The purpose of this research was to develop and test an explicit procedure for determining the relative importance of community-wide needs in adult education. Two dimensions of meaning of the term importance were conceptualized: qualitative which refers to the values placed on certain broad goals and needs relating to those goals, and quantitative which refers to the amount of actual need in the community. Priority is delegated to those needs reflecting the highest estimates on both qualitative and quantitative dimensions. The developmental process began with an initial design which was formatively developed and redesigned following two workshops held under a Title I Higher Education Act in the State of Florida. The model uses a paired comparison technique to provide each need indicator with a qualitative estimate equal to its portion of total value expressed in a goal framework. Each need is given a quantitative estimate based on present and future discrepancy sizes. Both dimensions of importance are integrated on a matrix, providing the practitioners with four need clusters of similar importance. The model was tested in a workshop comprised of graduate students in adult education at Florida State University. Results revealed a .80 Spearman level of agreement among samples using the procedure (.01 significance level). The data suggest that the model may offer a reliable and clearly delineated procedure which adequately integrates both the empirical and the underlying value bases for judging importance of needs. Additionally, the model may serve as a useful tool in participatory decision-making. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-11, Section: A, page: 4578. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74350 |
| Contributors | KEMERER, RICHARD WILSON., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 315 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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