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Xercx University Microfilms 300 North Zoob Rood Ann Aibor, Michigan 43100 7 6 -1 2 ,4 5 7 HINE, Peggy Ann, 1933A TYPOLOGY OF EXPRESSED NEEDS OF ADULT STUDENTS PRIOR TO ENTRY AND FOLLOWING TWO TERMS OF STUDY AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DURING THE 1974-1975 ACADEMIC YEAR. Michigan State University, Ph.D., 1975 Education, adult Xerox University Microfilms , @ 1975 PEGGY ANN HINE All Rights Reserved Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 A TYPOLOGY OF EXPRESSED NEEDS OF ADULT STUDENTS PRIOR TO ENTRY AND FOLLOWING TWO TERMS OF STUDY AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DURING THE 1974-1975 ACADEMIC YEAR By Peggy Ann Hine A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State U niversity in p a rtia l fu lfillm e n t o f the requirements fo r the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education Department o f Administration and Higher Education ABSTRACT A TYPOLOGY OF EXPRESSED NEEDS OF ADULT STUDENTS PRIOR TO ENTRY AND FOLLOWING TWO TERMS OF STUDY AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DURING THE 1974-1975 ACADEMIC YEAR By Peggy Ann Hine Purpose The major purpose o f the research was to id e n tify the expressed needs o f the population o f a d u lt students attending Michigan State U n iv e rs ity in academic 1974-75 and to determine i f and to what e x te n t these expressed needs were a lte re d during two terms of study. Methodology A 51-ite m questionnaire including 2 open-ended responses was adm inistered to 775 newly adm itted and readm itted students over tw en ty-six years o f age. The ta rg e t population Included males, fem ales, undergraduates, and graduates, who had e n ro lle d fo r a t le a s t one c re d it course on campus in September 1974. I (F a ll 1974) y ie ld e d 463 usable responses. Questionnaire Questionnaire I I (Spring 1975), containing id e n tic a l questions, was mailed to the Peggy Ann H in e 463 respondents to the f i r s t q u es tio n n a ire . responses completed the sample. A to ta l o f 348 paired The demographic data were cata ­ logued, analyzed, reported g ra p h ic a lly and tested fo r s t a t is t ic a l s ig n ifica n ce w ith the Chi Square T e s t. The Pearson Product Moment C o rrelatio n was u t iliz e d to te s t lin e a r rela tio n s h ip s between the two questionnaires. The open-ended responses were c la s s ifie d and discussed w ith in the study. Research Questions The research questions were divid ed in to two categ o ries; those describing the population dem ographically, and those con­ cerned with te s tin g s t a t is t ic a l re la tio n s h ip s . Question I . — What are the c h a ra c te ris tic s o f the adu lt s tu ­ dents entering Michigan State U n iv e rs ity in 1974-1975? The m a jo rity o f respondents were graduate students, m ale, between the ages o f 26 and 30 y ea rs , m arried , studying education, social science, or business on the m aster's le v e l. They in d icated a continuous p attern o f learning w ith less than two years elapsing since th e ir la s t formal education. Although the demographic data correlates with other research reviewed, the findings do not in d i­ cate high ra tio s o f students in t h e ir 30s and 40s retu rn in g to Michigan S tate U n iv e rs ity . 2 Peggy Ann H1ne Question I I . — Is there a s ig n ific a n t lin e a r re la tio n s h ip between the expressed problems in F a ll term 1974 (Q uestionnaire I ) and expressed problems 1n Spring term 1975 (Q uestionnaire II) ? There was a p o s itiv e c o rre la tio n a t the -05 le ve l o f s ig ­ n ifican ce to answer Question I I a ffir m a tiv e ly . The p re -e n try needs including admissions, fin a n c ia l a id s , and s e le c tin g a major f i e l d and classes a l l decreased in the in te rim from F a ll 1974 to Spring 1975. There were marked increases in expressed problems in schedul­ ing classes, u t iliz in g the lib r a r y , time to study, parkin g , meeting other a d u lt students, and receivin g inform ation about academic and social a c t i v i t i e s . No problem was completely a lle v ia te d during the two term in te rim . Question I I I . —Are there s ig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e s between the expected frequencies and the obtained frequencies o f the problem variables expressed by groups varying in demographic c h a ra c te ris tic s ? In comparing demographic groups, f o r t y - s ix o f the Chi Square tests were s ig n ific a n t a t the .05 le v e l. A second s et o f Chi Square tests was performed to take in to consideration the small numbers 1n a proportion o f the c e lls . The re s u lts on te s ts o f combined groups were reported in Appendix C o f the research. s ig n ific a n t fo r the combined groups. 3 T h irty -tw o tes ts were Peggy Ann H ine General Conclusions The major problem variables expressed by a t le a s t 40 percent of the subjects were time to study, parking on campus, scheduling classes to f i t a v a ila b le tim e, lib r a r y s k il ls , selecting classes, fin a n c ia l aid fo r both tu itio n and personal needs, and reading s k il ls . Problems appear to be evenly dispersed throughout age and sex groups, with younger students reporting s lig h tly higher s k ills and fin a n c ia l problems, and older students pointing out lack o f confidence and d if f ic u lt y in taking examinations as problem areas. In summarizing data concerning educational background and c la s s if i­ c a tio n , undergraduates and master's candidates expressed the g re a t­ e st number o f problems. Community college graduates indicated the g reatest fin a n c ia l and time concerns. In studying groups by the curriculum d iv is io n s , i t was noted th a t problems expressed re la te d d ir e c tly to the college or area o f study; admissions problems fo r medical students, lack of evening classes fo r business students, and lack o f day classes fo r education students. The open-ended responses were o f g reat in te re s t to the researcher. Representlve responses and suggestions were reported w ith in the research. The typology of needs re s u ltin g from the study of adult students a t Michigan State U niversity has been presented to update and s t a t is t ic a lly analyze data on the ad u lt student population, to Peggy Ann H ine consider possible solutions to the problems expressed by adult stu­ dents, and to accurately describe the present s itu a tio n as perceived by adult students returning to higher education. I t is sincerely hoped th a t the research w ill contribute constructive solutions to problems confronting a ll students in higher education. 5 DEDICATION This work stands dedicated to a ll those who have touched my l i f e so closely during it s completion-- — To my husband, Ed, who is secure enough in him self to encourage me to grow. — To my c h ild ren , L e s lie , L au rel, Ward, Eric and Ethan who have d ea lt so p a tie n tly with the demands o f research and study. — To my mother, Gertrude Davidson, whose encouragement has helped so much in completing the work. — To my major professor, Russell K le is , whose special friendship and in s p iratio n a l teaching have made the profession of continuing education the highest of c a llin g s . ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The researcher wishes to thank her doctoral corrmittee fo r th e ir e x c e lle n t guidance and support during the development of the d is s e rta tio n : Lois Bader, D rc M ildred Erickson, D r. Louis Stamatakos, and Dr. A special note of ap p reciatio n is extended to Dr. Floyd Parker, the chairman. His advice, suggestions, and patience were o f inestim able value. The w r ite r also wishes to acknowledge with g re at apprecia­ tio n the assistance o f s ta tis tic ia n s Dr. Dennis G il lila n d , Tom Obremsky, and Steve Olegnik; Joan Dunn, head of the key-punch de­ partment; and ty p is ts Sue Dendinger and Barbi Mel fo r t h e ir com­ bined e ffo r ts in the technical aspects o f the research. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................. v iii LIST OF GRAPHS.............................................................................. x I . PURPOSE ANO ORGANIZATION ................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................ 1 Purpose o f the S tu d y ........................................................... 2 Rationale fo r the Study....................................................... 3 Research Questions ............................................................... 12 ...................................... 14 D e fin itio n o f Terms............................................................... 16 An Overview................................................................................ 20 I I . REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE................................................................ 21 Chapter Lim itatio n s o f the Study In t r o d u c tio n .............................................................. 21 C r it ic a l L it e r a t u r e ............................................................... 22 S c ie n tific L ite r a tu r e ........................................................... 31 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ( c o n t ' d . ) C hapter III. IV . Page National Survey Research ......................................... D issertation Research.................................................. 31 36 Summary...................................................................................... 40 PROCEDURES AND METHODOLOGY ...................................................... 42 The P o p u la tio n ...................................................................... 42 Research Design and Methodology..................................... 46 C ollecting and Tabulating the D a t a ............................. 48 Procedures fo r In terp re tin g the D a t a ......................... 48 The Pearson Product Moment C orrelation . . . . The Chi Square Test fo r S ig n ific a n t D ifference 49 51 Sunmary...................................................................................... 53 ANALYSIS OF DATA.......................................................................... 54 Introduction .......................................................................... 54 Section I —Demographic Variables ................................. 54 Age...................................................................................... Sex. ..................................................... M arital Status ............................................................. C u rric u lu m ...................................................................... Class Status ..................................... Present Educational Status ................. Number o f Years Since Taking a Course................. 55 57 58 59 63 65 67 Section I I —Contingency Tables o f Frequency D istribu tio n s o f Problem V ariables ......................... 69 Category I : Category I I : Pre-Entry N e e d s ........................ S k ill Needs......................................... v 74 75 TABLE OF CONTENTS ( c o n t ' d . ) C hapter V. Page Category I I I : Personal Needs................................. Summary.............................................................................. 75 76 Section I I I —C orrelation ................................................. 76 Section IV—The Chi Square Test fo r S ig n ific a n t Difference ................................................. 79 Age* V ariable 1. . ..................................................... Sex, Variable 2 ............................................................. Curriculum, Variable 4 ............................................. Class, Variable 5 ......................................................... Present Educational Status* Variable 6 . . . . Years Out of College, Variable 7 ......................... 80 82 84 87 90 93 Section V—C la s s ific a tio n of Open-Ended Responses. 96 Summary...................................................................................... 101 CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS . . . . Introduction . 102 ................................................................. 102 Conclusions on Research Questions................................. 104 General Conclusions. 114 .................... Recommendations Based upon the Results of the R esearch .............................................................................. 119 Researcher's Recommendations ......................... . . Students' Suggestions................................................. 120 123 Summary...................................................................................... 124 Recommendations fo r Future Study ................................. 125 Im plications of the Study............................ 128 Concluding Statement ......................................................... 129 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ( c o n t ' d . ) C h a p te r Page BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................... 131 APPENDICES A. LETTERS AND QUESTIONNAIRES ............................................................ B. GRAPHS OF FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS.....................................................149 C. SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE RESULTS FOR COMBINED GROUPS . . . vi i 139 201 LIST OF TABLES T ab le Page 1. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN STUDY .............................................. 45 2. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY A G E................................................. 56 3. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY S E X ........................ 57 4. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY MARITAL STATUS............................. 58 5. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY CURRICULUM..................................... 59 6. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY CLASS STATUS................................. 64 7. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY PRESENT EDUCATIONALSTATUS. . 66 8. POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE TAKING A COLLEGE COURSE ..................................................... 68 9. VARIABLES CLASSIFIED BY ORDER OF FREQUENCY ........................ 70 10. PEARSON PRODUCT MOMENT CORRELATIONS. . ................................ 77 11. AGE— TESTS FOR CHI SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE................................ 80 12. AGE DIFFERENCE ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS............................ 81 13. SEX—TESTS FOR CHI SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE................................ 82 14. SEX DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS........................ 83 15. CURRICULUM— TESTS FOR CHI SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE.................... 85 16. CURRICULUM DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS. . . . 86 17. CLASS—TESTS FOR CHI SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE............................ 88 vm LIS T OF TABLES ( c o n t ' d . ) T a b le Page 18. CLASS DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS ................... 19. 20. 21. 22. 89 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS—TESTS FOR CHI SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................................ 91 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS ............................................................... 92 YEARS SINCE TAKING A CLASS—TESTS FOR CHI SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE .............................................................................. 94 YEARS SINCE TAKING A COURSE ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS..................................................................................... 95 Appendix 23. 24. 25. 26. AGE— RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS .......................................... 202 CLASS— RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS .......................................... 203 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS— RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS. . . 204 NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE TAKING A COLLEGE COURSE.................. 