In this paper, the author reviews the research done on the learning efforts of adults and presents some high-priority directions for the future. The paper first defines major learning efforts (learning projects) and describes some recent changes in the practice and focus of adult education. It then provides a general picture of the frequency of…

This paper reports the findings of a survey to determine the effects, if any, that experience in playgroups had upon children of varying social class backgrounds in differing areas within the United Kingdom. The project aimed at answering two major questions: (1) Did teachers perceive differences in first year infant school children that they…

Although over 100 million tests are administered each year and testing is a subject of increasing contention among students, faculty members remain diffident. A better understanding of the purpose and structure of evaluating mechanisms is a prerequisite for widespread improvement. Teachers must understand what factors play a part in measuring…

The proceedings consist of 11 papers grouped in two major categories: the context of adult learning (social significance and fact and fiction about adult learning) and the utilization of learning models for adult instruction. Contributors are Floyd B. Fischer, George L. Maddox, Rolf H. Monge, Eric F. Gardner, Arthur W. Combs, William J. Hoyer,…

The purpose of this report was to evaluate the more common small group methods in terms of their effectiveness in teaching adults. A rationale for small group instruction was presented, followed by descriptions of the principal methods, and an assessment based on existing research findings. It was concluded that small group methods can be…

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of democratic and authoritarian teaching methods on the efficiency of learning in a short, concentrated management technique course and to develop and test hypotheses regarding the relationship between these teaching methods and the factors of instructor personality, student age,…

This (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) summer school program was designed to give educational experiences which would improve basic skills and stimulate the desire to learn of children from impoverished homes. Participation in the program was by invitation, but was also voluntary since parental approval was required. Objectives of the program were directed…

The unit of study for educable retarded students aged 13 to 19 years deals with understanding of social cues and signals and appropriate response in the adult world. The sub-units, of 1-week duration, are introduction to signals, numbers as signals, places as signals, making a good impression, shopping and buying, a department store, living on our…

Montreal high school students studying French as a second language completed a battery of tests including measures of linguistic aptitude, verbal intelligence, and various attitudinal and motivational characteristics. Analysis of the intercorrelations of these tests yielded two orthogonal factors equally related to ratings of achievement in…

New York State schools have adopted a variety of alternative schools and programs. The schools and programs include free schools, community schools, open education schools, street academies, schools without walls, minischools within schools, minicourses in the curriculum, and alternative programs that bridge the gap between schools and colleges,…

Three issues related to New Careers have been explored among a group of college students who are in the main children of lower white collar and blue collar parents, including some with poverty or ghetto backgrounds. The New Careers program has two major components: helping the poor through meaningful employment and opportunity for career ladder…

Four background papers for a social psychological approach to the continuing education of older-aged (those over 50) persons are provided. In the first paper, "Social Impacts on Aging in American Culture," evidence derived from certain empirical studies is adduced to support a view that external elements--social values and age-norms, status…

The contents of this document, concerning the demonstration of a linkage between monetary incentives and academic achievement motivation and the utilization of this knowledge in educational programs, are organized in three sections. The first section is a report of an experimental demonstration of "the effect of monetary incentives on test…

A five-year program of research in adult learning is reported upon. One purpose of this program was to determine age differences in cognitive abilities, with special reference to items selected as suitable for adults of different ages, to survey the educational backgrounds and skills that older and younger adults bring to learning situations, and…

Becoming bilingual as defined in this book is a process by which an adult acquires an additional language in the environment in which it is spoken, surrounded by the culture in which it is used. The book seeks to present the learner with an integrated and systematic treatment of his task--linguistic, cultural, and practical--in learning a new…