The purpose of this study was to determine whether one form of non-formal adult education, collective investigation (C.I.), significantly increased an individual's ability to formulate problems. Collective investigation is an adult, non-formal, group educative process. Through C.I., participants identify, isolate and critically question their "social reality." Learning occurs through self-reflection and shared experience. The concept of individual experience was used as the basis for the framework which guided this study. C.I. provided a vehicle to identify and transform everyday problems facing the participants. A hypothesized model was developed to describe the process of problem formulation. This model draws upon the literature regarding C.I. and "practice knowledge," an application of adult learning in the work environment, to describe potential learning through a collective educational process. The study used a quasi-experimental research design to examine the affect of an intensive C.I. workshop experience on individual's problem formulation abilities. The experimental group was compared with two control groups: 1) a more traditional approach to adult education (pre-readings and didactic lecture), and 2) a non-treatment control group. The lecture method was not seen as an alternative method to teach problem formulation but was used as another type of control group. The data source was representative samples of child welfare personnel employed in British Columbia. All groups were pre and posttested, using a semi-structured instrument. Nine research hypotheses centered around learner information-production and problem formulation strategies were tested by ANCOVA. The results were significant in several instances, allowing for the rejection of four of the original nine null hypotheses. However, in all nine instances the C.I. group scored the highest, suggesting a general trend. The results showed the collective investigation workshop experience significantly increased participant production of information. The workshop group also demonstrated a significant increase in specific, occupational information which was used for individual problem formulation. Workshop training for other applications of the production of information, (identification of contextual variables and problem solving) was not provided. The scores in these applications did not significantly increase. In addition, the findings showed that a significant difference exists between the perceptions of the C.I. group and the Lecture group. The individuals in the C.I. group perceived the activities and structured interaction of collective investigation to be beneficial to their learning. However, this study showed no impact on qualitative aspects of learning. Based on these findings, it was concluded that collective investigation affected group communication and encouraged the development of supportive networks. Furthermore, collective investigation promoted individual confirmation and enhanced "personal power" providing effective motivation for learning. The opportunity to practice new skills during the collective investigation process also developed performance strategies. Since such outcomes affect instructional design and the practice of non-formal adult education, they merit consideration among the range of adult education methods available to adult educators. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Adult education is a field of practice which has given rise to an emerging discipline concerned with the creation of its own body of knowledge. The field and the discipline exist in a reciprocal relationship where information is diffused both ways. One method for disseminating information is the Adult Education Research Conference (A.E.R.C.) which promotes research in the discipline and encourages professional collaboration among adult educators. Information dissemination processes are vital to the discipline and field, and are studied through meta-research. In the present study, abstracts submitted to Steering Committees for the Adult Education Research Conference in 1978, 1979, and 1980 were examined to clarify variables associated with acceptance or rejection. The study was grounded in social science literature focusing on variables associated with the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts submitted for publication. A 41-item instrument was developed to assess the characteristics of A.E.R.C. abstracts. As A.E.R.C. abstracts are judged "blind" (i.e., authors are unknown to judges), the study examined "internal" abstract variables. These concerned the content (adult education focus and methodological orientation), the research processes employed, and the composition of the abstract. Procedures aimed at measuring the reliability and validity of the instrument were executed. Expert judges (the 1981 A.E.R.C. Steering Committee) attested to the content validity of the instrument. For test- retest purposes, 97 abstracts were coded twice and 20 were coded three times to yield a mean item stability-across-time coefficient of r=.68. Inter-judge reliability was established by having five judges code nine randomly selected abstracts. A repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the five judges made consistent decisions concerning 37 of the 39 variables. During a second procedure, the coding decisions of the researcher were compared with those of the judges. "Researcher-judges" data were subject to analysis of variance which revealed acceptable levels of agreement on 37 variables; the two "unreliable" results stemmed from the non-conforming decisions of a judge, not the researcher. During pilot procedures, scales and coding criteria were systematically refined. It was concluded that the final form of the instrument was content valid and reliable. Using this instrument, 329 accepted and rejected A.E.R.C. abstracts were coded on 39 variables. Item means of abstracts accepted and rejected in 1978, 1979, and 1980 differed significantly on nine, six, and nine variables respectively. Variables differentiating between accepted and rejected abstracts were entered into discriminant function equations for 1978, 1979, and 1980. Profiles for accepted abstracts differed by year. In 1978, accepted abstracts were primarily written in an active voice, had a clear and logical argument, were oriented towards use of a particular research methodology, had "clearly identified" instrumentation and implications for the field, and did not focus on agency sponsorship of adult education programmes. In 1979, accepted abstracts were methodologically oriented, focused on programme planning issues but not agencies, had a clearly defined inductive theoretical development, and were not well anchored in the literature. The 1980 "profile" showed that accepted abstracts focused on foundations of adult education or characteristics of adults and learning, had "clearly identified" data collection procedures, used higher-order (e.g., multivariate) data analysis, and only moderate amounts of dysfunctional jargon. Separate discriminant function equations for each year successfully classified 81 percent of abstracts in 1978, 71 percent in 1979, and 78 percent in 1980. It was significant that, in general, variables associated with acceptance did not have the same, or even a similar, effect in each of the years studied. Judges appeared to weight variables differently by year. This raises questions concerning the abstract selection process and the election of Steering Committee members. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