205 ix LIST OF GRAPHS Graph Page 1. DIFFICULTY IN BEING ADMITTED...................................................... 150 2. RECEIVING NECESSARY INFORMATION AND FORMS ......................... 151 3. DIFFICULTY IN CHOOSING A MAJOR FIELD...................................... 152 4. DIFFICULTY IN GETTING INTO THE CHOSEN FIELDOR MAJOR. . 153 5. ACADEMIC COUNSELING BEFORE CHOOSING COURSES....................... 154 6. CREDIT EVALUATION OF PAST COLLEGE COURSES ......................... 155 7. TRANSFERRING CREDITS...................................................................... 156 8. TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR BUSINESS COURSES ......................... 157 9. TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR NURSING COURSES............................. 158 10. TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR OTHER COURSES................................. 159 11. TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR COURSES TAKEN MANYYEARS AGO . 160 12. TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR COURSES FROM NON-ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS ......................................................................... 161 13. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION FOR REQUIRED COURSES......................... 162 14. FINANCIAL AID FOR TUITION AND ACADEMIC NEEDS..................... 163 15. SELECTING CLASSES .......................................................................... 164 16. SCHEDULING CLASSES TO FIT AVAILABLE TIME............................. 165 17. GETTING INTO DESIRED CLASSES...................................................... 166 x LIST OF GRAPHS ( c o n t ' d . ) Graph Page 18. PRE-REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES.......................................................... 167 19. REGISTRATION...........................................................................................168 20. AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND SUPPLIES..............................................169 21. LOCATING CLASS BUILDING AND ROOMS ......................................... 22. DROPPING AND ADDING CLASSES AFTER REGISTRATION..................... 171 23. UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE........................................ ! 24. READING SKILLS.......................................................................................173 25. READING SKILLS: SPEED.......................................................................174 26. READING SKILLS: COMPREHENSION...................................................... 175 27. READING SKILLS: VOCABULARY ...................................................... 28. WRITING SKILLS...................................................................................... 177 29. SPEAKING SK ILLS .................................................................................. 178 30. LIBRARY SKILLS— KNOWING AVAILABLE SOURCES ........................ 179 31. PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE FOR REQUIRED COURSES .................... 180 170 172 176 i 32. ABILITY TO TAKE TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS.....................................181 33. NEED FOR TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE......................................................... 182 34. ABILITY TO TYPE..................................................................................183 35. TIME TO STUDY...................................................................................... 184 36. NEED FOR LOCAL HOUSING......................................................................185 37. FULL OR PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION.................................186 38. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONAL AND FAMILY NEEDS. , . xi 187 LIST OF GRAPHS (cont'd.) Graph Page 39. VOCATIONAL COUNSELING...........................................................................188 40. TRANSPORTATION TO CAMPUS.................................................................. 189 41. TRANSPORTATION AROUND CAMPUS..................................................... 42. PARKING ON CAMPUS...................................................................................191 43. CHILD CARE DURING CLASS HOURS..........................................................192 44. LOCKER SPACE ON CAMPUS...................................................................... 193 45. LUNCH AND DINNER FACILITIES..............................................................194 46. MEETING OTHER ADULT STUDENTS .................................................... 47. GAINING INFORMATION ABOUT UNIVERSITY FUNCTIONS (LECTURES, CONCERTS, SPEAKERS).............................................. 196 48. MEETING FACULTY AND ADVISORS .................................................... 49. PERSONAL COUNSELING.............................................................................. 198 50. CONFIDENCE IN ABILITY TO DO WELLIN COLLEGE................................199 51. SUPPORT FROM SPOUSE AND FAMILY.....................................................200 x ii 190 195 197 CHAPTER I PURPOSE AND ORGANIZATION Introduction In the mid-1970s, the adult learner is becoming a common sight on American campuses. Older students are no longer considered educational anomalies by professors and younger students. P re s tig ­ ious task forces and lengthy conmlssion reports discuss problems and programs fo r life lo n g le arn e rs , but often without consulting the re­ cipients o f the concern. Before b en eficial changes can be conceived w ithin any system, the individual members must be polled and In fo r ­ mation system atically gathered about th e ir perceived concerns. On the basis of such Inform ation, changes can be considered which might b e tte r serve the students. The Task Force on Lifelong Education a t Michigan State Uni­ v e rs ity has said: Lifelong education implies fo r a ll colleges and u n ive rs i­ tie s a re s p o n s ib ility to recognize, a n tic ip a te , and a s s is t 1n meeting the needs o f individuals and groupsJ V ask Force on Lifelong Education, Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , The Lifelong U niversity (East Lansing, Michigan: Board o f Trustees, 1973), p. 6. 2 I t Is 1n the s p ir it o f recognizing, a n tic ip a tin g , and assisting in meeting needs that the following d is s e rta tio n has been undertaken. The typology presented is a beginning in the assessment of educa­ tional needs of adult students in higher education in the 1970s. Purpose o f the Study The major purpose o f the research is to id e n tify the ex­ pressed needs of the population of adu lt students attending M ichi­ gan State U niversity in academic 1974-1975 and to te s t i f and to what extent these expressed needs may be a lte re d during two terms of study. The study sets three tasks: 1) id e n tify the adult stu­ dents returning to the u n ive rs ity s ettin g by age, sex, curriculum, and problems; 2) c la s s ify problems perceived by the adult students according to category and level of d if f ic u lt y p rio r to entry and a fte r two terms of study; and 3) rfelJbrt changes which occur in the expressed problems during two terms w ith in the u n ive rs ity stru ctu re. The topic has been selected as the re s u lt o f the researcher's increasing awareness o f problems faced by adu lt students. The aware­ ness has developed through the researcher's personal experiences in teaching reading and learning s k ills to a d u lts , assistin g with courses in the Evening College, and observing adult students a t Michigan State U n iversity over the past decade. In a d d itio n , a fte r 3 extensive reading and study in the f ie ld of higher education, the researcher believes a needs assessment is required before overt action can be in it ia te d to solve the problems of the population represented here. Rationale fo r the Study The ra tio n a le fo r the study is indicated in recent research reports and statements by a u th o ritie s In higher and continuing edu­ catio n . S ta tis tic a l reports from U.S. government sources note th a t increasing numbers o f older-than-average students are returning to higher education or beginning t o t a lly new fie ld s o f study fo r the f i r s t tim e. The Bureau of Census recen tly reported a 30.1 percent increase (between 1973 and 1974) in p art-tim e enrollments in degree programs a t colleges and u n iv e rs itie s fo r students over 35 years of age. The report also states th a t the over-35 group now constitutes 11.6 percent o f the to ta l enrollments in colleges and u n iv e rs itie s . An e a r lie r report from the Department o f H ealth, Education, and Welfare, Perspectives of Adult Education in the United States and a Projection fo r the Future, states; The education of adults is a rap id ly expanding area in American education. Thus adult and continuing education 2 U.S. Bureau of Census Survey as reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol X, No. 4 (March 17, 1975), p. 1. 2 4 education 1s becoming a major f i e l d o f research In a number o f leading uni v e r s if ie s .3 A U .S. Department o f Labor survey, reported in the Monthly Labor Review, points out th a t 1.5 m illio n adults 35 years o f age and over were en ro lled in or attending school in October 1972. “Somewhat over h a lf were e n ro lled in c o lle g e , including graduate schools (7 8 0 ,0 0 0 ). In the American Council on Education's research re p o rt, “Older Freshmen": Do They D if fe r from “Typical Undergraduates"?, Holmstrom s ta te s : "The number of students who delay co lleg e en try seems to be s te a d ily in c re a s in g ." Holmstrom projects d eclin in g per­ centages o f students aged 18 to 21 e n ro llin g in college w ith increas­ ing numbers o f older students, an inverse re la tio n s h ip to past trends in higher education. 5 The preceding studies are c ite d to emphasize the growing trend toward increasing numbers o f old er-th an -averag e students in colleges and u n iv e rs itie s in the United S ta te s . Further awareness 3 U.S. Department o f H ea lth , Education, and W elfare, Perspec­ tives o f A dult Education in the United States and a P rojection fo r the Future (Washington, D .C .: U.S. Government P rin tin g O ffic e , 1972), p. 30. 4 Anne M. Young, “Going Back to School a t 35," Monthly Labor Review (October 1973), p. 39. 5 Engin I . Holmstrom, “Older Freshmen": Do They D if f e r from “Typical Undergraduates"?, ACE Research Reports, V o l. 8 , No. 7 (October 1973), O ffic e o f Research, American Council on Education, U n iv e rs ity o f C a l i f . , Los Angeles, p. 1. 5 o f the increasing numbers and needs o f such students is illu s t r a t e d by recent studies o f Cross and V alley,® Hesburgh, M i l l e r , and Wharton, 7 and Gould. 8 These and other leaders in the f ie l d o f continu­ ing education have sensed th is growth and have spoken to the issue. Glass and Harshberger discuss the Issue o f growing numbers: In c re a s in g ly , however, we fin d adults in t h e ir middle years forsaking t h e ir tr a d itio n a l roles in society and retu rn in g to the higher education classroom f u ll- t im e , and fo r extended periods o f tim e .9 C yril Houle, Professor o f Continuing Education, U n iv e rs ity o f Chicago, characterizes the fu tu re : A swing away from a c c u ltu ra tio n o f the young as a major goal o f higher education, and a powerful th ru s t toward lif e - lo n g learning . . . . A sw elling o f the number of middle-aged or old er c itiz e n s who seek broader and more lib e r a l forms o f education.^® ® P a tricia Cross and John V a lle y and A ssociates, Planning N on-Traditional Programs (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass C o ., 1974). ^Theodore M. Hesburgh, Paul A. M i l l e r , and C lifto n R. Whar­ ton, J r . , Patterns fo r L ifelo n g Learning (San Francisco: JosseyBass C o ., 1973). g Samual Gould, D iv e rs ity by Design (San Francisco: JosseyBass C o ., 1973). g J . Conrad Glass, J r . , and Richard F. harshberger, "The F u ll-T im e , Middle-Aged Student in Higher Education," Journal o f Higher Education, V ol. XLV, No. 3 (March 1974), p. 211. ^John V a le n tin e , “The L ib eral Arts College and the Exper­ ienced Learner," Adult Leadership (February 1975), p. 239. 6 The Carnegie Commission is even more positive th a t the age of mass higher education is here and it s problems cannot be shunted o ff to the futu re. Reform on Campus s ta te s : The student community is now highly diverse in a b i lit y , in achievement, in ethnic and p o litic a l o rie n ta tio n , in age, and in academic and occupational in te re s ts —and i t is becoming more so. This requires more v a rie ty of courses and programs, and d iffe r e n tia tio n in standards of performance. The age o f mass education is h e re .^ Wharton, President of Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , relates ex­ panding ad u lt education d ire c tly to th a t in s titu tio n when he states his b e lie f th a t life lo n g education w ill eventually become as impor­ tan t as undergraduate education is today. “Michigan State Univer­ s it y , and other u n iv e rs itie s , can no longer a ffo rd to concentrate p rim arily on the 18-24-year-old population. ing o ff the college age." We must take the c e il- 12 The fa c t th a t there are increasing numbers of adult students in higher education is one important ra tio n a le fo r th is study. Equally important is the fa c t th a t, tr a d it io n a lly , adult learners have been processed through the u n iv e rs ity stru ctu re in almost exactly the same manner as, and often with less assistance than, ^C arnegie Commission, Reform on Campus (New York: H ill Co., June 1972), p. 23. McGraw- 12 Roger R ic k liff s , "Wooing the Adult Student," Change (March 1974), p. 23. 7 regularly enrolled college students. Rauch decries the r ig id it y of the university system: We have found, by experience, th a t the " tra d itio n a l" methods which were developed fo r children and youth, ra re ly s u it the needs of a d u lts . This is as true of basic lite r a c y programs as i t is o f undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Adult continuing education people on the college and u n iv e rs ity level have only recently become interested in s p e c ific needs o f the adult le a rn e r= P rio r to the end of World War I I , there was ra re ly such a thing as an adu lt on a college campus. In the e a rly f i f t i e s , when adu lt higher education stu­ dents were beginning to be noticed, they s t i l l were subject to the academic rig o rs o f freshman week, com­ pulsory physical education (th a t was not only unsuit­ able but possibly dangerous), ROTC and other req u ire­ ments o r ig in a lly established fo r youth . . . . As the number of campus adults grew, they organized themselves to protest . . . . Mature a d u lts , they pointed o ut, needed a d iffe r e n t kind of learning s itu a tio n . . . . Ideas fo r d iffe r e n t formats fo r older students gradu­ a lly developed. Knowles, the author of many texts on adult learning , has labeled the growing adult student population a "Neglected Species." He believes th a t “the primary and Immediate mission of every adu lt educator is to help individuals s a tis fy th e ir needs and achieve th e ir goals." 15 Knowles states the imperative fo r continuous re ­ diagnosis and assessment when he says: 13 David B. Rauch, "Open fo r Discussion," Adult Leadership (November 1974), p. 157. 14 Malcolm Knowles, The Adult Learners, A Neglected Species (Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing C o., 1973). 15 Malcolm Knowles, The Modem Practice o f Adult Education (New York: Association Press, 1971), p. 23. 