The most cited barriers to adult learning are situational, but adults also face internal barriers such as low confidence in their ability to learn¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · checked against its sources 2026-10-16 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2020: baselines and conditions change
Evidence quality · No study behind this claim is a peer-reviewed article with a DOI: it rests on a source with no registered publication record (a web page, book or unpublished report). It is kept because 2 design pages cite it; treat it as a lead to check, not an established finding.

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Research identifies situational factors (job responsibilities, child care, lack of money) as the most cited barriers to adult learning, alongside internal struggles such as lack of confidence. → DeSchryver 2015

Evidence¶

DeSchryver 2015¶

DeSchryver, David A., with Deirdre Dlugoleski. (2015). Accelerating Change: How education technology developers can jump-start a new adult education market. Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/29f39d7d-87f2-4e1e-920e-0c1ce86035cc

q2 · i? · theoretical · r2

The first design principle, citing Darkenwald and Valentine (1985), reports that "the most cited barriers to learning are situational" and that adults also face internal struggles like low confidence. The report summarizes this research secondhand without new data.

"Research has shown that the most cited barriers to learning are situational (e.g., job responsibilities, child care, lack of money and more),33 but adults also face internal struggles, such as a lack of confidence in their ability to learn."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Age and Developmental Stage — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Self-Efficacy — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Dietitians' barriers and enablers to pro-environmental action fall into three themes: personal, social and professional, and contextual and environmental factors — related
• Successful program completion increased participants' self-confidence, self-esteem, and autonomy, which aided their settlement and integration into Canadian society — related
• Qualitative findings: ease of use supports engagement and confidence, but challenge must be tailored to ability and content must be culturally relatable — related
• Finding another job (29.1%) and low apprenticeship pay (13.9%) are the largest barriers to completing the LC101 apprenticeship phase — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Participation supports were most effective when deliberately matched to the specific constraints participants faced — related
• Lack of childcare support, language barriers, unrecognized international degrees, and stigma shaped providers' educational pathways — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• A half-day workshop featuring the PPH framework significantly increased dietitians' confidence to undertake pro-environmental change in their personal and professional lives — a narrower finding that bears on this claim