Seeking to further understand the potential donor pool represented by alumnae who were mature students graduating from the external degree program at a women's college, this study used a questionnaire survey to identify background and characteristics and collegiate and alumnae experiences of the external degree alumnae, and to identify differences…

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 adult participation in lifelong learning activities in California. During the project, 354 telephone interviews were conducted with adults in nine cities in California. About 42 percent of those interviewed had participated in at least one course, class, or other organized learning activity during the previous year. As compared to…

Experience in adult English as a second language (ESL) programs in recent years supports the claim that they are always intended to meet specific needs of the learners. Six program models for adult English for Special Purposes (ESP) courses are identified and described. These are: (1) Survival and Coping Skills ESL, (2) Literacy ESL, (3)…

This pilot study demonstrates the applicability of the job club concept for adults with developmental disabilities who have completed a vocational training program at Chicago City-Wide College (CCC). The pilot project, which served 26 students, operated in a business-like atmosphere with rules such as those found in workplaces. The job club…

This guide for teaching literacy to adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students is intended as an aid for regular ESL teachers who must deal with different levels of literacy in the classroom. The guide is not a comprehensive curriculum, but is intended to be incorporated into a "survival" ESL curriculum. Because it contains…

Some factors that should be considered when administering tests to adults include the following: (1) adults have a difficult time adapting to new things; (2) everyone resists change to some degree; (3) change requires new learning; (4) various things influence a person's ability to learn new things and make changes; (5) childhood events can…

The tests of General Education Development (GED) provide adults with opportunities to attend and graduate from postsecondary institutions. A study investigated the academic achievement of GED recipients compared to that of high school diploma (HSD) students graduating from the Community College of Allegheny County (Pennsylvania) between June 1985…

This review provides a picture of what is known about adults' participation in education and training, with a particular emphasis on the vocational. Section 1 focuses on definitions and examines what the literature has to say about who counts as an adult learner and what counts as adult education and training. Section 2 reviews the literature on…

The High Technology Center at Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech Center in Oklahoma City conducted an 18-month demonstration program, beginning in January 1989, to train or retrain average workers, unemployed because of cutbacks in their field or lack of marketable skills, for careers in high technology. The High Technology Center offered adults training in…

Knowledge of Jordan's historical background and the role of well-educated individuals and groups in motivating adults to participate in learning activities is essential for finding ways to recruit and retain adults in education programs. Some means that have proven effective include the following: (1) persuading religious and social leaders to…

A non-traditional approach to professional training at the graduate level is described. Studies of professional practice are referenced to identify educational requirements for health and human service practitioners. Using a knowledge worker perspective, these requirements are translated into a professional education/learning environment in which…

A detailed review of research was conducted on the relationship of social support of older adults to their general health and well being, and the findings were applied to educational outcomes and performance. The following dimensions of social support were examined: (1) an ecological framework or perspective of social support, (2) definitions and…

Adult and continuing education programs use an established accountability system that includes an expectation of productivity, whereas other educational programs focus accountability on attainment of stated goals and objectives. As education addresses economic constraints by combining educational programs, these differences in accountability…

Ten predictors of academic performance and persistence for adult college students were studied with 100 college juniors and seniors at Mercy College. The 10 variables are: time spent at work/employment, ability to pay for education, time spent at study, place of study, ability to get to school, ability to get course of choice, ability to get a…