14 8 I should lik e to add a f i f t h dimension which springs d ire c tly from the fundamental conception o f adult edu­ cation as continuing education— rediagnosis of learn ­ ing needs. I f every learning experience is to lead to fu rth e r learn in g , as continuing education im plies, then every evaluation process should include some pro­ vision fo r helping the learners re-examine th e ir models of desired competencies and reassess the discrepancies between the model and th e ir newly developed levels of competencies. Thus re p e titio n o f the diagnostic phase becomes an in teg ral p art o f the evaluation phaseJ6 The ra tio n a le fo r diagnosing learning needs becomes apparent when one considers th a t the marketplaces of higher education have changed d ra s tic a lly during the past decade. In 1965 there were in ­ creasing numbers of youth consumers, vast fe d e ra lly supported pro­ grams, and a general over-abundance in every respect. In 1975 there are a diminishing b irth ra te , an austere outlook in federal funding, and a radical change in public response to education. Colleges and u n iv e rs itie s no longer can cater exclusively to the youth market. Economic survival requires th a t new markets be developed, and the trend in 1975 is toward higher education as a life lo n g process which need not necessarily be completed during the f i r s t two decades of life . The ultim ate issue confronting higher a d u lt education in the 1970's is that of s u rv iv a l. The pressure of so­ c ie ta l need fo r massive, re le v a n t, and dynamic programs fo r the continuing education of adults is becoming so great that i f i t cannot be s a tis fie d w ith in our i n s t i­ tutions of higher education, i t w ill be s a tis fie d ^Knowles, The Adult Learner, A Neglected Species, p. 122. 9 outside them. U niversity adult educators are increas­ ingly apprehensive over competition from big business. C le a rly , the survival of higher adu lt education as a u n iversity function is threatened unless u n iversity policy-makers successfully resolve the issues now confronting them.l? This is the conclusion of the American Council on Educa­ tio n 's Report, Higher Education in the U.S. The ideas of survival related to our rap id ly changing society and the need fo r educa­ tional e ffic ie n c ie s are combined in Simons's thinking: With our m aterial c iv iliz a t io n changing ra p id ly , and also with rapid changes in the s o c ia l, economic, and p o litic a l patterns of society, the education o f adults to adjust and carry on this c iv iliz a t io n must change or a t le a s t be fle x ib le enough to change. I t should be con tin u ally re-evaluated. Its o b jec tive s , as well as it s techniques and methods o f operation, should be continually examined. Educational e ffic ie n c ie s need to be improved and present adm inistrative practices require d ra stic changing.18 In the words of the w rite rs quoted here, there is an imperative fo r continuous assessment and re-evalu ation o f needs and resources in order to keep pace with the 1970s demands in higher education. We are becoming a "learning society," and th is has im plications fo r future generations o f adult learners. D.C.: ^Malcolm Knowles, Higher Education in the U.S. (Washington, American Council on Education, 1969), p. 46. 18 ton: Walton has recognized that Joseph Simons, Problems of the American U niversity (Bos­ Christopher Publishing House, 1967), p. 44. 10 "learning in the society a t large is a way of l i f e , a ll through l i f e , and w il l become more so." He goes on to say: Adults have numerous needs to be met in education. Conditions of careers and occupations are changing rapidly: prerequisites to employment, requisites of continued employment, refresher-study and re train in g to keep up, even the concept of gainful employment i t s e l f . Engineers, executives, and professors have to prepare fo r new occupations in midcareer; women, to have a proportionate share of the availab le jobs, even on college campuses, must prepare in la rg er numbers to compete on equal terms with men. Con­ s tru c tiv e use of le is u re time too becomes more im­ portant, and fo r more years, as life -s p a n creeps upward.*9 As Walton points out, i t is not only the needs fo r career and voca­ tional education that w il l motivate adcrlt ’Teaming, but also the desire fo r personal growth and f u lf illm e n t which w il l lure older students to return to higher education. I t is also the d iv e rs ity of the demands of this group which highlights the ratio n ale fo r needs assessment. In conclusion, the ration ale fo r the study has been i l l u s ­ trated by research reports on the increasing numbers of older-thanaverage students, by au th o rities c itin g the move toward life lo n g learning, and by the lit e r a t u r e in the f i e l d which c alls fo r more f l e x i b i l i t y and increased programming fo r adult learners. The Wesley W. Walton, "New Paths fo r Adult Learning" in Planning Non-Traditional Programs, Cross and V a lle y , eds. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Co., 1974), p. 95. 11 rapidly changing pace o f society is also considered a reason fo r ex­ panding and evaluating present programs. Much of this decades' re­ search points to the need fo r u n ive rs itie s to become more sensitive to the requirements of students in order to survive as well as to b etter serve the c lie n te le . Bennis has pointed out the humanistic aspects o f the situ a tio n : I t i s n ' t only for economic reasons that this "new c l i ­ entele" should be encouraged. (At the present time i t is anything but encouraged; tr y c a llin g your local college or university to ask how to re g is te r as a p a rttime student in order to take one graduate course dur­ ing the day.) I t ' s ju s t possible th a t "older people" (over tw en ty-five) may enrich and animate our campuses in a way that hasn't occurred since the golden days of the G .I. B ill o f Rights. I t ' s ju s t possible that people with work experience, plus commitment to learning, w il l turn out to be the best students we've ever had. I t ' s ju s t possible that age d iv e rs ity may be as exciting as ethnic and religious d iv e rs ity (and perhaps more so— I suspect th a t there w ill be f a r greater integration among the ages than has yet arrived among the races) . . . . In sum, I believe that changes in higher edu­ cation during the Seventies w il l come about not merely fo r the sake o f change but rather fo r the sake of humanity.20 I t is clear that adult education w ill continue to grow in importance, and in order to meet the new and changing demands that educators w ill face, i t would be most useful— indeed, ess en tia l— to define the needs of the population. 20 Warren Bennis, "The University Leader," Saturday Review (December 9, 1972), p. 50. 12 Research Questions In order to f u l l y understand the purposes o f the research, i t is useful to divide the research questions into two categories. The f i r s t deals with the descriptive nature of the research, that is , the demographic relatio n sh ip s, including age, sex, marital status, curriculum, c la s s ific a tio n , educational le v e l, and previous formal education. QUESTION I : What are the c h a racteristics of the adult students entering Michigan State University in 1974-1975? A. What age groups are represented? B. What is the sex r a tio between meTT'amd women? C. What percentage is married? D. What percentage is represented in each curriculum grouping? E. Into which class levels are the subjects divided (fo r example, freshman, sophomore, ju n io r , senior, graduate? F. What is the previous educational experience o f the re ­ spondents (college or u n iv e rs ity , community college, business school)? G. How many years have elapsed since the la s t formal edu­ cation experience? What percentage is single? The second category of information gathered in the research concerns the s t a t is t ic a l data which were tested to determine levels of significance. 13 QUESTION I I : Is there a s ig n ific a n t lin e a r relatio n sh ip be­ tween the expressed problems in Fall term 1974 (Questionnaire I ) and the expressed problems in Spring term 1975 (Questionnaire II)? The Pearson Product Moment C orrelation w i l l be used to te s t the lin e a r re la tio n s h ip between Questionnaire I and Questionnaire I I The c o rre la tio n s w ill determine the degree o f re la tio n s h ip between the two questionnaires a t the .05 level of s ig n ific a n c e . QUESTION I I I: Are there s ig n ific a n t d iffe re n c e s between the expected frequencies and the obtained frequencies of the prob­ lem v ariab les expressed by groups varying in demographic char­ a c te r is tic s ? The Chi Square Test w i l l be u t i liz e d in testing d ifferences of each v a ria b le as perceived by each subgroup w ith in the sample. The s ig n ific a n t tests a t the .05 level w il l be reported, accompanied by a description of the v a r ia t io n within the groups. The major purpose o f a l l testing completed on the data is to describe the population under study as thoroughly as possible. In summary, Question I w ill consider the demographic description of the subjects, Question I I w ill describe the changes in responses between Questionnaire 1 and Questionnaire I I , and Question I I I w ill describe the re la tio n s h ip s between the problems and the demographic d i f f e r ­ ences w ith in the population. 14 The findings related to the research questions w i l l be re­ ported in Chapter IV, and the conclusions w ill be reported in Chapter V. Limitations of the Study The major lim ita tio n s of the study include those re la te d to the d iv e rs ity of the group, the setting of the in s t it u t io n , and the general factors involved in survey research. A major drawback of the present study is that i t constitutes a measure of a p a r tic u la r group of students a t one point in time. Due to the great d iv e rs ity of this group and the fa c t that many students are p a rt-tim e , the basic nature of the group may change from year to year. I t should be understood that the population studied here is representative of a la rg e, midwestern, public u n ive rs ity. Many of the conclusions may be relevant only to the setting o f the study. I t is possible that the types of problems Indicated In the research also might be found in sim ila r populations in other types o f educa­ tional in s titu tio n s , but this conclusion is not assumed. The data which determined the population to be studied were based on computer tabulations of the Admissions Office and R egistrar's O ffice records a t Michigan State U n ive rs ity. The number and the 15 demographic information are lim ited to the v a li d i t y of the computer printouts obtained from these sources. The lim itin g factors placed on a mailed questionnaire have been the subject of much research. Due to tion this lim ita tio n was e s s e n tia l. Allen the size o f thepopula­ defends the use of a questionnaire format fo r gathering data: Of course, data from a questionnaire may not be r e lia b le , but the same could be said fo r data collected by any other method i f improper collectio n techniques were used. On the other hand, data may be extremely r e lia b le when collected by using a properly designed, pretested, and properly administered questionnaire.21 Borg also speaks to the issue of the design and use of question­ naires in compiling educational research data: Among the various methods o f descriptive research, the questionnaire survey is by fa r the most widely used In education. The questionnaire survey can bea very v a l­ uable technique in helping us to understand the current s itu a tio n in some p a rtic u la r educational area . . . . Few graduate students embarking upon a questionnaire survey r e a liz e the d i f f i c u l t i e s involved in planning and carrying out a s a tis fa c to ry study of th is typ e .22 The researcher is f u l ly aware of the lim ita tio n s o f survey research, but due to the size of the population, th is method was essen tial. 21 George Ft. A lle n , The Graduate Students1 Guide to Theses and Dissertations {San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Co., 1973), p. 52. 22 Walter R. Borg, Educational Research, An Introduction (New York: David McKay Co., 1965), pp. 204-205. 16 I t is assumed th a t the lim ita tio n s of the study Include the parameters set by the d iv e r s it y o f the group, the s e ttin g of the i n s t i t u t i o n , the v a l i d i t y o f the data ta b u la tio n s , and the c o n s tric ­ tions placed on survey research by the nature o f the instrument. D e fin itio n of Terms C ertain terminology is used in the research in a s p e c ific sense. To avoid confusion and enhance c l a r i t y , some o f the terms w i l l be defined and discussed. "Typology" is defined in Webster's Third New In te rn a tio n a l Unabridged D ictionary as "a doctrine or theory of types . . . study based on types . . . a a c la s s ific a tio n or hierarchy to be used in re la tio n s h ip to the 51 v ariab les being tes te d . The most controversial term used in the study is " a d u lt." The l i t e r a t u r e is divided on a d e f in it io n , and c o n f lic t is most evident 1n attempts to e s ta b lis h age c r i t e r i a . The American College Dictionary states: "a d u lt"— having attained f u l l size and stren g th , grown up, mature." The d e f in it io n goes on to d istin g u ish between the coninon law age d is tin c tio n of 21 years and the c i v i l law 23 Webster's Third New In te rn a tio n a l Unabridged D ictio n ary (S p rin g fie ld , Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Co., 1964), p. 2477. 17 d e fin itio n o f 14 years fo r males and 12 years o f age fo r females. (The common law age is now 18.) 24 The American H eritage Dictionary adds another dimension with "noun: one who has gained maturity or legal age; a d j. 1 2 f u l l y developed, mature, p ertain in g to b e f it t i n g or intended fo r mature persons: a d u lt education." 25 Within the f i e l d of adu lt education there is considerable controversy over a precise d e f i n i t i o n . The Handbook of Adult Educa­ tion deals with the problem of age d elin ea tio n from several perspec­ tives: Verner defines adults as those "under f o r t y , " while Johns­ tone and Rivera label everyone "over twenty-one" as a d u lt and de­ fin e a d u lt p a rtic ip a n ts as those under 40 who have completed high school. 26 Houle defines adults as anyone over 18 years o f age, 27 Erickson presented strong arguments f o r using 26 years of age as the best c u t - o f f point in her research on a d u lt students. 24 (New York: At th is Clarence, Barnhart ( e d . ) , The American College D ictio n ary Harper & Brothers, 1970), p. 17. 25 W illiam Morris ( e d .) , The American H eritage D ictionary of the English Language (Boston: H o u g h to n -M ifflin , 1969), p. 18. 26 York: Robert M. Smith, e t a l . , Handbook of Adult Education (New Macmillan Co., 1970), p. 39. ^ C y r i l 0. Houle, "Lifelong Learning in the Near Future," Address before the State Meeting o f Community School D ire c to rs , Com­ munity College Personnel, and Adult Education Personnel, Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 14, 1974. 18 age, the a d u lt undergraduate would have been away from formal education fo r as long as eig ht years. 28 In a dd itio n to Erickson's cogent argument, the decision to use 26 years of age as the c u t - o f f point in th is study was based on a review o f Michigan State U n ive rs ity admissions data a v a ila b le on the general student population as defined by ages. Despite the fa c t that the present research includes graduate students who may not have been away from schooling fo r an extended period, the re ­ searcher believes those 26 and over w i l l present a complete p ictu re of adult students attending Michigan State U n iv e rs ity . Specific age divisions w i l l be studied to compare d ifferences in problems between age groups. "Expressed needs" r e f e r to those indicated on the question­ naire responses. (See Appendix A .) Generally, these needs have been defined w ith in the context o f the p ra c tic a l necessities fo r r e la tiv e success w ith in the system. The p a r tic u la r l i s t used here is based on a review of past research, recommendations o f the re ­ searcher's advisory committee, and personal experience in working with adu lt students a t Michigan State U n iv e rs ity . ^ M ild r e d B. Erickson, "An Analysis of Selected C haracteris­ tics and Needs o f Adult Undergraduate Students Attending Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , Fall Term 1966" (Unpublished doctoral d is s e rta ­ tio n , Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , E. Lansing, M ichigan), p. 19. 