This article summarizes the findings of a 2016 national survey of the formal schooling, further education, and job-related informal learning of the employed Canadian labour force and compares the results with those of prior national surveys conducted in 1998, 2004, and 2010. The major finding is an unprecedented growing gap between increasing…

To support rural postsecondary students' college access and completion, researchers, policy makers, and educators need a more comprehensive understanding of their demographic characteristics and financial needs, especially compared to nonrural students. Previous rural-nonrural analyses have not disaggregated students by degree type (bachelor's,…

At each age learning is a complex interaction of motivation, cognition, and development. In older adults, motivation is often related to a lifelong personality construct or personal meaning that an older individual will seek to play out when given the opportunity in late life. The needs of the older adult learner can be discussed in terms of…

Adult retraining is an important area for educators to understand because there appear to be some changes developing in the delivery of education and training. One change relates to the entry of private enterprise into the training field, such as the computer courses being held by Radio Shack. Other changes concern the population to be educated.…

In March 1959, Howard McClusky introduced his Power Load Margin (PLM) theory and proposed that it be used for studying the adult years and for developing and building realistic educational programs for adults. His formula, which states that the key components of adulthood are load (the demands made upon the individual by self and society) and…

Adult participation in learning in England and across the nations of the United Kingdom was examined in 2002, and the survey findings were compared to those of earlier surveys. Overall, 42% of the 4,896 people interviewed in the weighted sample survey of adults aged 17 and over reported having engaged in learning in the past 3 years. For the first…

Adult participation in the United Kingdom in 2001 was examined through interviews with a weighted sample of 6,310 adults over age 17 across Great Britain with a boosted sample in Wales. The following were among the key findings: (1) for the first time in 20 years, there was a marked upswing in adults' participation in learning from the previous…

Adult participation in education in the United Kingdom in 1999 was examined in a survey during which a sample of 5,054 adults over the age of 17 (2,366 men and 2,688 women) throughout the United Kingdom were interviewed. The following were among the major findings: (1) 23% of adults enrolled in courses were taking computer courses; (2) the rate of…

There is a strong and growing argument for higher educational attainment in the United States. The jobs that are expected to support the economy in the coming years will depend on a skilled workforce that is able to learn and adapt quickly to new challenges. However, demographic patterns demonstrate that relying on the traditional K-16 pipeline to…

Participation of U.S. adults in formal learning activities during the 1990s was examined by analyzing data from the 1991, 1995, and 1999 Adult Education Surveys that were part of the National Household Education Surveys Program. Overall, participation in adult education between 1991 and 1999 increased among all but one age group (35-44 years), all…

This book, which incorporates information gathered through research in the United Kingdom and the United States, explores the nature and importance of learning throughout the human life cycle. The following are among the topics examined: (1) learning and third age education (the emergence of education for adults, third age education); (2) learning…