ADULT LEARNING

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ADULT LEARNING Participation in Adult Education

• BACKGROUND
• Population Age 16 and above
• Not enrolled in full-time college or university
  credential program or vocational program

Mary Boyer, Imet 5 Ca State University Sacramento
Purpose of Study To determine who is
participating in adult learning and what type
of courses/programs are they taking
Major Conclusions 1. Percentage of population
age 16 and above participating in adult education
increased from 1991 to 2001 2. Work-related
courses and personal interest courses were the
most popular forms of adult education in 2001
Data Sources U.S. Dept. of Education and Adult
Ed. Survey of the National Household Ed Surveys
Program
References U.S. Department of Education,
Institute of Education Sciences (2003) The
Condition of Education 2003. Washington DCNCES
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Percentage of Population Age 16 and Above
Participating in Adult education Activities, by
type of activity for the period 1995-2001
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Findings and Conclusions Regarding Age and
Activities

• 1. Participation in Adult Education has
  increased from 1991
• 2001 by 13.2
• 2. Overall participation in adult education is
  greater
• in the 16-24 category than in the 25 and
  above category
• by 6.6
• 3. Personal Interest course are taken more than
  any other
• activity in the 16-24 category
• 4. Work Related courses are taken more in the 25
  and above
• category than any other activity

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Breakdown by Gender and type of Adult Education
Activity
Chart 5
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• Overall Asians take the lead in adult education,
  followed by Whites
• However, in personal interest course the black
  group leads
• Hispanics were the highest group in other
  activities which includes ESL courses

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• Overall as well as for work related and personal
  interest courses , adults with BA degrees
• and higher participate in Adult Learning
• Adults that have some college take more college
  programs than the other groups
• Less than high school adults are more interested
  in Other Activities, which includes ESL classes

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Overall, as well as work-related and person
interest courses, the more you make the higher
percentage of participation. The reverse
happened in the other activities category which
includes basic skills training and ESL.
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CONCLUSIONS

1. Overall participation in
Adult
Education has increase from 1991
to 2001. 2.
Participation in Work-related courses
has increased by 7 from 1999 to 2001. 3.
Participation in College Credential programs has
decreased 5 from 1999
to 2001. 4. Greater participation of Adult
Learners in the 16- 24 age category than in the
category of 25 and above. 5. Work-related
courses were the most prevalent form of adult
learning.
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Conclusion Continued
6. Data showed that those that participated in
the other category which included basic
skills training and ESL were from the
Hispanic group, had less than a high school
education and had household incomes of less than
15,000. 7. Data also showed that those who
participated in the work-related courses
were from the Asian group, had BA or higher
and had household incomes of more than
75,000. 8. Of those participants that have
been employed in the past 12 months, 73
were from the professional or managerial
category. 9. For those participants that were
not employed in the past 12 months, personal
interest courses were taken by a wide margin
compared to college or work-related courses.
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For more information regarding the Condition of
Education Report please look at the following
url http//nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2003/pdf