19 "Prior to Entry" refers to the period September 3 to Septem­ ber 30, 1974 during which time participants were requested to return t h e ir responses* The c r ite r io n was designed to give the students an opportunity to respond a f t e r they had completed re g istra tio n proced­ ures, but many of them returned the completed questionnaires before registering and thus were unable to mention any problems encountered during re g is tra tio n . At Michigan State U niversity, a "term" is a ten-week period of course work. In academic year 1974-1975, Fall term extended from September 25 to December 6 , 1974, Winter term from January 3 to March 15, 1975, and Spring term from March 25 to June 6, 1975. A lapse of two terms would include a span o f time from September 25, 1974 to March 15, 1975. ^Questionnaire I" in the discussion refers to the questionnaire mailed on September 3, 1974. "Questionnaire I I " indicates an id en tical questionnaire (without demographic questions) mailed on March 3, 1975. "Students" are defined as males or females over 26 years of age enrolled fo r any c re d it course at Michigan State U niversity. Both undergraduates and graduate students are included to give a broader picture of the adult student population. No d i f f e r e n t ia ­ tion is made between f u l l - and part-tim e students or degree and nondegree s ta tu s . 20 An Overview Chapter I has focused on the general s tru c tu re of the r e ­ search. The purpose and ra tio n a le o f the study have been illu ­ s tra te d with supportive data and statements from a u th o ritie s in the fie ld . The scope, lim it a t io n s , and s e ttin g of the research have been described, Chapter tific and pertinent terms have been defined and discussed. II includes a thorough review o f c r i t i c a l and scien­ research and l i t e r a t u r e . The survey includes those m aterials a v a ila b le p rio r to A p ril 1, 1975. Chapter I I I describes the population s tu d ie d , the research design, and the procedures u t i l i z e d in In te rp re tin g the data. Chapter IV contains the s t a t i s t i c a l tables and analyzes the data gathered in the study. Each ta b le is accompanied by a b r i e f discussion. Chapter V summarizes the re s u lts o f the research, o ffe rs suggestions fo r fu tu re research, and discusses the im plications o f the study. CHAPTER I I REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction Chapter I I encompasses a review of the l i t e r a t u r e concern­ ing the problems and c h a ra c te ris tic s o f a d u lt learners as they re ­ la t e to the f i e l d o f higher continuing education. In categorizing the research In the f i e l d , the framework suggested by Bryson defines two types of thinkin g : One, which can best be described as " s c i e n t i f i c , " is marked by the f a c t th a t i t is devoted to one value only, the v e r i f i a b l e t r u th . The o th e r, which we w i l l c a ll the " c r i t i c a l , " is devoted to the persuasive ex­ pression o f well-founded opinion; in th is c r i t i c a l w ritin g other values, in additton to s c i e n t i f i c tr u th , are taken into account . . . . Good c r i t i c a l w rite rs are scholars who are as scrupulous as any s c ie n tis t in s tic k in g to the fac ts when fa c ts are involved; t h e ir in te rp re ta tio n s and opinions are thoroughly lo g ic a l. And many s c ie n tis ts exercise t h e ir r ig h t as human beings to draw opinions from t h e ir knowledge.29 Bryson's d is tin c tio n s w i l l be u t i l i z e d in presenting the r e ­ view o f l i t e r a t u r e . The f i r s t s ec tio n , " C r it ic a l L it e r a t u r e ," w il l 29 Lyman Bryson (e d .) An O u tlin e of Man's Knowledge o f the Modern World (New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, I n c . , 1960), p. 5. 21 22 include a b r i e f discussion o f the development o f adult programs in higher education, the needs of adults as perceived by leaders 1n the f i e l d , and commission reports containing projections fo r future programs and study, including u n iversity reports re la tin g s p e c ific ­ a lly to Michigan State U n ive rs ity. The second section, " S c ie n tific L ite ra tu re ," w il l discuss d is se rtatio n research and funded projects which focus on the problems o f adult learners. I t is impractical to attempt to include a l l lit e r a t u r e in the area of higher adult education in one review. With th is in mind, the researcher has attempted to discuss a representative sample of the f i e l d . C r itic a l L ite ra tu re The need fo r research and sound theory in American adult education was recognized by such leaders as Lindeman and Overstreet in the 1920l s and 1930's. Although adult education was a recognized need over fo r ty years ago, lim ited funding and lack o f trained leadership delayed the develop­ ment of the theoretical base o f adult higher education u n til the early 1950s. In 1951 the Adult Education Association was organized, and the Fund fo r Adult Education was established with support from the Ford Foundation. 30 In a d d itio n , the Center fo r the Study of Smith, e t a l . , op. c i t . , p. 137. 23 Liberal Education for Adults was founded a t Syracuse University in 1951 and became the philosophical center of the adult learning move­ ment. Many of the leaders in university continuing education par­ ticip a ted in the a c t iv it ie s of the center. The la te John B. Schwertman, one o f the in te lle c tu a l leaders of CSLEA in the 1950s, gave two basic reasons fo r college level in te re s t in adult educa­ tio n. F i r s t , adult education has become c r u c ia lly important in the economic survival of the American u n iv e rs ity , and adult students bring in needed funds. Second, on a higher plane, adults present a great in te lle c tu a l challenge in a college s e ttin g . "The role of adult education in our kind of society has the greatest implica­ tions fo r conditions under which we work, l i v e , and teach. As a respectable f i e l d of in te lle c tu a l in q u iry, a d u lt education can well demand a professional commitment from at least some college teachers. In one CSLEA paper, Horn spoke to the issue of why adults require continuing education: Rapid changes in technology and in the nature of job requirements resulting therefrom, w ill require almost constant continuing formal study regardless o f occupa­ tio n . Job tenure or success in the future w ill depend upon keeping up with advances being made in the p a r tic ­ ular vocational s p e c ia lty , whether i t is accounting 31 Marilyn V. M i l l e r , On Teaching Adults: An Anthology, CSLEA, Notes and Essays on Education for Adults, No. 32, Chicago, 1960, p. 3, 24 or salesmanship, teaching or social work, law or medi­ cine. The conditions of contemporary liv in g which almost drive adults to turn to educational in s titu tio n s fo r knowledge, understanding and help are aggravated by two other characteristics o f our society which enforce the need and the desire fo r continuing education. These are greater leisure and greater longevity. Carey, another CSLEA con trib u to r, illu s t r a t e s the human­ is t i c approach evident in much o f the research of the Center. In s titu tio n s no they may be are attitud es toward one can a t le a s t might change the The work o f matter how complex and monolithic made up of people, and i f th e ir what is important are c r u c ia l, conceive of circumstances which basic a t t it u d e s .33 the Center fo r the for Adults marks the beginning cation in u n iv e rs itie s . Study of Liberal Education of a philosophic base fo r adult edu­ From this beginning, the f i e l d moved into empirical research and s u b stan tially funded commission studies, such as those conducted by the Carnegie Commission. The Carnegie Comnission on Higher Education has devoted six years to an in-depth analysis of higher education f a c i l i t i e s and 32 Francis H. Horn, Promoting High Standards of Professional Excel!ence CSLEA Occasional Paper No. 9, 1964, pp. 4-5. 33 James T. Carey, Forms and Forces in University Adult Edu­ cation (Chicago: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education fo r Adults, 1961), p. 23. 25 projections fo r the fu tu re . 34 The New Students and New Places por­ tion of the Carnegie reports addresses the issue of adult students in higher education: Along with the continuation o f recent trends, we a n tic ­ ipate a new type o f development as perhaps the predom­ inant c h a ra c te ris tic of the la s t three decades of the present century— a movement away from p a rtic ip a tio n in formal In s titu tio n a l higher education in the years im­ mediately following high school toward a more f r e e flowing pattern of p a rtic ip a tio n spread over a broader ^ span of years, perhaps well into middle age and beyond. * Much of the Carnegie research re fle c ts s im ila r ideas th a t education w ill become a lif e tim e process and that high school graduates w ill move away from the pattern of continuous schooling from kindergarten through college. One portion o f the Carnegie series focuses s p e c ific a lly on higher education and the adult learner; Less Time, More Options sets fo rth basic recomnendations to change the general flow of students into and through the formal structure of higher education 34 Carnegie Commission, P r io r it ie s fo r Action: Final Report of the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education (New York: McGrawH ill Book Co., 1973). 35 York: Carnegie Commission, New Students and New Places (New McGraw-Hill Book Co., October 1971), p. 39. r 26 in the United States. 36 I t states that "opportunities fo r higher education and the degrees i t affords should be a v a ila b le to persons throughout t h e i r life tim e s and not ju s t immediately a f t e r high school." 37 A ll of the report's recommendations point to greater f l e x i b i l i t y , less emphasis on cred e n tia ls , and more life lo n g learn­ ing patterns. The section e n title d " P o s s ib ilitie s o f Improvement" suggests th a t educational opportunities could be made more appro­ p ria te to life lo n g In te re s ts . We suggest more chances fo r reentry by adults into f o r ­ mal education, more short-term programs leading to cer­ t i f i c a t e s , and generally, more stress on life lo n g learn­ ing. We oppose the sharp d is tin c tio n s now made among f u ll-t im e students, part-tim e students and adult stu­ dents. Education should become more a part of a l l of l i f e , not ju s t an isolated part of l i f e . An educational interlude in the middle ranges o f l i f e deserves consid­ e ra tio n .^ Another portion o f Carnegie funded research was completed by the Comnission on Non-Traditional Study, chaired by Samuel Gould. 39 As the re s u lt o f his work, Gould stresses the special needs of the "new student" and the concepts o f modern technology in education. 36 The Carnegie Cotnnisslon on Higher Education, Less Time, More Options, Education Beyond the High School (New York: McGrawH ill Book Co., January 1971). 371bid. , p. 1 38 I b i d . , p. 11. 39 Samuel B. Gould, D iv e rs ity by Design (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1973). 27 He c a lls fo r recurrent and continuous education accompanied by con­ tinuous evaluation of programs and resources. He admonishes edu­ cators: We should have learned by now that the key to education fo r the future is a sense o f individual re sp o n sib ility in each student fo r choosing* with guidance when neces­ sary, the type o f education which w ill b e n e fit him or her most. The Conmission on Non-Traditional Study focuses on the needs of a d u lt learners In both formal and nonformal setting s. Gould has been quoted as saying that “higher education today is c le a rly not meeting the needs o f a changing social structure or a vast popula­ tio n of u n a ffilia te d students— veterans, housewives, or older c i t i ­ zens . The research of the Carnegie Commission has contributed s ig n ific a n tly to the theoretical knowledge about adult learners and th e ir problems and programs. A major contribution has been the focus on a d u lt learners as a group worthy of study and assis­ tance . In addition to e ffo rts such as those of the Carnegie Com­ mission, university-based research has contributed valuable insights and recommendations. 40 Michigan State University has been the center Ib id . , p. 38. 41 ■ Educational Testing Service, "Commission on Non-Traditional Study Develops Action Program," ETS Developments, Vol. X V III , No. 3 (Spring 1971), p. 1. 28 of several major commission studies which have contributed to the body of knowledge on problems of adult learners. A 1967 study re­ lated to the present research was conducted by a committee of facu lty members spanning a l l departments on the undergraduate level 4? ' One section of the report, "For Future Study," recognizes the needs o f the "more mature students": The education of men and women who, fo r a number of reasons, cannot re g iste r for regular university pro­ grams is a matter of concern on many campuses, Em­ ployment and family re s p o n s ib ilitie s r e s t r ic t some interested people to slow progress; some may enroll only fo r courses offered in the evening. Yet many people who liv e within commuting distance of the university are sincerely interested in a college education and wish to earn the degree which w ill provide them with increased a b i l i t i e s to o ffe r th e ir employers, as well as the personal s a tis fa c ­ tion they have previously been unable to achieve. To serve this group adequately one must be con­ cerned not only with the instructional needs of the more mature student, but also with special problems associated with f a c i l i t a t i n g th e ir advising and en­ rollment in periods when the u n iversity offices nor­ mally are not open. In p a rtic u la r i t is necessary to provide facu lty o ff ic e hours, advising f a c i l i ­ tie s and course offerings several evenings per week and perhaps on Saturday mornings as w e l l . 43 I t should be noted that the report focuses only on undergraduate problems, although i t does include concerns o f mature students. 42 Report of the Committee on Undergraduate Education, Im­ proving Undergraduate Education, Michigan State University 1967 (East Lansing, 1967), 43 I b i d . , p. 126, 29 The W. K. Kellogg study, funded in 1971, has resulted in two volumes concerning the needs of adult students in the univer­ s ity setting . The f i r s t of these, a Task Force report e n title d The Lifelong U n iv e rs ity , was published as an "in-house" report by the Michigan State University Board of Trustees. 44 The report attempts to define life lo n g learning and to make substantial recommendations. The Task Force, composed of 22 deans and profes­ sors and a multitude of resource persons, stated that "the educa­ tional needs of a large segment of our present population are not now being met by the existing formal educational system." 45 The report offered 67 separate recommendations, including expanded ad­ missions c r i t e r i a , more f le x ib le re g is tra tio n procedures, suppor­ t iv e services, improved parking f a c i l i t i e s , a special o rientation program for nonconventional students, more f l e x i b i l i t y in c re d it tra n s fe r, more ease in scheduling and access to f a c i l i t i e s a t nontra d itio n a l times (evenings, weekends, summers), time options fo r degree completion, and c re d it fo r past " l i f e experiences." The re­ port also mandates information and assistance centers, aid and in ­ formation concerning university services, fin an cial a id , and spe­ c ial advising fo r the life lo n g le a r n e r .4^ 44 Task Force on Lifelong Education, op. c i t . 45I b i d . , p. 16. 4 6 I b i d . , pp. 1 8 - 6 1 . 30 A major contribution to the lit e r a t u r e , The Lifelong Univer­ s ity is a c a re fu lly structured, practical manual fo r changes which would f a c i l i t a t e the progress of adult learners. I t is important to note that The Lifelong University has been published in it s en­ t i r e t y as a section of a tr iu n iv e r s ity e f f o r t e n t it le d Patterns for Lifelong Learning. Patterns fo r Lifelong Learning presents the approaches of three d iffe r e n t in s titu tio n s to the problems o f life lo n g learners.4^ I t deals with many of the changing educational needs of adults as they progress through l i f e : “The changing nature o f our society requires v ir t u a lly a l l citizens to gain new s k i l l s and in te lle c tu a l orientations throughout th e ir liv e s ." 