A Comparison of Adult Students' Educational Orientations and Perceptions of the College Environment in Three Contrasting Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Degree Programs

A Comparison of Adult Students' Educational Orientations and Perceptions of the College Environment in Three Contrasting Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Degree Programs
Author: Richard J. Skwarek
Publisher:
Total Pages: 400
Release: 1983
Genre: Adult education
ISBN:

This study attempted to determine the predictability of adult students' educational orientations and college environmental relationship perceptions according to their enrollment in three contrasting liberal arts baccalaureate degree programs. Additionally, it sought to determine if there was a positive relationship between selected educational orientations and college environmental perceptions of adult students at three contrasting liberal arts baccalaureate degree programs. A stratified random sample of 314 adult students from three contrasting liberal arts baccalaureate programs returned 177 (56.3%) usable responses to the data gathering instruments: the Student Orientation Survey; the College Environment scales of the College Student Experiences Inventory; and a demographic questionnaire. One-way analysis of variance, multiple range tests, t-tests, and Pearson coefficient of correlation were used to test the various hypotheses. The following findings were considered significant at the .05 level of confidence: 1. Linfield College's Off-Campus Degree (0CD) adult students achieved a significantly higher preparatory educational orientation than adults at Marylhurst's College for Lifelong Learning (LL); and LL adult students achieved a significantly higher exploratory educational orientation than OCD adult respondents. 2. OCD adult students achieved a significantly higher college environmental relationship perception than adult students from Oregon State University. Among the recommendations were: 1. that the findings have program planning, policy formation, and procedural implications for administrators and educators of adults in differing baccalaureate degree settings; 2. that further research should be done to determine whether the college environmental perception differences of adult students at the three programs accurately represent differences in actual program modes of operation and delivery services, or simply differences in adult student perception; 3. that administrators, program planners, and educators of adults in baccalaureate degree settings, should design and implement programs with consideration of the educational orientation preferences and col lege environmental relationship perceptions of adult students; and 4. that further research should be conducted to expand this investigation to a larger sample, and other forms of baccalaureate degree program variations to permit a finer classification and more accurate measure of adult student's educational orientations and perceptions of the college environment.

Adult Student Satisfaction with Overall Learning Experiences at East Tennessee State University

Adult Student Satisfaction with Overall Learning Experiences at East Tennessee State University
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2000
Genre:
ISBN:

This study examined adult students' perceptions of satisifaction levels within specific areas of the ETSU campus. The population surveyed included 106 undergraduate adult learners aged 25 years and older. The Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 4-year College and University Version was the survey instrument used to share feedback about the adult learners' collegiate experiences thus far. Responses received would give campus leadership feedback about the satisfaction levels of adult learners at ETSU. The purpose of this study was to determine if the adult learner at ETSU is satisfied with his/her overall learning experience. Adult students were asked to rank programs and services offered at ETSU and how they felt they may or may not have contributed to their overall learning experiences. Age was the determinant for the sample. Survey data from adult learners, 25 years and above, was included in this study. This study employed descriptive statistics using frequency distributions to analyze the data. Because this was a cluster sample, frequency distributions were used to report the number of times the value occurs and the percentage of respondents in each category. In order to analyze data received, questions were broken down and placed into one of seven categories used to answer the research questions. The seven categories were overall learning experience, bookstore services, food service, academic programs and services, administrative programs, caring campus, and campus commitment to student learning. Results of the data revealed that the majority of adult learners at East Tennessee State University were satisfied with all aspects surveyed on the campus and the institution's commitment to adult learner programs and services. Although all aspects surveyed on campus received high satisfaction levels, areas such as food service, counseling staff, financial aid, and creating a sense of belonging indicated lower satisfaction levels. These areas could be researched further in order to increase adult learner satisfaction levels at East Tennessee State University.