In adult numeracy instruction, the gap between current and potential instructional realities is of great concern. Narrowing that gap might best be accomplished with creative, sly, and surprising combinations of practice, research, theory, and/or policy. This paper describes current policies, practices, and research connected with adult numeracy…

The paper examines the concept of social indicators as ways of evaluating macro level adult education programs. In general social indicators deal with social factors which affect the quality of life of the population. Social scientists are recognizing the need for both economic and social indicators. Even as the need for social indicators is…

TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) students are usually people who are in the process of assimilating a new language and culture and therefore require more than a superficial knowledge of the language. Adults learning English as a second language might be taught by a language experience approach. Building upon the learners' experiences…

An exploratory study was designed to assess (1) whether a class created around older adults' personal recollections would motivate the class's involvement in adult education activities, (2) the oral history preparation process's impact on younger interviewers and older respondents, and (3) the instructional approach's strengths and weaknesses. The…

Inappropriate uses in continuing education of Scriven's (1967) concepts of formative and summative evaluation are described by the author, and guidelines are presented to suggest when formative and summative evaluations are appropriate in continuing education programs. After clarifying what is meant by formative and summative evaluation, the…

The aged are generally identified by such criteria as chronological age, economic condition, physical appearance, psychological behavior, mental conditions, and social roles. While the present population of aged is characterized by lower educational and economic levels, it is anticipated that as the number of aged grows, the educational and…

The purpose of this paper was to examine teachers' beliefs and enactments in fostering independent functioning in English in an adult English as a Second Language program (Trailer Park ESL). The students who participated in the Trailer Park ESL program were native speakers of Spanish from Mexico, worked construction jobs in north Florida, spoke…

Between-group designs constitute the experimental methods traditionally applied in the field of education. Another level of analysis, however, is commonly used in clinical psychology but seldom applied in educational settings: single-subject designs (actually applied to small groups). This design allows a researcher to evaluate the influence of an…

Five models of independent learning are suitable for use in adult education programs. The common factor is a facilitator who works in some way with the student in the learning process. They display different characteristics, including the extent of independence in relation to content and/or process. Nondirective tutorial instruction and learning…

Based on the assumption that something is fundamentally wrong at its definitional roots about the concept of adult education upon which the profession is organized, this paper identifies seven troubling characteristics of the profession. These characteristics, which stem from failure to root the definition in philosophical foundations, are (1) the…

The meta-analytic approach used in this review is similar to that described by Glass et al. (1981), whose approach requires a reviewer to locate and code studies of an issue, to code study outcomes on a common scale, and to use statistical methods to relate study features to outcomes. The studies considered for use in this meta-analysis came from…

After recapitulating certain problems with current conceptions of the profession of adult education and stating a design problem for the reinvention of the field, this paper argues that adult education can best be seen as "self-education." A beginning definition and concept of that term is described, along with a model and supporting guides for…

Writing instructors at the School of New Resources (SNR), a Bachelor of Arts degree program designed specifically for adults over 21, follow a student-centered philosophy marked by students' responsibility for and participation in their own learning through small, interactive seminars. English courses are infused with a sensitivity to the special…

Addressed to professionals involved in program evaluation, this working paper covers various aspects of evaluation planning, including the following: planning as a sociotechnical process, steps in evaluation planning, program planning and implementation versus evaluation planning and implementation, the literacy system and its subsystems, and some…

The Kikuyu seminar, third in a series of international meeting on the use of comparative studies as a tool of adult education, focused on the application of the comparative approach to developing countries, particularly Africa. Essential components of the structure of adult education were divided into main sectors, which are individually discussed…