48 One o f the key ideas in the book 1s that each university should renew i t s conriitments as well as id e n tify the resources necessary to meet i t s resp o n sib ility to life lo n g learning. I t is a w e ll-w ritte n t r e a tis e on higher edu­ cation theory and practice. The review o f the c r i t i c a l lit e r a t u r e has attempted to f o l ­ low the thread of development from the CSLEA studies of the 1950s through the commission and task force studies of the mid-1970s. The references r e f le c t the problems o f adult learners in the higher 47 Theodore M„ Hesburgh, Paul A. M ille r , and C lifto n R. Wharton, J r . , Patterns for Lifelong Learning (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1973). 48lb i d o, p. 3. 31 education setting in a general sense, and i t was upon th is theoret­ ical work that much o f the empirical research discussed next was based. S c ie n tif ic L ite ra tu re National research studies and dissertations re la tin g to the characteristics and needs of adult students w i l l be discussed in this section. The studies included in the review were completed between 1965 and 1974. National Survey Research Johnstone and Rivera*s Volunteers fo r Learning stands as one o f the monoliths in survey research on adult learners. The 1961-1962 study was funded by the'National Opinion Research Center and attempted to present a comprehensive study of the educational pursuits o f American a d u lts ' 49 The authors defined the typical p a rtic ip a n t as young, urban, middle class, and f a i r l y well educated. 50 The main reasons respondents gave fo r not p a rtic ip a tin g in adult education a c t iv it i e s were lack o f financing, tim e, and 49 John W. C. Johnstone and Ramon J. Rivera, Volunteers fo r Learning (Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co., 1965). 50 I b i d . , p . 21. 32 energy. A great number of enrol lees in continuing education pro­ grams surveyed indicated a certain level of d is s a tis fa c tio n with the programs. The researchers stated: The most important conclusion to be derived from this study is that America is l i k e ly to experience an adult education explosion during the next few decades . . . . Even very conservative projections suggest th a t within two decades the population w ill contain as many as 64 percent more adults who have been to college, 59 per­ cent more who have attended high school, and by con­ t r a s t , some 15 percent fewer with only a grade-school education. I t should be abundantly c le a r, then, that the potential audience fo r adult education is increas­ ing a t a much fa s te r rate than the population as a whole. Just as in the f i f t i e s and s ix tie s the regu­ l a r school system had to tool up rapidly to accomodate the g reatly increased numbers o f young persons in the population, so too in the seventies and eighties adult education w il l be subject to g re a tly increased demands as this group moves into the social categories where greatest uses are made of adult education.51 Johnstone and Rivera combined questionnaire and interview techniques to gather data. Their sampling was thorough and c a re fu lly tested. In retrospect th e ir projections were s lig h tly o p tim is tic , since the three major problems they noted remain problems fo r the students in 1975. For this reason, and because they used s im ila r demographic c h a ra c te ris tic s , the Johnstone and Rivera research is most relevant to the present study. One of the most current and comprehensive s c ie n tific studies of adult needs was prepared by Cross and Valley (and 51 I b i d , , pp. 19 -20. 33 Associates) f o r the Commission on Non-Traditional Study. 52 The com­ mission was established under the j o i n t auspices of The College En­ trance Examination Board and Educational Testing Service with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation o f New York. In t h e ir survey of learners (N - 1207) and would-be learners (N = 3001), the r e ­ searchers asked s p e c ific questions about what kept adults away from education. The m a jo rity of “would-be-learners" indicated the f o l ­ lowing reasons fo r lack of p a r tic ip a tio n , 1. Cost, including books, learning m a te ria ls , child c are , and tran s p o rta tio n as well as t u it io n (53 percent); 2 Not enough time (46 percent); . 3. No desire to attend school f u l l time (35 percent); 4. Home r e s p o n s ib ilitie s (32 percent); and 5. Job r e s p o n s ib ilitie s (28 p ercent). 53 The researchers describe the learners as equally divided among men and women, younger than the general population (40 percent under age t h i r t y ) , more nonmarried than married, urban ra th e r than r u r a l , and r e la t iv e ly well educated (42 percent had a t le a s t some postsecondary v 54 education). The Cross and Valley d es c rip tive data support the 52 K. P a t r ic ia Cross, John R. V a lle y , and Associates, PIanninq Non-Traditional Programs (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass S e rie s , 1974), p. 227. 53I b i d . , p. 46. 54I b i d . , p. 217. 34 findings o f Johnstone and Rivera and are in accord with the data gathered on adult students a t Michigan State University in 1975. In re fle c tin g on the results of t h e ir work. Cross and Valley stated: The likelih o o d that over three-quarters o f American adults are interested 1n some form of new learning, and almost a th ird of them p articipated in some kind of formal or informal learning w ithin the past year (1972), based on a national p ro b ab ility sample of almost 1900 respondents, has major implications fo r planners o f non-traditional programs. Translated into numbers, some eighty m illio n Americans between the ages of eighteen and s ix ty who are not studying f u ll-t im e are probably interested 1n continuing t h e ir learning, and some th irty -tw o m illio n adults have most l i k e ly recently engaged in le a r n in g .55 The Conmission on Non^Tradltional Study found that adults do have numerous needs to be met in education. These include career and occupational change, re train in g and upgrading, construc­ tiv e use o f le is u re time, and continuing adaptation. Walton, an associate of Cross and V a lle y , made the following conmentary: Despite the welcome increase in the number o f nontradi tional programs offered by the higher i n s t it u ­ tions, when viewed in the context of eighty m illio n would-be learners, these programs f a l l f a r short of meeting the need. Wanted programs offered by c o l­ leges are out of reach o f much o f the m arket.56 In evaluating the Cross and Valley research, 1t should be kept in mind that the problems of both would-be learners and 5SI b i d . , p. 49. 56I b i d . , p. 96. 35 learners were structured responses w ith one open-ended response at the end o f a l i s t of 24 closed-ended ones. could have slanted the re s u lts , The structured responses A major contribution o f the study which re la te s to the present research is the follo w in g : The broader experience of a d u lts , t h e i r motivations fo r le arn in g , and t h e i r freedom from compulsory schooling not only distinguish them from younger students, but, together with the d is tin c tiv e educa­ tio nal problems o f ad u lts, may c a ll fo r specialized guidance and counseling. Vet there are separate counseling and advisement services fo r adults in less than ten percent of the surveyed in s titu tio n s (W = 1185).57 The Cross and Valley research stands out as a competent piece o f r e ­ search in the f i e l d o f n o n -trad itio n a l study. A 1971 study completed by the Women's Bureau of the U.S. government surveyed the needs and services required by women in continuing education. The needs lis t e d fo r this group were: 1. Limited course loads in degree and nondegree programs; 2. F le x ib le scheduling; 3. Liberal provisions fo r tra n s fe r c re d its ; 4. Educational and employment counseling; 5. Financial assistance fo r p a rt-tim e study; 6. Nursery services; and 57I b i d . . p ( 58. 36 7. Job placement or re fe rra l services. 58 The needs represented in the Women's Bureau study are somewhat d i f ­ fere n t from those resulting from studies o f both men and women. Dissertation Research The dissertations relevant to this study are divided Into two c la s s ific a tio n s : students; and 1) those dealing with the problems o f women 2) those dealing with the problems and ch aracteris­ tics of a to ta l segment of the college population. I. Studies of Mature Women Students Hunt studied the anxiety and success patterns o f women stu­ dents a t Lansing Community College in 1964. Two of her most Impor­ tan t findings were that a f t e r two terms of success mature women show a high level o f confidence, and there 1s a need fo r specialized adult counseling and child care f a c i l i t i e s . 59 Hunt's conclusions centered around the need fo r control of time by the women students 58 U.S. Women's Bureau, Continuing Education Programs and Services fo r Women (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government P rinting O ffic e , 1971). 59 Beverly Hunt, "C h aracteristics, Perceptions, and Exper­ iences of Married Women Students a t Lansing Community College" (Unpublished d is s e rta tio n , Michigan State U n ive rs ity, 1965). 37 surveyed. "Over h a lf of the women f e l t that a shortage of time was th e ir greatest single problem in combining school and home respon­ s ib ilitie s ." ^ Child care and financial aid also constituted major problems fo r the sample o f married women enrolled in Lansing Com­ munity College. Hunt's study combined questionnaires and i n t e r ­ views and included 149 subjects. In 1970, Tate analyzed adult women students a t Genesee Com­ munity College and developed a l i s t o f needs perceived by these women as f u l f i l l e d or u n f u lf ille d by the college structure. study surveys 259 women students, a l l over the age o f 20. 61 The The ma­ jo r problems mentioned were financial d i f f i c u l t i e s , child care, and home re s p o n s ib ilitie s . The researcher recommended improved child care f a c i l i t i e s , counseling services geared to adult women, b e tte r dissemination of materials and information, improved parking f a c i l ­ i t i e s , and more f le x ib le transfer c re d it systems. 60Ib id . , p. 108. 6^Mildred C. Jackson Tate, "An Analysis of the Relationship Between Selected Personnel Socio-Economic Characteristics o f a Ran­ dom Sample of Adult Women and Their Reasons fo r Enrolling in an Ur­ ban Cormunity College" (Unpublished d is s e rta tio n , Michigan State University 1971). 38 II. Studies o f Characteristics and Problems o f Adult Students Zelmer includes both men and women in her study of p a rt- time students at the University of A lb erta, Canada. 62 Zelmer"s d is s e rta tio n , in multimedia form, incorporates slides and taped interviews with part-tim e adult students. She points out c o n f lic t ­ ing time demands as a major stumbling block to adult progress. Zelmer uses three groups with sixteen subjects in each group as the sample fo r the research. The small sample size and the cumber­ some form of the d issertation pose problems in assessing the value of the resu lts. A major contribution to the study o f adult needs is Erick­ son's work, which deals with undergraduate adults over 26 years of age attending Michigan State University in Fall 1966. 63 Erickson found th a t adults do have special needs (d iffe r in g from those of younger re sid e n tial students). These needs include special sched­ uling o f classes, more counseling and advising prior to e n try , more 62 Amy Zelmer, "The Adult Part-time Student Role in Exten­ sion Programs at the University of A lb e rta , Canada—1970-71“ (Un­ published d is se rtatio n , Michigan State U niversity, 1973). (M u ltimedia; Vol. I-Bound, Vol. I I Slide-tape collectio n in Main Library. 63 Mildred Brinkmeier Erickson, “An Analysis of Selected Characteristics and Heeds of Adult Undergraduate Students Attend­ ing Michigan State U n iversity— Fal1 Term 1966" (Unpublished doc­ toral d is s e rta tio n , Michigan State U n iversity, 1968). 39 f l e x i b i l i t y in course requirements, more fin a n c ia l a id , b e tte r packing f a c i l i t i e s for commuting students, and more in d iv id u a lize d a tte n tio n . The research focused on two separate areas: the char­ a c te r is tic s o f the adult undergraduate and the needs o f the stu­ dents- The data on 494 respondents were c o lle c te d by a question­ naire containing both closed and open-ended responses. Erickson included a l l undergraduate students above the age of 26 years in her study. I t is important to note that Erickson recommended a continuing c lie n t e le analysis by in s titu tio n s o f higher le arn in g . Jeghelian characterizes adult students by t h e ir p ersonality tra its . 64 In her 1970 research conducted a t Boston C ollege, she states: Many of the t r a i t s which characterize men students in the Evening College also characterize women students. Thus there appear to be among them fewer o f the ex­ pected personality differences between the sexes.65 The t r a i t s tested in the research were am bition, competitiveness, and aggressiveness. The study distinguished between "new-admits" and "re-admits" and found fewer adjustment problems among those respondents with p rio r college experience. Jeghelian found no cor­ re la tio n between fin a n c ia l status and success in Evening College 64 A lic e Jeghelian, "Persistance in Adult Students and It s Relationship to Selected Psychological Factors'* (Unpublished doc­ toral d is s e rta tio n , Ph.U. degree, Boston C o llege, Boston, Mass., 1971 >. ^ I b i d . , Abstract. 40 programs for c re d it. A b u lle tin based on her research and pub­ lished by Boston College points out: I t must be kept in mind, however, that the uniqueness or in d iv id u a lity of adult students s t i l l remains th e ir outstanding feature . . . . In today's society greater personal freedom, "doing your own thing ," and increased educational opportunities enable both sexes— and women in p a rtic u la r— to find expression and s a tis fa c tio n in unique and in d iv id u a lis tic ways. Education is a key "enabling" process.66 leghelian also noted the contribution adult students make in the t venmg Col lege. Barney studied both the characteristics and the educational needs of adult students (over 24 years of age) at the University of O k l a h o m a . T h e research included 295 male and 144 female under­ graduate students. Barney lis t e d the most frequent problems as re g is tra tio n , parking, u n a v a ila b ility to courses, time to study, teacher attitud es and methods, study habits, and lack of academic counseli ng. Summary The discussion of the s c ie n tific research has included both national studies sponsored by private and public organizations and Them ^Boston College, "Evening College Students: What Makes Tick?," Boston College B u lle tin (Chestnut H i l l , March 1972), ^7Anna Sue Barney, "Characteristics and Educational Needs of Adult Undergraduate Students at the University of Oklahoma," 41 dissertations re la te d to the problems o f adult students. The c a lib re of the research cited appears to be scholarly and w e llw ritte n . Although the lit e r a t u r e surveyed proved useful le c tin g age c r i t e r i a and delineating problems, no study was found which includes both graduate and undergraduate students of both sexes or which measures adult learners' needs in a university s e ttin g at two points in time. I t is hoped that the present re ­ search w ill provide this needed perspective. There 1s l i t t l e doubt th a t a d u lt education is and w ill continue to be of increasing importance. Before s p e c ific programs can be designed and policies in s tit u te d , i t is necessary to d is ­ cover the more precise needs of the mature student. I t is with th is purpose in mind that the present study was undertaken. In the following chapters the methodology used in determining the population, the research design, and data c o llec tio n and In te rp re ­ ta tio n w ill be presented. (Dissertation fo r Doctor of Philosophy Degree, U niversity of Okla­ homa, 1972). CHAPTER I I I PROCEDURES AND METHODOLOGY The Population In th is chapter the procedures fo r determining the popula­ tio n , selecting the research design, and c o lle c tin g and in t e r p r e t ­ ing the data w ill be discussed. The population Includes a ll adult students born p rio r to December 31, 1948, who had applied as new admissions or readmis­ sions to Michigan State U niversity by September 3, 1974. A student had to carry a t least one course for college c re d it on campus to be considered within the population. Males, females, graduates, under­ graduates, non-degree students, a ll colleges and c u rric u la , and a ll c la s s ific a tio n s of students were included in the population. Stu­ dents from foreign countries were excluded because of the d i f f i c u l t y in reaching them during the month p rio r to re g is tra tio n . ■ The demographic data requested from the Admissions O ffic e , Michigan State U niversity, concerning new admissions and from the Registrar's O ffice concerning readmissions included name, student number, home address, sex, marital status, curriculum, program 42 43 le v e l, class level and status. Since th is information was already available i t was eliminated from the questionnaire, but w i l l be in ­ cluded in the analysis. For purposes o f the research, i t was determined that the e n tire population of new admissions and readmissions over 26 years of age, 1,287 subjects as reported from the o f f ic ia l records, was a small enough number to be included in the i n i t i a l in q u iry . The second survey, mailed March 3, 1975, included only those 463 re­ spondents who had completed usable responses to the f i r s t ques­ tio nn aire. Population age parameters fo r the study were defined p re v i­ ously as students born prior to December 31, 1948. Having estab­ lished the parameters, furth er d elim itatio n of the targ e t popula­ tion proved a d i f f i c u l t task. The fa c t th a t many of the orig in al group were graduate students who had applied and been accepted at several graduate schools, and the fa c t that many students apply and then do not re g iste r fo r classes fo r one reason or another caused the o rig in al target population to diminish from 1,287 to 837. There were 837 adult students who had been accepted by September 3, 1974, who had actu ally enrolled for classes according to the o f f i ­ c ial information from the data processing center at Michigan State University. 