A study examined the educational orientation of Nigerian adult learners to test the assumptions that there would be no difference in their reasons for engaging in educational activities and that there would be no difference between male and female Nigerian adult learners as to their educational orientations. Six hundred male and female adults…

To establish a procedure for use in examining characteristics of future participants in adult education, a study focused on one characteristic--the highest level of education completed among participants in adult education activities. The process followed was to obtain reports from the National Center for Education Statitstics (NCES) (an official…

The summary of data on adult basic and secondary level education has been compiled from annual reports (a sample of which is appended) filed with the U.S. Office of Education by each State, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Virgin Islands. The report presents statistics…

A research design was created to investigate if adults participating in noncredit courses have different preferences for control of inclass learning activities. Only the variables of "reason for participation" and "type of content" were researched as to whether they affected preference for control. The study provides evidence that different adults…

This report presents national statistics on trends of participation in adult education. The source of the data is the Survey of Adult Education that was conducted triennially between 1969 and 1984 by the Census Bureau for the Center for Education Statistics. Overall trends are portrayed through the use of graphs. Data are presented in these areas:…

A probability sample survey of 1,541 residents of Ontario, Canada investigated: (1) the scope of involvement of adults in deliberate part-time learning activities, and (2) the possible role that educational communications media could play in extending educational opportunities to adults. Involvement in education varied according to age,…

Many researchers have investigated the factors that keep adults from participating in continuing education or "lifelong learning." Most of the studies have identified factors--previous educational experience, race, ethnic group, and others--that make adults less likely to be participants in schooling. However, the barriers may actually be more…

To determine whether adults who were grouped according to selected variables differed in their reasons for participating in education programs, the Educational Participation Scale was administered to 322 part-time adult students. Focus was on age, sex, institution, level of educational attainment, and occupational groupings. The responses were…

A study examined the participation of ordained ministers in continuing education. Of some 5,400 questionnaires mailed to ministers of 12 Protestant denominations who lived throughout the United States and Canada, 1,984 usable responses were returned. Based on these responses, it would appear that the typical survey respondent was a 45-year-old…

A study examined the difficulties encountered by first-year, part-time Technical and Further Education (TAFE) students that cause them to consider withdrawing from, and in many cases, dropping out of their TAFE programs. Questionnaires were administered to 4,150 early withdrawers (persons who dropped out between January 1 and May 16, 1986), 2,940…

The report describes a statistical study of persons in credit-free programs at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Designed to develop a survey instrument for determining an adult learner profile, the study was conducted among the 1,486 persons registered in such programs in the fall of 1974 (of whom 676 responded to the written…

The survey of adult education conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics in 1972 is analyzed. The following facts are highlighted in the more detailed analysis of 1972 results: (1) The demand for hours of adult education is distributed in proportion to eligibles in each age and education group, (2) persons with lower levels of…

The purpose of the study was to determine what factors affect success in passing the General Education Development (GED) exam. Using data gathered between 1960 and 1972 from 200 successful GED students at the Mattoon Area Adult Education Center, Ill., the authors developed frequency distribution charts to characterize the students and scattergrams…

A study identified characteristics and motivating factors that influenced licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to participate in a registered nursing (RN) upgrading program at a hospital in western Canada. A literature review considered the concepts of motivation, participation, adult learning, and life transitions and explored a variety of models and…

This monograph contains five studies of participation in adult education. The first paper, "Participation in Organised Adult Education: A Review of the Literature" by R. J. Sumner, examines a selection of studies conducted in England, the United States, and Australia. Chris Duke's paper which is entitled "Participation…