Gordon G. Darkenwald

Factor Structure of Deterrents to Public Participation in Adult Education

This study sought to identify the factors that deter the general public from participating in organized adult education. An instrument modeled on the Deterrents to Participation Scale (DPS) reported in an earlier study (Scanlan & Darkenwald, 1984) was developed and mailed to a randomly selected sample of households; 215 usable questionnaires were returned. Principal components analysis yielded six orthogonal factors labelled Lack of Confidence, Lack of Course Relevance, Time Constraints, Low Personal Priority, Cost, and Personal Problems. These conceptually meaningful factors hold promise both for theory-building in the area of participation and for the development of practical strategies to increase the number of adults who engage in organized learning activities.

Deterrents to Participation in Adult Education: Profiles of Potential Learners.

One of the most difficult tasks confronting program planners in adult education is helping adults overcome the forces that deter their participation. In an earlier investigation, six factors of deterrence to participation were identified: Lack of Confidence, Lack of Course Relevance, Time Constraints, Low Personal Priority, Cost, and Personal Problems. Although these empirical factors represent the basic forces that inhibit adults from participating in organized education, in and of themselves they tell us nothing about the extent to which different types of would-be learners experience these forces. This study sought to identify and describe distinctive types of adults, defined with respect to the six deterrent factors, through a cluster analysis of the original data base. The resultant framework, or typology, has considerable practical and theoretical significance for adult education.

Differences Between Teaching Adults and Pre-Adults: Some Propositions And Findings

Do teachers teach adults differently from pre-adults and, if so, what are these differences and what factors determine their magnitude? To examine these questions, data were collected from 173 public school and college teachers who taught both adults and pre-adults. Hypotheses related to overall magnitude of differences in teaching behavior were tested using multiple regression. As predicted, differences in teaching behavior were related to the relative age of the pre-adult comparison group (i.e., greater for school teachers), the extent to which adults were perceived to differ from pre-adults on learning-related characteristics, and the extent to which teachers subscribed to the belief that groups of students with different characteristics should be taught differently. These variables accounted for 41 percent of the variance in the measure of overall difference in teaching behavior. Secondary hypotheses concerning the direction of specific differences in teaching behaviors and perceptions of student char...

Effects of Adult Learner Participation in Course Planning on Achievement and Satisfaction.

A cardinal principle of adult education is that adults should participate in planning their own learning activities. The benefits of such participation have not, however, been documented through controlled experimental inquiry. The present study tested the hypotheses that participation in course planning would result in higher achievement and satisfaction. A post-test only control group design was employed with replication. The subjects of the initial experiment were 28 nursing supervisors randomly assigned to experimental and control conditions. The experimental group participated in planning their course in supervision. The control group completed the course as planned by the experimental group. The experiment was then replicated with 26 support service supervisors. The results were nearly identical for both experiments. No differences were found between the experimental and control groups in either achievement or satisfaction. One explanation for the findings is that control group subjects reaped the benefits of a “good course” planned by co-workers with similar needs. Nonetheless, direct participation in itself was found to have no effects, thereby raising important questions for future research.

Gender Differences in Adult Student Perceptions of College Classroom Social Environments

Adult male and female students’ perceptions of classroom social environments (climates) were compared on the Relationship dimensions of Affiliation and Involvement as measured by the Adult Classroom Environment Scale. Data were collected from 439 adult students enrolled at an urban community college. Theoretically grounded hypotheses were tested using the general linear model procedure. As predicted, women perceived more affiliation and a greater degree of involvement in the classroom than did men. Implications of the findings for future research and the teaching-learning transaction are discussed.

Classroom Age Composition and Academic Achievement in College.

The continuing influx of adult students in colleges and universities raises many questions for research, including how their presence affects classroom learning. We postulated that, controlling for student age, the greater the proportion of adults in a classroom the higher the aggregate average performance of the class as measured by class grades. The hypothesis was tested in two very different settings: a suburban community college and a nearby large, public research university. Data for 2,794 subjects were obtained from official records. The findings from the community college sample strongly supported the predicted relationship. At the university, a modified hypothesis that excluded performance in math classes was also supported.

Attitudes Toward Adult Education: An Empirically-Based Conceptualization

The purpose of this research was to explore the conceptual organization of attitudes toward adult education and to determine whether the conceptualization could be used to identify groups of adults based on these attitudes. The data base for the study consisted of information obtained from 275 individuals using the Adult Attitudes Toward Continuing Education Scale (AACES). Factor analysis of the data led to the identification of three dimensions of attitude toward adult education: Enjoyment of Learning, Importance of Adult Education, and Intrinsic Value of Adult Education. Through cluster analysis, five types of individuals were differentiated according to their relative scores on the three attitude factors. The typology provides evidence of the utility of the identified factors as a means to enhance understanding of the attitudes of different groups in the adult population.

The Adult Part-Time Learner in Colleges and Universities: A Clientele Analysis

Using the 1975 National Center for Educational Statistics/Bureau of Census “Participation in Adult Education” survey data, this paper presents an analysis of part-time students at colleges and universities—who participates and who persists. Separate analyses of public two-year colleges and noncredit activities are also presented. The analysis is followed with a discussion of the implications. A general conclusion is that adult education at colleges and universities may rest on a precariously narrow base.

Innovation in Adult Education: an Organizational Analysis

Research on the diffusion of innovations has largely ignored the effects of organizational variables on planned educational change. The present study developed and tested a theoretical model of the organizational dynamics of innovation in adult edu cation agencies. The data base consisted of a randomly selected, national sample of 651 adult basic education programs. Innovation was measured by a composite index of innovative instructional and administrative practices. Findings based on multiple regression analysis were consistent with the principal assumptions of the model. Size, differentiation of staff roles, staff professionalism, and reliance on professional communication channels were positively associated with innovation. Directors professionalism had the largest direct impact on program innovation. It was concluded that organizational variables, especially staff professionalism, exert a major influence on innovation in adult basic education agencies. Research and policy implications are discussed.