44 Of the o rig in al target population of 837 registered stu­ dents. 463 responded to the f i r s t survey with usable responses. The 374 unusable responses included the following: 37 deleted due to lack of complete Information, 33 returned by the U.S. Post Office as undeliverable, 62 attending off-campus College of Business programs in Warren, Michigan, 242 nonrespondents. 374 unusable responses 463 usable responses 837 to ta l population. The to ta l return, as shown in Table 1, was 71.09 percent or the f i r s t inquiry. A to tal of 463, or 55.3 percent of the responses on the f i r s t questionnaire, were usable in the study. The second questionnaire was mailed to the 463 respondents to the f i r s t inquiry. Of that population, 348, 75.2 percent, responded to the second in ­ quiry. 45 TABLE 1 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN STUDY 1287 le tte r s and questionnaires were mailed on September 3 , 1974. 837 of the original group a c tu a lly registered fo r classes by September 28, 1974. 62 of the 837 were "Eppley Center" Business graduate students o f f campus. 775 were the total population under study. 584 questionnaires were returned by December 15, 1974. 463 of the returned questionnaires were complete and v a lid . 348 of the 463 valid respondents completed and returned the second response by M^y 1 , 1975. 46 Research Design and Methodology The research instrument 1s a 51-item questionnaire with four q u a n tita tiv e responses: 3) Moderate Problem; and 1) No Problem; 4) Major Problem. 2) Minor Problem; In sunmarizing the data, zero is used to indicate no response. The items in the questionnaire are a compilation of needs gleaned from previous studies, from experience in working with adult college students, and from suggestions of professors and com­ mittee members. completion. The l i s t was condensed from 87 to 51 for ease of The items are divided Into three general categories: pre-entry needs, s k ill needs, and personal needs. One question concerning financial aid is repeated at two d iffe re n t points w ithin the questionnaire to te s t the internal v a li d i t y of the instrument (Items 1-11 and I I I - 3 ) . The i n i t i a l t r i a l of the instrument was made in a graduate seminar in continuing education. Although the group responding was not new to the system, the corrments and criticism s presented assis­ ted in c la r ify in g the questions and lim itin g the number of items. (N = 15 fo r the t r i a l run with 11 respondents.) In addition to the variables being tested, three Items of demographic Information were requested on the form. Since most of the data of in terest already was availab le from the Admissions 47 O ffic e , the Information requested was: present educational status, type of In s tit u tio n attended p rio r to Michigan State U niversity, and number o f years since taking a college course for c re d it. The responses to the second question, type of In s titu tio n attended, proved ambiguous and are not analyzed 1n the research. The covering le tte rs fo r the i n i t i a l in q u iry , follow-up, second in q u iry, and follow-up, and the questionnaire are reproduced in Appendix A. In addition to closed-Item responses, two opportunities were presented fo r open responses a t the end o f the instrument. These comments were typed and c la s s ifie d and are discussed in Chapter IV. The Instrument was printed and mailed with the cover l e t t e r and a postage prepaid envelope to the e n tire population of In tere s t (N = 1,287). The research design c a lls fo r two types of analysis: The f i r s t u t i liz e s the Pearson Product Moment Correlation and compares responses on Questionnaire I ( F a ll) and Questionnaire I I (Spring) to test any lin e a r relationship between the two questionnaires at d iffe re n t points 1n time. The second analysis tests the r e la tio n ­ ship between specific demographic variables and certain problem variables th a t obtained high percentages in the computer frequency count. A Chi Square Test was used fo r this data. 48 Collecting and Tabulating the Data Each questionnaire was hand-tabulated on a Fortran coding sheet. From the coding sheets, computer cards were punched a t the Computer Center, Michigan State U niversity, and two sets of cards were developed fo r the two questionnaires. The 463 cards for the Questionnaire I ( F a ll) responses were analyzed separately fo r demo­ graphic data, frequency counts, and standard deviations. The Ques­ tionnaire I I responses were also analyzed separately before being combined and tested with Questionnaire I . Procedures fo r In terp retin g the Data A CISSR (Computer In s tit u te for Social Science Research) program was u tiliz e d in in terp re tin g the data. Computer tabula­ tions were made and the data were correlated and charted on the basis of the p rin t-o u t information. Due to the sizable amounts of data c ollected , i t was d eter­ mined with the aid of the Research Consulting Service, College of Education, th a t the number of variables tested should include only those indicated as problems by at least 25 percent of the to ta l population. Twenty-seven variables were included in the 25 percent c r it e r ia category. I t is these variables th a t are studied and com­ pared most comprehensively in the research. The remaining variables 49 w ill be discussed in contingency tables in Chapter IV, but w ill not be included in the analysis. Two s t a t is t ic a l measures are u t iliz e d to measure the d i f ­ ference in the variables. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation The Pearson Product Moment Correlation is the s t a t is t ic a l measure used to te s t for a s ig n ific a n t lin e a r relationship between Questionnaire I (F a ll 1974) and Questionnaire I I (Spring 1975). It is important to note that the large size of the sample makes the Pearson valid only as a descriptive tool With 348 matched re ­ sponses, there would almost always be a s ig n ific a n t c o rrelatio n . The steps in setting up the correlation are noted below. (1) The two sets of computer cards were paired for each subject. The card for Questionnaire I followed the card for Questionnaire I I . (2) data. A program was designed from the CISSR system to test the paired (3) The program and matched set of data cards were processed through the computer (4) Each table was analyzed for lin e a r re ­ lationships, changes in the directio n of lesser problems, and changes in the direction of greater problems. was found for each variable and squared. (5) The Pearson r 50 Besides id en tifyin g the c o rre la tio n , another reason fo r using this procedure was to describe the directio n in which the change in problems moved during the two-term in terim . Downie and Heath present a thorough ra tio n a le for the use of the Pearson in Basic S t a tis t ic a l Methods, Correlation is basically a measure of relatio n ship be­ tween two variables . . . I t should be noted here that these relationships do not necessarily imply that one is the cause of the other . . . . Most correlation c oe ffic ie n ts t e l l us two things. F ir s t , we have an in­ dication of the magnitude of the relationship . . . [Second] when two variables are p o s itiv e ly re la te d , as one Increases, the other also i n c r e a s e s . 68 The range of the correlatio n c o e ffic ie n t can run from a -1 to a +1 in its e n tir e ty . One aspect to consider in studying the Pearson Correlation results is that the v ariatio n is lim ite d due to the fa c t that each variable has only fiv e levels. There is generally b etter c o rre la ­ tion on the Pearson when a large number of variab le levels is used. The Z Test can be u t iliz e d to test the significance of the correlation. In th is case: Z = r / N-i ; Z = 1.65 (the tabled value); gp N, M. Downie and R. W. Heath, Basic S t a tis t ic a l Methods (New York: Harper & Row, 1959), p. 78, 51 N = 348 (the paired responses); and r = the computerized correlation* 11. fol 1ows that the square root of 347 = 18*6279 and that 1 .65 = 18 6279 09. The use of the Z Test indicates th a t any value over .09 would be sig nifican t at the *05 level. The r 2 fa c to r in Table 61 presents the percentage of v a ria ­ tion shared by the two variables. In summary, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation was u t i ­ lized to test the lin e a r relationship existing between Questionnaire 1 and Questionnaire I I A s ig n ific a n t relationship does exist for a ll 50 variables. The Chi Square Test for Significant Difference The Chi Square Test was u t i liz e d in analyzing the data to determine any s t a t i s t ic a l significance between the demographic var­ iables (age, sex,' class, curriculum, number of years since taking a class, and present educational status) and the problem variables. 52 The steps for setting up the Chi Square tests were: 1 The computer cards fo r Questionnaire I were used for the Chi Square tests These cards (N = 463) contained both the demographic variables and the responses to Questionnaire 1. 2 A program was designed from the CISSR system to test the variables, 3 Six individual computer tests were made; one fo r each of the demographic variables under consideration (Variable 3, mari­ tal status* was not included). 4, Each table printed was c a re fu lly analyzed fo r c ell r e la ­ tionships and fo r the overall chi square fo r the variable. 5 Only the s ig n ific a n t Chi Square tests were recorded fo r the research, A controversy exists among s t a t i s t ic a l theorists concerning the importance of small c e ll size influencing results in the Chi Square tests. The researcher is interested in the problems ex­ pressed within the small c ells in th is research. In order to in ­ clude the members in small c e ll s , Chi Square tests were computed f o r each group. Upon completion of the research, a second set of 53 Ch1 Square tests was completed combining small c e lls to check the accuracy of the f i r s t te s ts . The results of the combined cell tests are reported in Appendix C. Summary A skeletal framework of design and processes has been pre­ sented 1n th is chapter. Some discussion of the population selec­ tion was necessary to c l a r i f y the targ e t group under study. The rather b r ie f account o f data in te rp re ta tio n w ill be expanded in Chapter IV. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF DATA Introduction All data gathered on the population under study from Septem­ ber 3, 1974 to June 1* 1975 w il l be reported in this chapter, which is divided into three major sections. In Section I the researcher discusses the demographic information and frequency d istributions related to the population, Reported in Section I I is the s t a t i s t i ­ calanalysis of the correlations able u t iliz e d in describing each v a r i­ In Section I I I the w rite r catalogues and analyzes the open- ended responses included in the questionnaire. Section I —Demographic Variables The demographic variables selected for analysis here are those characteristics related d ir e c t ly to the student's status. They are: 1) age, 5) class status, 1974), and 2) sex, 3) marital status, 4) curriculum, 6) present educational level (as of September 7) number of years since taking a college course. 54 55 S ta tis tic s on the f i r s t fiv e variables were provided by the data processing computer department in the Admissions Office and the Registrar's O ffice of Michigan State U n iversity. Information on variables six and seven was gathered d ire c tly from the p a r t i c i ­ pants on the f i r s t page of the i n i t i a l questionnaire. All data were numerically coded. Age Table 2 indicates that the m ajority {60.26 percent) o f stu­ dents returning to Michigan State University in 1974 were in the age group 26 to 30 years. By adding the age group 31 to 40 years, 91.79 percent of the population of students over 26 years of age is repre­ sented, From these data i t is surmised that the majority of re tu rn ­ ing students are in th e ir middle 20s and 30s, with only a small per­ centage (7.99 percent) over 40, This demographic picture is rep re­ sentative of the university population as a whole based on the data gathered in the O ffice of Evaluation and Research, Michigan State University. 56 TABLE 2 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY AGE Age No. of Students in Study Percentage Group 1--26-30 279 60.26 Group 2--31-40 146 31.53 Group 3— 41-50 29 6.26 8 1.73 Group 4—Over 50 57 Sex A review o f the l i t e r a t u r e indicates th a t the r a t i o of male to female students has remained a t 60-40 in the general population of u n iversity students over the past decade. here support th is r a t i o . The data presented Table 3 indicates th a t 280 males (60.48 percent) and 183 females (39.52 percent) responded to the i n i t i a l inquiry. A random check of Michigan State U n ive rs ity population reports r e fle c ts the same r a t i o . TABLE 3 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY SEX Sex No. of Students in Study Percentage Male 280 60.48 Female 183 39.52 58 M a r it a l S ta tu s The marital status of the students studied was not correlated with the s t a t is t ic a l analysis of the problems. Table 4 as demographic information. I t is reported in At the time of the f i r s t contact in September 1974, 304 students were married, and 158 were single. {The computer records do not r e fle c t divorces or widowed respondents, although 15 subjects did id e n tify themselves in these categories in the open-ended responses. Child care (Problem #43) and support from spouse and family (Problem #51) were the only two problems related d ir e c t ly to marital status, and these were considered as s ig n ific a n t issues by less than 16 percent of the population. TABLE 4 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY MARITAL STATUS Marital Status No. of Students in Study Percentage Married 304 65.66 S in g le 158 34.13 59 Curriculum Data were gathered on specific curricula and by general cur­ ricula or college groups, Due to the small number of frequencies found in each c e ll when specific curricula were studied, the conclu­ sions drawn about problems related to curriculum groups were based on the larger divisions. lum The u n iversity coding system for curricu ­ is both numericaily and alphabetically based. For computer analysis of the data, i t was necessary to recode curricula into a ll numerical c la s s ific a tio n s , The largest groups represented in the study are education (23,97 percent), the social sciences (17.28 per­ cent), business (12,32 percent), and agriculture and urban studies ( 1231 percent) A complete chi-square analysis of problems con­ sidered by each curriculum area appears la te r in this chapter. 