TDNet Discover

Adult learners in online higher education programs frequently encounter personal, professional, and academic challenges that can negatively affect persistence and degree completion. Research has shown resilience and grit are important factors in a learner’s ability to persevere through adversity and maintain progress toward long-term educational goals. Despite the growing body of literature supporting resilience-building practices, many adult learners continue to face barriers to academic success. The purpose of this capstone project is to design and evaluate a targeted coaching intervention to strengthen resilience among adult learners in an online competency-based education environment. Guided by Duckworth’s grit theory, the project will focus on developing strategies that promote perseverance, adaptability, self-efficacy, and sustained motivation. Data will be collected through quantitative and qualitative measures to examine changes in participants’ perceptions of resilience, academic engagement, and persistence throughout the intervention. The findings will be intended to provide insight into the effectiveness of resilience-focused coaching practices and their potential impact on learner success. The significance of this project lies in its contribution to the growing understanding of how institutions can better support adult learners facing competing personal and professional responsibilities. Recommendations will include incorporating resilience-building strategies into student support services, mentoring practices, and academic coaching programs to improve persistence and educational outcomes among adult learners in online higher education settings.