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This review examines past research on adult undergraduates in American higher education. Due to varied beliefs regarding adult students and past higher educational practice, this study utilizes qualitative content analysis to identify key perceptual assumptions and orientations as well as descriptive groupings. Five inductive thematic categories, domains of reality framed by the researchers, are identified. These include: the Image of Implied Deficiency, Image of Student Entry and Adaptation, Image of Description and Characterization, Image of Psychosocial Development, and Image of Equity and Outcome. A discussion of these key perspectives as well as a critical review of past research in the study of adult undergraduate students is presented.
Carol E. Kasworm (Sat,) studied this question.