60 TABLE 5 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY CURRICULUM Department No. of Students 1n Study Total 1n Col lege Total Percentage A r t s and L e t t e r s University College—No Pref. Linguistics and Oriental and African Languages Arts and Letters A rt German, Russian, English, Romance Languages History Music Ph1losophy Theater T o t a l ................ . ............................ 8 1 1 5 11 3 5 3 3 40 8.64% . , 57 12.31% 57 12.31% , . , A g r i c u l t u r a l E c o lo g y 3 and U rban Program s A griculture and Nat. Resour. Human Ecology Urban Planning and Landscape Arch. Urban and Metropolitan Studies Agric. and Nat. Resour.--Graduate Total ................................................. 13 18 5 2 19 B u s in es s Accounting and Financial Admin. H o tel, Restaurant, and I n s t i t . Mgt. Business Law, Insurance Bus. Ackninl s t r a t i on Economics Marketing and Transportation Management T o t a l ................................................. ... 14 8 6 3 3 13 10 61 T a b le 5 ( c o n t ' d . ) Department No. of Students 1n Study Total in College Total Percentage 12 2.6% 80 17.28% 45 9.74% 32 6.91% E n g in e e rin g Chemical Engineering C iv il Engineering E le c tric a l Engineering Mechanical Engineering Engineering Sciences T o t a l................................................... 1 3 1 5 2 S o c ia l S c ie n c e Labor and Ind u strial R e l. Soci al Science--Multidi s c ip iin a ry Anthroplogy P o litic a l Science Psychology Sociology Criminal Justice Social Work Total 6 7 3 10 12 7 12 23 N a t u r a l S c ie n c e College of Natural Science Biochemistry Biological Science Physical Science Math and S ta t. Nursing Preprofessional T o t a l................................ Human t O s te o p a th y , 1 1 16 10 6 3 8 & V e t e r in a r y M e d ic in e Human Medicine 24 Osteopathic Medicine 6 Preveterinary 2 T o t a l ..................................................................... 62 T a b le 5 ( c o n t ' d . ) Department No. of Students i n Study Total in College Total Percentage Education Educati on--Non-Degree Elem. and Spec. Ed. Sec. Ed. and Curr. Health, Phys. Ed. & Rec. Adm. and Hgh. Ed. Coun., Pers. S e r., & Ed. Psych. Total. . ......................................... Sped at . Ill 23.97% C olle ge s James Madison College Justin M o rrill College T o ta l............................................ Corrrrunica t 1 2 3 .65% 21 4.54% Lok Advertisi ng Journall sm Television and Radio Conmuni cati on Audiology and Speech Science T o ta l................................................. Total 11 29 22 11 14 24 2 3 7 8 1 98.96% 63 C lass S ta tu s Class status refers to the level of each student based on the number of c re d it hours accumulated. I t is interesting to note that only eleven respondents (2.38 percent) began college as fresh­ men in Fall 1974. The large majority of returning or continuing learners is found on the graduate levels: 236 (50.97 percent) in master's programs and 67 (14.47 percent) in doctoral programs; another 22 (4.76 percent) were in the colleges of Human and Osteo­ pathic Medicine. A to ta l of 70.20 percent of the responding group reentered school above the undergraduate le v e l. Table 6 presents the to ta l report of the findings related to class standing of the adult students represented in the study. 64 TABLE 6 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY CLASS STATUS Class Status No. of Students In Study Percentage Undergraduate 1. Freshman - 1-39 credits 11 2.37 2. Sophomore - 40-84 credits 15 3.24 3. Junior - 85-129 credits 79 17.06 4. Senior - 130-up credits 25 5.40 5. Special Programs 8 1.73 Graduate 6. Masters 236 50.97 7. Doctoral 67 14.47 8. 1st Year Human and Osteo. and Veterinary Medicine 21 4.54 9- 2nd, 3rd, 4th Year Human and Osteo. Medicine .22 65 P r e s e n t E d u c a tio n a l S ta tu s Respondents' replies to the question concerning t h e ir pres­ ent educational status were of in te r e s t from the standpoint of the re la tio n s h ip between this status and the problems. The curve fo r th is variable is skewed toward the upper end, which includes the college graduates (27.86 percent) and the graduate school students (46 55 percent), fo r a to tal segment of 74.51 percent of the respon­ dent population rep ortin g completion of c o lleg e. Less than one per­ cent o f the group lis t e d high school graduate as present sta tu s . Table 7 presents the number and percentage o f students in each level of education. 66 TABLE 7 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS Present Educational Status No. o f Students 1n Study Percentage 1. Graduate School 216 46.65 2. College Graduate 129 27.86 3. Business School Graduate 11 2.38 4. Community College Graduate 42 9.07 5. College Credits 59 12.74 6. High School Graduate 4 .86 67 Number of Years Since Taking a Course The large m ajority of students surveyed had taken at least one course during the la s t two years (64.36 percent) with some stu­ dents coming d ir e c t ly from undergraduate schools into graduate pro­ grams. A sizable number (17.49 percent) had been away from classes for two to fiv e years, and 16.4 percent had not taken courses in the past fiv e years Table 8 groups respondents according to number of years since taking a course Class statu s, present educational status, and the number of years since taking a course w ill be correlated with the problem variables in a la t e r section. 68 TABLE 8 POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE TAKING A COLLEGE COURSE No. of Years Since Taking A College Course 1. 2 Years— Now 2. 3. No. of Students in Study* Percentage 298 64.36 2-5 Years 81 17.49 5-10 Years 42 9.07 i■ 4. 10-20 Years 30 6.48 5. 20-25 Years 2 .43 6. Never 2 .43 *Eight subjects did not answer. 69 Section I I — Contingency Tables of Frequency Distributions of Problem Variables Fifty-one variables were tested on a q u an tita tive scale from 1 (No Problem) to 4 (Major Problem). survey instrument.) (See Appendix A for A zero response was recorded fo r e ith e r an empty c e ll with no response, an inapp licab le, or fo r any other circumstances which did not f a l l in the categories designated by the four le v e ls . Variable I I - 2 , reading s k i l l s , vas discarded from the analysis because of confusion over whether or not i t was a re­ sponse or simply a d iv isio n in the stru c tu re . The data on reading s k ill problems were collected on Questions 2a, 2b, and 2c concern­ ing s p e c ific reading problems. In order to f u l l y describe the frequency data on the prob­ lem variables two approaches were used: The f i r s t is to graph the frequencies in Graphs 1 through 51 (Appendix B) to f u l l y describe the resu lts on both questionnaires. The second approach is to l i s t a resume o f the frequencies in the order o f th e ir occurrence. Table 9 presents a l i s t o f the variables in the order o f th e ir im­ portance accompanied by the percentage o f frequency and the d irec­ tion of the change, increase or decrease, in the reported f r e ­ quencies . 70 TABLE 9 VARIABLES CLASSIFIED BY ORDER OF FREQUENCY Resume of Data from Graphs 1-51 (Appendix B) Order Graph of Fre- (Appenquency dix B) Variable Problem on I Problem on I I Direction of Change 1 35. Time to study 49.68 59.19 Increase 2 42. Parking on campus 49.24 53.16 Increase 3 16, Scheduling classes to f i t a va ila b le time 48.59 52,29 Increase 4 30. Library s k ills 45.78 47.70 Increase 5 15. Selecting classes 44.28 43.10 Decrease 6 38. Financial aid fo r per­ sonal & family needs 42.55 37.93 Decrease 7 25. Reading s k il ls : 42.55 37.08 Decrease 8 14. Financial aid fo r t u i ­ tion & academic needs 41,69 41.37 Decrease 9 5. Academic counseling 39,31 37.64 Decrease 10 34. A b ilit y to type 36.07 39.36 Increase 11 46o Meeting other adult students 30.45 33.33 Increase 12 32. A b ilit y to take tests and examinations 30.02 35.06 Increase 13 48. Meeting fac u lty and advi sors 30.45 3 4 .48 In c re a s e speed 71 TABLE 9 ( c o n t ' d . ) Order of Fre­ quency Graph (Appen­ dix B) Variable Problem on I Problem on I I Direction of Change 14 50. Confidence in a b i l i t y to do wel1 in college 33.27 31.03 Decrease 15 47. Gaining information about university functions 28.51 33.91 Increase 16 31. Prerequisite knowledge fo r required courses 31.53 32.47 Increase 17 41, Transportation around campus 32.62 30.75 Decrease 18 17. Getting into desired classes 29.37 31 .33 Increase 19 19. Registration 29.80 29,31 Decrease 20 2. Receiving information and forms 28.08 29.31 Increase 21 28. Writing s k ills 27.00 30.47 Increase 22 3. Choosing a major f i e l d 26.57 25.58 Decrease 23 20. Books and supplies 19.88 31 .33 Increase 24 31 . Speaking s k ills 25.70 24.43 Decrease 25 1. D if f ic u lt y In being admitted 25.27 19.26 Decrease 26 37. F u ll- or part-time employment 26.57 23.85 Decrease 27 40. Transportation to campus 26.57 22.98 Decrease 72 TABLE 9 ( c o n t ' d . ) Order of Fre­ quency Graph (Appen­ dix B) V ariab le Problem on I Problem on I I D irection of Change 28 26. Reading s k i l l s : comprehension 23.11 23.28 Increase 29 18. P r e -re g is tra tio n fo r classes 22.68 22.14 Decrease 30 49. Personal counseling 21 .17 22.12 Increase 31 27. Reading s k i l l s : vocabulary 22.67 20.40 Decrease 32 36. Need fo r local housing 21 .82 20.40 Decrease 33 21. Locating class b u ild ­ ings and rooms 20.95 18.11 Decrease 34 4. D i f f i c u l t y in getting into chosen f ie l d 20.73 18.39 Decrease 35 6. Credit evaluation of past college courses 18.15 19.54 Increase 36 22. Dropping and adding classes 13.60 18.68 Increase 37 43. Child care during class hours 17.06 17.54 Increase 38 39. Vocational counseling 17.93 15.22 Decrease 39 45. Lunch and dinner f a c i l i t ie s 13.83 19.25 Increase 40 51. Support from spouse and fam ily 14.69 16.38 Increase 41 33. Need fo r t u t o r ia l assistance 11 .45 11 .78 In c re a s e 73 TABLE 9 ( c o n t ' d . ) Order of Frequency Graph (Append1x B) Variable Problem on I Problem on I I Direction of Change 42 44. Locker space on campus 11.01 11 .79 Increase 43 10 , Transferring other credits 10.37 8.90 Decrease Transferring c red its 9.93 9.20 Decrease Transferring cred its fo r courses taken many years ago 6.27 6,04 Decrease 44 45 11. 46 13, Credit by exam fo r re­ quired courses 5.18 5.75 Increase 47 23. Understanding English 1anguage 5.40 2:88 Decrease 48 8. Transferring business credi ts 2.59 4.02 Increase 49 12, Transferring cred its from non-accredited in s ti tutions 2.81 2. 00 Decrease Transferring nursing credits 1 .30 1 .44 Increase 50 9. 74 I t should be noted 1n studying the resume (Table 9) that item numbers 28 through 50 were lis t e d as problems by fewer than 25 percent o f the population. tis tic a l These variables were not tested fo r s ta ­ significance due to small frequencies. Category I : Pre-Entry Needs Category I includes 22 questions (Items 1-19 in Section I of the questionnaire responses, which are shown in Graphs 1-21 in Appendix 8 . Of these, e ig h t were~not tested fo r s ig n ifican ce be­ cause fewer than 25 percent of the respondents considered these variables as problems. The major problems in Category I , lis t e d in the order o f frequency, are: scheduling classes to f i t time a v a ila b le , s e le c t­ ing classes, financial aid fo r t u it io n and academic needs, and aca­ demic counseling before choosing classes. In considering the data on p re -e n try needs, 1t should be noted th a t a decrease in t h is category could be due to the fa c t that a f t e r entry into the i n s t i t u t i o n , pre-entry needs such as ad­ mission, tra n s fe rrin g o f credi'ts, and re g is tra tio n are no longer considered problems by the subjects. 75 Category I I : S k ill Needs Category I I , Illu s t r a t e d by Graphs 23-35 (Appendix B ), in ­ cludes 13 questions (Items I -10 in Section I I of the Questionnaire). Four questions were not tested for significance due to low f r e ­ quencies . The major problems in Category I I , lis t e d in order of im­ portance, are: time to study, lib ra ry s k i l l s , reading speed, and a b i l i t y to type. Category I I I : Personal Needs Category I I I frequencies are reported in Graphs 36 — 51 (Appendix B) for the 16 questions concerning personal needs (Items 1-16 in Section I I I of the questionnaire). Seven of the personal need items were not tested due to the fa c t that less than 25 percent of the population considered them to be problems. The major problems in Category I I I are: parking on campus, fin an cial assistance fo r personal and family needs, and confidence in a b i l i t y to do well in college. 76 Summary In the discussion of frequency d is trib u tio n s the author has attempted to describe graphically the population under study. F ir s t , each group was described demographically; second, frequency d i s t r i ­ butions were described graphically in Appendix B; and t h ir d , a resume of the frequency distributions was presented in Table 9. Table 9 summarizes the data found in the graphs in Appendix B. Special attention is c alled to Appendix B fo r a detailed analysis of a ll responses to both questionnaires. Section I I I — Correlation The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was u t iliz e d to tes t lin ear relationships between the two questionnaires. The ration ale for use o f the Pearson is presented In Chapter I I I . For purposes o f the research the Pearson r was squared to determine common relationships between the two variables. Also re ­ ported is the directio n of the change which took place between the administration of Questionnaire I {F all 1974) and Questionnaire I I (Spring 1975). Table 10 li s t s the variables, t h e ir product moment c o rre la ­ tio n , the correlation squared, and the d ire ctio n of the change. 77 TABLE 10 PEARSON PRODUCT MOMENT CORRELATIONS Variable I. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5, 6. 7. 8. 9, 10. 11 . 12. 13, 14. 15. 16. 17 18 19. II 1 2. 3. No Change Change to Lesser Change to Greater r rz .550 .469 .610 .510 .424 .518 .297 .300 .220 .370 .260 .179 .268 .088 267 233 264 263 194 254 211 51 55 48 50 82 52 72 28 59 32 32 64 38 20 7a. Trans, business c red its .420 , .170 7b Trans nursing cred its .460 .211 7c Trans other cred its .261 .063 227 233 192 72 71 86 10 4 23 Trans, old credits Trans non-accredited in s titu tio n credits Credit by examination Fin. a id — tu itio n Selection of classes Scheduling classes Getting into classes Pre-regi stration Regi stration Books and supplies Locating building Drop and add class Pre-Entry Needs Admi ssion Information Choosing major f ie l d Admission to major f i e l d Academic coun. C redit e v a l. Transfer credits .310 .096 259 44 14 , 341 ,467 .567 .354 .479 . 312 .240 ,372 ,207 .336 .300 .116 .218 .321 .125 .229 .097 .058 .138 .043 .113 .090 239 239 187 195 172 185 200 183 183 244 189 53 44 98 79 80 65 55 67 48 49 35 4 13 52 69 87 65 55 63 80 32 52 Understanding English Reading s k ill .531 .238 .282 .057 318 200 20 64 40 26 2a Reading speed 2b. Reading comprehension 2c Reading vocabulary .476 .434 .418 .227 .188 .175 193 239 239 92 58 63 56 39 34 Writing s k ill .449 .202 250 48 48 S k ill Needs 78 TABLE 10 ( c o n t ' d . ) r‘ Variable II, S k ill Needs (c o n t'd .) 4. 5. 6, 8. 9. 10, Speaking s k ill Lib. s k ills P re-requ isite s k ills Examinations Tutoring Typing Time III. Personal Needs 1. 2, 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Housing Part-time work Fin. assistance Vocational coun. Trans, to campus Trans, around campus Parking Chi Id care Lockers Lunch and dinner f a c i l i t i e s Meeting other students Information on univ. functions Meeting fac u lty & advisor Personal couns. Confidence Support from spouse and family 7. 13. 14. 15. 