESL students’ perceptions of ICC practices in the general education classrooms to understand how their beliefs impact their decision to enroll in general education courses