Resumen de Removing the Stigma: a Case Study of a College Dropout who Returns
María G. Villareal Guevara, Celia Ann Durboraw Linden
A case study is made of a former university student who, having failed and been forced to drop out of the institute, returns as an adult learner, married, with children, and holding a job position of great responsiblity. He demonstrates many of the personality chracteristics and study preferrences of a self-directed learner. The study, using observation, interviews, psychological tests, and questionnaires shows the personality factors inducive to success, as well as the coping strategies and mechanisms for survival that this adult learner adopts in order to continue studying within an institution designed to cater to younger students. The research signals the need for mechanisms within the structure of the university that could facilitate the process for adult learners as well as take advantage of their unique offerings to the scholastic community.
