Many commentators have noted that mature students speak of education changing them. One of the most positive outcomes is a heightened sense of self-belief and confidence, which pervades other areas of their lives, not just the academic environment. It is argued within this paper that such research tends to offer a somewhat simplistic account of…

This monograph is part of the study materials for the one-semester distance education unit, Adults Learning: The Changing Workplace A, in the Open Campus Program at Deakin University (Australia). It explores four complex and interrelated issues: how vocational educators view their own practice, the characteristics and aspirations that distinguish…

This chapter argues for the value of sibling research in addressing behavioral genetic issues on the etiology of individual differences. The goal of the report is to provide a set of simple and practical examples of sibling analyses in order to highlight the importance of incorporating siblings in future research. It begins with a discussion of…

The new American College Testing (ACT) College Outcomes Survey was used with a national sample of 9,348 undergraduate students to evaluate the effects of college on the personal and social self-concept of students. About one-third of the sample were over age 26. Outcomes for adult learners were compared with those of younger students. An "index of…

A study examined the effects of an intensive, 7-week, introductory workshop-type experience using recommended techniques to promote adult growth for a group of 29 aspiring educational administration students. The study specifically examined whether the process and experience of the academy (workshop) produced a change in cognitive-developmental…

Over the last 20 years, the percentage of older students on college campuses has increased dramatically. Because developmental needs, issues, and stressors for adults differ from those of younger students, the college environment must be reconsidered to respond to adult students. Adult learners tend to be achievement oriented, highly motivated,…

This literature review on young adults with mental retardation brings together two previously disparate areas of research, community integration and young adult development. After a discussion of various theories addressing the young adulthood stage of development, the paper summarizes research on young adults with mental retardation in the…

Career development programs can benefit from knowledge of the needs and characteristics of their participants. To investigate whether certain types of individuals seek career development assistance more often than others, 279 self-selected white collar employees of a large, federal biomedical research company completed the Myers Briggs Type…

Male and female adults revise their perceptions of control three times in their lives, between the ages of 20 and 65. To investigate the relationship between experienced control in terms of loci of control (internal, external), situations (opposite sex, same sex), and direction (from or over the environment), and the developmental stages of men…

Educational gerontology, a recently developed field of study, includes three components: (1) educational endeavors for older adults to modify attitudes and behaviors; (2) public education abut aging that will improve attitudes towards older people; (3) education training for professionals and practitioners for work in the field. Recommendations…

This article examines the development and structure of the Tanzanian adult education program. National literacy, national health, worker's education, and the institute of adult education are discussed. (DE)

In response to the issues of global competition, the aging workforce, and the rapid rate of technological innovation and how today's professionals must meet these challenges, an examination is made of the key developmental approaches to maintaining and enhancing the knowledge and skills of midcareer and senior-level professionals. Twenty-one…

While professional women may experience their "dual careers" at home and at work as a source of inner fragmentation, this fragmentation can be a vehicle for developing a greater sense of personhood. Recent data show that women who combine work, marriage, and motherhood are experiencing more general psychological well being than are other women.…

Different writing voices are linked to early adult developmental issues that are gender-related. Research by Donald Graves has shown that gender affects topic choice in girls' and boys' writing as early as age seven. Adult developmental theories provide frames for looking at the growth potential of writers and locating gender-related issues. The…

Intended for journalists, this sourcebook contains background information on aging and the problems of the aged. Arranged into two major parts, the sourcebook contains 10 chapters. The first part provides a summary of facts and ideas that should be known to reporters whose stories are related directly or indirectly to aging. Chapter 1 makes the…