This study explored the teaching processes in mathematics education for adults and how they are shaped by certain social and institutional forces. Teaching processes included the selection and ordering of content to be taught; the choice of such techniques as lectures or groupwork; the expectations, procedures and norms of the classroom; and the complex web of interactions between teachers and learners, and between learners themselves. The study addressed three broad questions: (1) What happens in adult mathematics classrooms? (2) What do these phenomena mean for those involved as teachers or learners? and (3) In what ways do certain factors beyond the teachers’ control affect teaching processes? The theoretical framework linked macro and micro approaches to the study of teaching, and offered an analytical perspective that showed how teachers’ thoughts and actions can be influenced and circumscribed by external factors. Further, it provided a framework for an analysis of the ways in which teaching processes were viewed, described, chosen, developed, and constrained by certain “frame” factors. The study was based in a typical setting for adult mathematics education: a community college providing a range of ABE-level mathematics courses for adults. Three introductory-level courses were selected and data collected from teachers and students in these courses, as well as material that related to the teaching and learning of mathematics within the college. The study used a variety of data collection methods in addition to document collection: surveys of teachers’ and adult learners’ attitudes, repeated semi-structured interviews with teachers and learners, and extensive ethnographic observations in several mathematics classes. The teaching of mathematics was dominated by the transmission of facts and procedures, and largely consisted of repetitious activities and tests. Teachers were pivotal in the classroom, making all the decisions that related in any way to mathematics education. They rigidly followed the set textbooks, allowing them to determine both the content and the process of mathematics education. Teachers claimed that they wished to develop motivation and responsibility for learning in their adult students, yet provided few practical opportunities for such development to occur. Few attempts were made to encourage students, or to check whether they understood what they were being asked to do. Mathematical problems were often repetitious and largely irrelevant to adult students’ daily lives. Finally, teachers “piloted” students through problem-solving situations, via a series of simple questions, designed to elicit a specific “correct” method of solution, and a single correct calculation. One major consequence of these predominant patterns was that the overall approach to mathematics education was seen as appropriate, valid, and successful. The notion of success, however, can be questioned. In sum, mathematics teaching can best be understood as situationally- constrained choice. Within their classrooms, teachers have some autonomy to act yet their actions are influenced by certain external factors. These influences act as frames, bounding and constraining classroom teaching processes and forcing teachers to adopt a conservative approach towards education. As a result, the cumulative effects of all of frame factors reproduced the status quo and ensured that the form and provision of mathematics education remained essentially unchanged.

