A qualitative case study approach with individual and focus group interviews identified senior enlisted Army soldiers' primary motivations and perceived barriers to postsecondary education participation. The 92 interviewees shared these common characteristics: they were enlisted soldiers, were older, attended college part time, worked full time,…

To become one of the world's most innovative countries, Canada requires a national innovation strategy for the 21st century. It is progressing toward a more innovative economy, but lags behind many developed countries in terms of overall innovation performance. A national innovation strategy to meet Canada's innovation challenge proposes goals,…

A number of factors have come together to generate a renewed interest in adult learning in Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) countries, including emphasis on demand shifts associated with technology and globalization; large size of skills needs; and aging population. Major gaps in knowledge about adult learning still hinder…

A study used focus groups and interviews to examine dropout causes among Hispanic middle and high school students in Hillsborough County, Florida. Major contributors to Latino student success included personal motivation to succeed, supportive parents, and being interested and involved in school activities. Factors contributing to dropout included…

With high school reform now a front-burner issue, districts and communities cannot afford to have high school after-school on the back burner. In this commentary, we focus on how and why the high school reform and after-school movements need to be woven together to produce a solid system of learning opportunities and developmental supports…

Curriculum is the educational blueprint for institutions. Without it, they would not exist. Curriculum is their product; it provides the concepts, skills, and motivation that students need to shape their futures. From book-driven curriculum to the highest, technologically driven curriculum, an institution's main goal is to ensure that students…

This PIALA 1993 Proceedings contains many of the papers presented at the 3rd annual conference of the Pacific Islands Association of Libraries and Archives. This publication is the first time papers from this Micronesian regional library and archives conference have ever been published. The conference addressed various topics of interest to…

To track student progress and develop a model of the total academic process at Prince George's Community College (PGCC), the Office of Institutional Research and Analysis acquired 5 years of background, behavioral, and outcome data for a cohort of first-time students entering the college. The academic process was broken down into three divisions:…

This "Fastback" focuses on avoiding boredom in schools. Following an introduction that explains the importance of teachers breathing life into subject matter, the booklet includes five sections. Section one, "The Nature of Boredom," defines boredom and explains that both teachers and students are responsible for beating…

Problems in teaching English pronunciation to large groups of university students in Japan are discussed, and some solutions are offered. Pronunciation instruction requires close individual interaction between teacher and student, difficult if not impossible to achieve in a typical Japanese university classroom. However, it is possible to get…

This longitudinal case study investigated issues that influence successful talent development in the arts and examined the effects of long-term artistic involvement on the lives of 23 artistically talented young people (ages 10-26) in New York City, all of whom had participated in a dance or music program in their elementary years. Most students…

Participation in sport or fitness activities in Great Britain was examined through a survey of more than 6,000 adults throughout Great Britain. As of April 2001, 35% of adults surveyed were currently participating in sport or fitness activities. Those most likely to participate in sport or fitness activities were male, young, in high social…

A study examined a variety of student support services and four areas for student success from the viewpoint of World Wide Web-based learners in the University of Central Florida College of Education, Vocational Education area. A two-part on-line survey form was included in the exam files for adult learners in four Web-based courses during spring…

This study investigated the effects of school-level and individual-level factors influencing the participation and nonparticipation of secondary school teachers in continuing professional education (CPE). Researchers randomly selected 25 out of Hong Kong's 442 secondary schools to participate. All teachers in the schools were invited to complete a…

This workbook, one of six professional development manuals prepared by experienced adult basic education (ABE) instructors, is designed to assist the instructor setting up and operating an ABE classroom. A pretest and posttest appear first. Each of the units begins with a list of objectives and then provides instructional material. Unit 1…