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42 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators

Additionally, allowing candidates to introduce themselves at the beginning of each
course and tell about their background, family, and program expectations can build a
foundation of mutual respect and rapport (Goddu, 2012; Manos & Kasambira, 1998;
Merriam & Bierema, 2014) for program success. The social cognitivism subset of the
principles of andragogy posits that individuals process happenings in social environments,
observe how others behave, and then model that behavior (Merriam & Bierema, 2014).
Course introductions allow the nontraditional student not only to observe others but also
to experience a model.
Provide programs for candidate support. Another way to enhance nontraditional
candidates’ experiences is for administrators to reexamine their traditional programs and
policies (e.g., Forbus et al., 2011; Wuebker, 2013). The participants expressed preference
for online instruction, so instead of only offering time-intensive, face-to-face, semester-
long courses, offering online courses (Wuebker, 2013) or consolidating curriculum into
smaller, accelerated courses would cater to adult learners who work and have family
obligations (Klein-Collins, 2011). Applying McClusky’s Theory of Margin, professors
can unknowingly create additional stress and extra work for candidates when they opt
for traditional delivery and coursework without consideration and respect for learners’
experiences (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Therefore, professors could consider, for example,
moving an online capstone class before the clinical teaching semester. As the participants
noted, such a simple adjustment could serve to reduce a tremendous amount of stress.
In addition, EPPs could provide support through use of evening program advisers
and through nonwork-hour access to faculty (Klein-Collins, 2011). Furthermore, EPPs
should inform nontraditional candidates of support groups and opportunities to relieve
stress and manage time at the university (Forbus et al., 2011) and provide advising and
mentoring (Walsh et al., 2005) regarding life and career planning (Klein-Collins, 2011) so
that nontraditional candidates feel supported and understand what it takes to persist and
meet their goals. As Wuebker (2013) explained, nontraditional students who feel a sense
of community are more likely to stay engaged, motivated, and successful.
Provide clear procedures and realistic expectations. It is imperative for professors
to be organized, have clear, specific deadlines, and assign appropriate assignments that
will not be considered busy work or irrelevant in the eyes of adult learners (Klein-Collins,
2011; Walsh et al., 2005). EPP faculty should support their nontraditional candidates
with encouragement and give advance notice of due dates (Klein-Collins, 2011). For
example, making all assignment due dates on Sunday evening would enable nontraditional
candidates to have the weekend to work on assignments and prevent extra stress on weekday
evenings. These strategies will provide all students with a better learning experience during
the clinical teaching semester.
Additionally, TEA now provides the option for candidates to fulfill their clinical
teaching requirements in two semesters for a “minimum of 28 weeks (no less than 130
half days)” (TAC, 2016, p. 11). This flexibility may allow nontraditional candidates in
Texas to continue working while completing their certification requirements. Informing
and educating EPP faculty of this provision so they can work with their nontraditional
candidates to find the best solution for managing their family responsibilities may alleviate
some of the pressure and stress that accompany clinical teaching.

Limitations of the Study
Access to participants was limited to a small number of nontraditional candidates,
and the response rate was low even after multiple attempts for participants. This may have