The study problem was to analyse the characteristics of individuals who reported interest in continuing education from data collected by means of interviews conducted in a survey of rural residents in the North Okanagan. Two hypotheses were tested to ascertain whether or not there were any significant differences between interested respondents and uninterested respondents with respect to socio-psychological characteristics; and whether or not there were any significant differences between interested participants in adult education and interested non-participants. Data from two hundred and thirty-nine household heads were analysed. There were statistically significant differences between interested and uninterested respondents with respect to twelve psycho-social characteristics. Of the characteristics of interested respondents studied there were significant differences between participants and non-participants with respect to four: including, level of schooling, wife's schooling, social participation and level of living. The findings of this study indicated that interest in continuing education was higher for younger respondents, for those with more years of schooling and those whose wives had completed more years of school. Respondents who expressed interest in further education or training had a higher level of living index and a higher income; they were more active in social organizations and in adult education courses; they were more likely to have been born in Canada outside of the survey area than in the North Okanagan district or in other countries. Interest was higher for farm respondents who had more personal contacts with agricultural extension personnel. Interest in continuing education was lower for respondents who were more alienated, and those who had a negative attitude toward change. It was lower also for those who had been unemployed longer in the last three years and those who had spent fewer years in their present occupation. Expressed interest appears to be one of the measurable characteristics which may be expected to affect the future participation of individuals in adult education. The findings of this study indicated that among those respondents who were interested in continuing education or training, those who had participated in adult education courses were more likely to have had more schooling and their wives to have completed more years of school; were more active in social organizations; and had a higher level of living. Age, schooling and wife's schooling are important factors in all studies of adult education participation. The indications of this study are that the kinds of attitudes or abilities which lead a respondent to earn socially approved membership in the community are also related to participation in adult education. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

The study problem was to analyse the characteristics of individuals who reported interest in continuing education from data collected by means of interviews conducted in a survey of rural residents in the North Okanagan. Two hypotheses were tested to ascertain whether or not there were any significant differences between interested respondents and uninterested respondents with respect to socio-psychological characteristics; and whether or not there were any significant differences between interested participants in adult education and interested non-participants. Data from two hundred and thirty-nine household heads were analysed. There were statistically significant differences between interested and uninterested respondents with respect to twelve psycho-social characteristics. Of the characteristics of interested respondents studied there were significant differences between participants and non-participants with respect to four: including, level of schooling, wife's schooling, social participation and level of living. The findings of this study indicated that interest in continuing education was higher for younger respondents, for those with more years of schooling and those whose wives had completed more years of school. Respondents who expressed interest in further education or training had a higher level of living index and a higher income; they were more active in social organizations and in adult education courses; they were more likely to have been born in Canada outside of the survey area than in the North Okanagan district or in other countries. Interest was higher for farm respondents who had more personal contacts with agricultural extension personnel. Interest in continuing education was lower for respondents who were more alienated, and those who had a negative attitude toward change. It was lower also for those who had been unemployed longer in the last three years and those who had spent fewer years in their present occupation. Expressed interest appears to be one of the measurable characteristics which may be expected to affect the future participation of individuals in adult education. The findings of this study indicated that among those respondents who were interested in continuing education or training, those who had participated in adult education courses were more likely to have had more schooling and their wives to have completed more years of school; were more active in social organizations; and had a higher level of living. Age, schooling and wife's schooling are important factors in all studies of adult education participation. The indications of this study are that the kinds of attitudes or abilities which lead a respondent to earn socially approved membership in the community are also related to participation in adult education. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

This study explored the teaching processes in mathematics education for adults and how they are shaped by certain social and institutional forces. Teaching processes included the selection and ordering of content to be taught; the choice of such techniques as lectures or groupwork; the expectations, procedures and norms of the classroom; and the complex web of interactions between teachers and learners, and between learners themselves. The study addressed three broad questions: (1) What happens in adult mathematics classrooms? (2) What do these phenomena mean for those involved as teachers or learners? and (3) In what ways do certain factors beyond the teachers’ control affect teaching processes? The theoretical framework linked macro and micro approaches to the study of teaching, and offered an analytical perspective that showed how teachers’ thoughts and actions can be influenced and circumscribed by external factors. Further, it provided a framework for an analysis of the ways in which teaching processes were viewed, described, chosen, developed, and constrained by certain “frame” factors. The study was based in a typical setting for adult mathematics education: a community college providing a range of ABE-level mathematics courses for adults. Three introductory-level courses were selected and data collected from teachers and students in these courses, as well as material that related to the teaching and learning of mathematics within the college. The study used a variety of data collection methods in addition to document collection: surveys of teachers’ and adult learners’ attitudes, repeated semi-structured interviews with teachers and learners, and extensive ethnographic observations in several mathematics classes. The teaching of mathematics was dominated by the transmission of facts and procedures, and largely consisted of repetitious activities and tests. Teachers were pivotal in the classroom, making all the decisions that related in any way to mathematics education. They rigidly followed the set textbooks, allowing them to determine both the content and the process of mathematics education. Teachers claimed that they wished to develop motivation and responsibility for learning in their adult students, yet provided few practical opportunities for such development to occur. Few attempts were made to encourage students, or to check whether they understood what they were being asked to do. Mathematical problems were often repetitious and largely irrelevant to adult students’ daily lives. Finally, teachers “piloted” students through problem-solving situations, via a series of simple questions, designed to elicit a specific “correct” method of solution, and a single correct calculation. One major consequence of these predominant patterns was that the overall approach to mathematics education was seen as appropriate, valid, and successful. The notion of success, however, can be questioned. In sum, mathematics teaching can best be understood as situationally- constrained choice. Within their classrooms, teachers have some autonomy to act yet their actions are influenced by certain external factors. These influences act as frames, bounding and constraining classroom teaching processes and forcing teachers to adopt a conservative approach towards education. As a result, the cumulative effects of all of frame factors reproduced the status quo and ensured that the form and provision of mathematics education remained essentially unchanged. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

