A Qualitative Meta-Analysis on Adult Learners’University Education Experiences : Exploring Positive and Negative Experiences and Their Comprehensive Implications

This study conducts a qualitative meta-analysis of adult learners' experiences in higher education, integrating both positive and negative experiences and deriving comprehensive implications based on the findings. For this purpose, nine qualitative research papers published in South Korea between January 2000 and March 2025 were selected, and the data were analyzed using the seven-step qualitative meta-analysis procedure proposed by Noblit and Hare (1988). The results indicated that the positive experiences of adult learners emerged around themes such as relational growth, internal reflection and transformation, learning engagement, and academic satisfaction. Negative experiences were categorized into themes such as emotional isolation, physical constraints, social perception, institutional limitations, and learning challenges. The comprehensive implications derived from the analysis highlighted the process by which adult learners recover their identity and autonomy through relational and institutional adaptation, as well as resilience, thus completing transformative learning. This study confirms that the experiences of adult learners in higher education extend beyond mere academic achievement, involving a transformative learning process that reshapes their life direction and identity. It also provides a deeper understanding of the multifaceted learning experiences of adult learners and suggests the need for further educational support and policy improvements for adult learners in the future.