No description available.

M.Ed. / A number of studies has shown that adult education is a matter of great concern in South Africa, and the Northern Province has been earmarked as one of the regions with which needs thorough redressing and restitution of equality. This is because this region is constituted of rural areas characterised by poverty, unemployment and lack of proper housing and infrastructure. Many adults, most of hem middle-aged, and teenagers are illiterate because they either missed out on school or dropped out of school. It therefore becomes important that, given the situation in the province, ABET centres and relevant programmes be established and provided in order to fight against illiteracy. The literature shows that good provision in adult education should go hand in hand with the identification and assessment of the needs of adult learners. Whatever investigation is made on the needs of adult learners, the social and cultural background of the learner should be considered because it is the context which guides and influences expression of their needs. This suggests that appropriate methods for conducting ABET needs assessment should be selected and used - methods which will adapt to the background of the adult learners. The aim of this study, therefore, is to describe the process of conducting a needs assessment for the development of a programme for adult learners using the hermeneutic-dialectic methodology, and simultaneously assessing the viability of this methodology for developing appropriate needs assessment instruments in rural areas of South Africa. This study was approached from a constructivist (interpretive) perspective. This perspective is one which asserts that there exists multiple realities which are socially constructed. Within this perspective, the hermeneutic-dialectic methodology is suggested as a way of conducting research. Using this methodology as a framework, the open interview method was used in order to elicit constructions of participants. It became evident that the hermeneutic-dialectic methodology may be one of the appropriate methodologies which can be used for conducting needs assessment in rural areas. This is because the methodology adapts to the social and cultural background of the adult learners.

No description available.

This study used the phenomenological method to investigate the structure of the experience of learning for the sake of learning in adulthood and the meaning of that experience for the individual who undergoes it. Using a modification of Barritt, Beekman, Bleeker and Mulderij's (1983) descriptive phenomenological approach, a four step analysis of protocols was conducted. First, descriptions of the experience were obtained from ten nominated adults, ranging in age from 35 to 74. These protocols were phenomenologically analyzed for emerging elements and common themes to develop individual descriptions. These descriptions were then integrated into the fundamental description, all of which were validated by the co-researchers. The results of the research indicated that learning for the sake of learning can best be understood by seeing its horizon, process, and resolution. The horizon of the phenomenon is comprised of three factors: the opportunity to learn, the area of interest, and the desire to learn. The learning experience is initiated and continued because the learners enjoy the experience, are curious about something, and feel called lo learn. The primary focus is found in the process, not the resulting knowledge. The learners “follow the flow" of the experience, learning whatever seems appropriate at that time, whatever challenges them. The aim is not to reduce but sustain or increase the challenge. The resolution of this experience is open-ended. As an individual learning experience brings satiation, learners seek to encompass more questions in a wider or new area of interest. This indefinite nature, coupled with the rewards, form a spiral which constitutes the horizon for and lures them to the next learning experience. Implications for adult educators, society, and learners are discussed. While this study delves into the nature of the experience itself, further research may investigate the type of people who engage in this learning experience and/or the conditions within which it occurs. / Ed. D.