16. Change to n^e Lesser No Change to Greater .578 .425 .281 .422 .417 .508 .524 .334 .181 .07? .178 .174 .258 .275 255 199 213 231 264 243 174 55 70 63 50 34 56 61 33 74 69 62 26 49 108 .569 .424 .535 .335 .457 .299 .469 .648 , 318 .405 .442 .324 .179 .286 .112 .208 .089 .219 .419 .101 .164 .195 250 212 190 243 235 215 179 246 241 250 200 62 77 95 54 67 69 70 56 47 42 68 30 43 50 31 38 56 88 22 24 37 62 .329 .386 .222 .401 .108 .149 .049 .161 197 195 213 220 63 64 56 71 72 72 52 54 .350 .123 256 45 34 79 All relatio n ship s reported were p o s itiv e , ranging from a low of .207 to a high of .648. Table 10 presents each v a ria b le , the Pearson r , the r 2 , the number of paired responses which tested no change (which indicated no c o r r e la tio n ), the number o f responses which moved from moderate, minor, or major problem to no problem or a lesser problem, and the number of responses which moved from no problem to some degree of problem. In studying Table 10, i t w i l l be noted th a t scheduling of classes, r e g is t r a tio n , obtaining books and supplies, lib r a r y s k i l l s , p rereq u isite s k i l l s , time, parking, information on u n iv e rs ity func­ tions, and meeting fa c u lty and advisors a l l increased s ig n if ic a n t ly as problems during the time span September 1974 to March 1975. Section IV— The Chi Square Test for S ig n ific a n t Differences The Chi Square Test was selected to analyze the data f o r any s t a t i s t ic a l significan ce between the demographic variables and the problem v a ria b le s . Each demographic variab le under study was tested independently f o r s ig n ific a n c e . 80 Age, V a r i a b le 1 In the age category, selection of classes and r e g is tr a tio n for classes are the two problems which show a s ig n ific a n t chi-square d ifference at the 05 level with 9 degrees o f freedom. These results are presented in Table 11. TABLE n AGE—TESTS FOR CHI-SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE Variable #1—Age Observed X2 Theoretical X2 1. Selection of Classes 17.382 16.919 2, Registration for Classes 19.695 16.919 Note: These two tests are s ig n ific a n tly d if f e r e n t a t the .05 level with 9 degrees of freedom. A major problem in considering the Chi Square tes ts on the four age groups was the small number of respondents in Group 4 (N=8). This small c e ll population tends to skew the tests and makes i t d i f ­ f i c u l t to study the s ig n ific a n t differences in age. S ig n ific a n t tests on combined groups are reported in Appendix C. In order to deal with the small c e ll s iz e , several of the high frequency problems are lis t e d , follow ing this discussion, in Table 12. The percentages indicate th a t the younger students, those 81 TABLE 12 AGE DIFFERENCE ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS Variable 1-11 , Group 1 26-30 (N=279) Group I I 31-40 (N=146) Group I I I 41-50 (N=29) Group IV Over 50 (N=8) .50 .50 .37 .00 1-13. 1-16. Financial aid— tu itio n Selection of classes* Scheduling Registration* .50 .50 .37 .43 .55 .31 .30 .45 .44 .30 .00 .29 II- 2 a . II-5 . 11-7. 11-10, Reading speed Library s k ills Tests and exams Time to study .50 .48 .30 .50 .40 .50 .30 .68 .50 .47 .43 .54 .20 .14 .50 .40 111- 3 . Financial aid — personal Parking In fo, on univ. functions Confidence .50 .52 .42 .55 .43 .58 .00 .43 .33 .32 .28 .38 .40 .27 .14 .43 1-12. 111-7. I I 1-12. 111-15. Note: Percentages have been rounded. ^Significant on Chi-Square. between 26 and 30 years of age, have more problems in fin a n c ia l aids, selecting and scheduling classes, and s k il l areas. The older stu­ dents tend to l i s t problems in tests and exams and lack o f confidence. The Chi Square tests indicate that there were no differences between groups fo r most needs. 82 In addition to the overall Chi Square Test on the age dimen­ sion, a b r i e f d escription of actual d ifferen ces w ith in the groups w ill be made to in d ic ate group percentages on variables with high frequencies. Sex, Variab le 2 The observed chi-squares fo r the sex variab le are s ig n ific a n t in fiv e areas: scheduling of classes, g etting into classes, reading comprehension, lib r a r y s k i l l s , and information about u n iv e rs ity func­ tions. On a l l other variables lis t e d both sexes indicated s im ila r levels of problems. The s ig n ific a n t te s ts are reported 1n Table 13. TABLE 13 SEX—TESTS FOR CHI-SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE Variable #2— Sex Observed Xz Theoretical X2 1. Scheduling of classes 13.794 7.815 2 Getting into classes 11.360 7.815 3. Reading comprehension 10.256 7.815 4, L ib ra ry s k i l l s 8.798 7.815 5. Information on u n iv e rs ity functions 9.176 7.815 Note: These fiv e tests are s ig n if ic a n t ly d if fe r e n t a t the .05 level with 3 d'egrees o f freedom. 83 Some of the problem variables in the higher frequencies are listed in Table 14. TABLE 14 SEX DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS Group I Men (N=280) Group I I Women (N=l83) Financial a id — tu itio n Selecting classes Scheduling classes* Getting into classes* .46 .44 .45 .31 .50 .49 .61 .38 Reading Reading Library Typing Time to .58 .26 .47 .42 .48 .53 .24 .49 .31 .59 .48 .52 .34 .43 .56 .26 Variable i-n . 1-12. 1-13. 1-14. II-2 a . II-2 b , 11-5 II-9 . 11-10. 111-3111 - 7 „ I I 1-12 r speed comprehension* s k ills * study Financial a id — personal Parking Information on university functions Note: Percentages have been rounded. * S t a t i s t ic a ll y s ig n ific a n t. 84 C u rric u lu m , V a r ia b le 4 The curriculum study was done on the basis of divid in g a l l students into ten groups which would permit a large enough c e ll size to draw conclusions about sig nifican ce. Nine tests are s ig n ific a n tly d if f e r e n t at the .05 le v e l. They are: admission, fin a n c ia l a id , selecting classes, scheduling classes, g ettin g classes, p re re g is tra tio n , re g is tra tio n , lib r a r y s k ills , and prerequisite s k i l l s . The s ig n ific a n t values are re ­ ported 1n Table 15. Generally the ten curriculum c la s s ific a tio n s were amalga­ mated into large enough c e ll numbers to make the Chi Square Test normally d is trib u te d . One category, re s id e n tia l colleges, was smaller than the rest and presented a problem in in te rp re tin g the data. In order to best i l l u s t r a t e the range of d is trib u tio n the curriculum variable, Table 16 reports the d is trib u tio n of problem variables for curriculum groups. 85 TABLE 15 CURRICULUM—TESTS FOR CHI-SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE Variable #4— Curriculum Observed X2 Theoretical X2 1 Admission 93.856 40.113 2. Financial Aid—Tuition 43,550 40.113 3= Selecting Classes 41.634 40.113 4. Scheduling Classes 40.332 40.113 5, Getting in to classes 41.574 40.113 6. P re-re g istra tio n 42.194 40.113 7. Registration 40.180 40.113 8. Library S k ill s 49.107 40.113 9= P re-requisite s k ills 50.054 40.113 These nine tests are s ig n ific a n tly d iffe re n t a t the .05 level with 27 degrees of freedom. TABLE 16 CURRICULUM DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS Variable 1-1. I-S. 1-11. 1-12. 1-13. 1-14. 1-15. 1-16. 11-5. 11-6 - Admission* Academi c coun. Finan. Aldtu itio n * Selecting classes* Scheduling classes* Getting into classes* Pre-regis.* Registration* Library s k ills * Pre-requls.* HI-11 . Meeting other students (Note: Group I Group 0 Agriculture, Group I I I Group 11 Engi­ Arts and Hunan Ecol., Business neering and Urban Letters (N = 57) (N = 40) Studies (N = 12) (N * 57) Group IV Group V Natural Social Science Science (N = 80) (N = 45) Group VI Group VII Medicine Education (N = 32) (N =■ 111) Group V III Residential Colleges (N = 7) Group IX Communi­ cations (N - 21) .25 .25 .22 .17 .26 .07 .66 .25 .15 .34 .43 .42 .42 .33 .44 .44 .25 .44 .15 .40 ■62 .45 .26 .12 .45 .60 .66 .50 .44 .44 .68 .47 .47 .25 .36 .54 .17 .52 .58 .45 .68 .58 .45 .34 .44 .47 .44 .68 .72 .55 .31 .30 .41 .34 .28 .36 .36 .30 .37 .18 .33 .34 .33 .18 .30 .26 .26 .38 .11 .04 .15 .45 .39 .45 .33 .00 .17 .26 .22 .28 .60 .43 .60 .45 .40 .20 .50 .20 .38 .25 .40 .35 .40 .28 .58 .30 .43 .58 .25 .40 .52 ,24 .39 .17 .38 .30 .20 .37 .15 .20 Percentages have been rounded o ff.) *S ta tts tlc a lly significant. 87 C la ss, V a r ia b le 5 Nine variables proved to have s ig n ific a n t differences on the class variable scale. The s ig n ific a n t tests were admission, choos­ ing a major f i e l d , scheduling classes, getting into classes, reading comprehension, reading vocabulary, w ritin g s k i l l s , transportation across campus, and meeting other students. The data on s ig n ific a n t tests are reported in Table 17. Once again, the very small numbers in Row I (Freshmen— N = ll) , Row 5 (Special —N=7) , and Row 9 (3rd and 4th year Medical and Osteo­ pathic Medicine--N=l) tend to skew the te s t. The extremely high level o f significance on Variable 1 (admission) could be explained by the wide ranges in the small c e lls . The respondents in small cells are of interest to the researcher and are included in the study. Refer to Appendix C for chi-square results on combined class groups. The analysis in Table 18 considers those variables which indicate a large range o f frequencies when studied by class groupings. In studying the class groups i t is interesting to observe the frequencies in Groups I I I , V I, and V I I , which include the largest percentage of subjects. 88 TABLE 17 CLASS—TESTS FOR CHI-SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE Variable #5—Class 1 Admission 2. Observed X2 Theoretical X2 142.826 36.415 Choosing Major Field 47.522 36.415 3 Scheduling Classes 39.221 36.415 4. Getting into Classes 48.075 36.415 5 Reading Comprehension 53.815 36.415 6. Reading Vocabulary 46.157 36.415 7 Writing S k ills 54.372 36.415 8. Transportation Across Campus 44.348 36.415 9. Meeting Other Students 39.493 36.415 Note: These nine tests are s ig n ific a n tly d iffe r e n t at the .05 level with 21 degrees of freedom. CLASS DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS Variable 1-3. 1-16. Choosing major fie ld * Academic coun. Selecting classes Scheduling classes* Getting into classes* Registration II-2 b . II-2 c . II- 3 . 11-5. Reading Reading W riting Library 111*3. n i- 6 . Fin. assistance Transport, across campus* Meeting other students* 1-5. 1-12. 1-13. 1-14. m - ii. (Note: Comp.* Vocab.* s k ills * s k ills Group VII Doctoral (N = 67) Group V III 1st and 2nd y r Med (N = 21) Group IX 3 A 4 y r. Med (N * 1) .27 .42 .14 .43 .00 .12 .00 .00 .72 .47 .49 .05 .00 .56 .58 .49 .44 .15 .00 .32 .30 .39 .40 .67 .34 .33 .39 ,26 .34 .05 .10 .33 .00 .46 .31 .43 .80 .35 .32 .30 .43 .22 .26 .28 .44 .25 .25 .38 .50 .25 .25 .30 .50 .13 .11 .17 .49 .15 .25 .10 .29 .00 .00 .00 .00 .23 .40 .53 .50 .30 .40 .53 .75 .00 .55 .43 .54 .36 .25 .25 .29 .52 1.00 .30 .54 .41 .55 .25 .72 .45 .22 .05 Group I Freshmen (N = 11) Group 11 Soph. (N = IS) Group I I I Juniors (N - 79) Group IV Seniors (N = 25} Group V Special (N = 8) ,19 .46 .54 .60 .45 .42 .28 .42 .15 .15 .73 .67 .48 .52 .70 .80 .64 .70 .75 .53 .30 .45 .45 .55 .55 Percentages are rounded o ff.) •S ta tis tic a lly sig n ifica n t. Group VI Masters (N = 236) 90 Present Educational Status, Variable 6 Six o f the same variables which tested as s ig n if ic a n t ly d i f ­ ferent when measuring class status against problems also were s ig ­ n ific a n t in measuring present educational status against problems. A to ta l of nine tests were observed as s ig n if ic a n t when present edu­ cational status (high school graduate to graduate student) was mea­ sured The nine include: choosing a major f i e l d , scheduling classes, g etting into classes, reading comprehension, w ritin g s k i l l s , examinations, transportation to campus, tran sp o rtatio n around campus, and confidence. The results of these tests are reported in Table 19. In observing the frequencies by groups in Table 20 i t should be noted that students in the sample entering the u n iv e rs ity as com­ munity college graduates appear to have higher than average fin a n ­ c ia l problems and time concerns. The very small numbers in Groups I I I c u lt to generalize about the v a ria b le . and VI make i t d i f f i ­ The one conclusion which can be drawn is th a t the frequencies fo r present education status seem to group into the same categories as problems on the class status and problems on the number of years since taking a class v a ria b le . 91 TABLE 19 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS—TESTS FOR CHI-SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE Variable #6— Present Educational Status Observed X2 Theoretical X2 l Choosing a Major Field 32.017 24.996 2 Scheduling Classes 43,813 24.996 3 Getting into Classes 26.721 24.996 4. Reading Comprehension 39.938 24.996 5 Writing S k ills 37,067 24.996 6. Examinations 26.936 24.996 7 Transportation to Campus 25.478 24.996 8, Transportation around Campus 38.813 24.996 9 Confidence 32.426 24.996 Note: These nine tests are s ig n ific a n tly d if fe r e n t at the .05 level with 15 degrees of freedom. TABLE 20 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS DIFFERENCES ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS V a ria b le Group I Group I I Graduate School C ollege Graduate {N—216) (N = l29) (N = ll) Group I I I Business School Graduate Group IV Community C ollege Graduate (N=42) Group V C ollege C re d its (N=59) Group VI High School Graduate (N-4) 1-3. 1-6. 1-11. 1-13. 1-14. Choosing a m ajor f i e l d * Academic c o u n se lin g F in a n c ia l A id — T u itio n Scheduling c la s s e s * G e ttin g in to c la s s e s * .20 .41 .52 .44 .33 .23 .40 .48 .50 .28 .45 .70 .20 .10 .44 .38 .38 .53 .33 .32 .45 .42 .58 .58 .43 .50 .25 .25 .75 .33 II - 2 b . 11 -3 . 11-4. 11 -7 . 11-10. Reading comprehension* W ritin g s k i l l s * Speaking s k i l l s A b i l i t y to take exams* Time to study .18 .21 .20 .27 .45 .28 .33 .35 .30 .53 .43 .33 .45 .50 .50 .33 .29 .30 .31 .66 .38 .39 .30 .43 ,66 .75 .50 .50 .75 .50 111-3. 111-5. 111—6. 111-15. F in a n c ia l A id — Personal Trans, to campus Trans, around campus C onfidence* .48 .20 .31 .25 .41 .22 .26 .35 .20 .20 .45 .50 ,50 .43 .62 .55 .54 .40 .44 .41 .00 .00 .25 .75 Note: Percentages have been rounded o f f . * S t a t i s t i c a l l y s ig n if ic a n t . 93 Years Out o f C o lle g e , V a r ia b le 7 Twelve tests on the variable years out of college were sig­ n ific a n tly d if f e r e n t . These were: admission, selection of classes, getting into classes, p re re g is tra tio n , r e g is tra tio n , reading compre­ hension, reading vocabulary, prerequisite s k i l l s , examinations, transportation to campus, transportation around campus, and lack of confidence. Table 21 presents the Chi Square tests fo r Variable 7. I t should be noted that very small numbers e x is t in Row 5 (20-25 years since taking a course— N=2) and Row 6 (Never—N=2). Refer to Appendix C fo r a report of combined groups. Table 22 re ­ ports the problems with high frequencies and the frequencies of Chi Square significance to assist in viewing the range of frequen­ cies in a ll groups. 94 TABLE 21 YEARS SINCE TAKING A CLASS— TESTS FOR CHI-SQUARE SIGNIFICANCE Variable #7— Years Since Taking A Class Observed X2 Theoretical X2 1. Admi ssion 36,381 24.996 2, Selection of Classes 29.107 24.996 3. Getting into Classes 38.637 24.996 4. Pre-regi s tra tio n 34.832 24.996 5. Regi s tra tio n 47.330 24.996 6. Reading Comprehension 50.774 24.996 7. Reading Vocabulary 64.392 24.996 8„ P re-re q u is ite S k ills 33.790 24.996 9. Examinations 43.920 24.996 10* Transportation to Campus 33.052 24.996 11 . Transportation around Campus 33.575 24.996 12. Confidence 26.667 24.996 Note: These twelve tests are s ig n ific a n tly d if fe r e n t at the *05 level with 15 degrees of freedom. TABLE 22 YEARS SINCE TAKING A COURSE ON HIGH FREQUENCY PROBLEMS V a ria b le 1-1. 1-5. 1-11. 1-12. Admission* Academic Counseling F in . A id — T u i ti o n S e le c tin g cla s se s * Scheduling classes Group I 2-Now (N'298) Group I I 2-5 y r s . (N=81) Group I I I 5-10 y r s . (N=42) .27 .42 .51 .24 .42 .46 .48 .24 .33 .41 .61 .25 ,36 .25 .00 .50 1.00 .29 .50 1.00 .50 .50 .50 ,47 .23 .26 .34 .63 .44 .31 .41 .36 .24 .27 ,28 .50 1.00 1.00 1.00 1,00 1.00 1,00 1.00 .46 .30 .22 .50 1.00 1.00 .59 .36 .30 .59 1.00 1,00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 .29 .14 .46 .52 .00 1.00 1.00 1.00 .00 .00 .00 .50 G e ttin g in t o classes P r e - r e g is t r a t io n * R e g is tr a tio n * .45 .51 .34 .26 .44 .46 .23 .25 .48 .31 .30 .52 .43 .25 .22 11-5. 11-6. 11-7. 11-10. Reading speed Reading comp,* Reading Vocabulary* L ib r a r y s k i l l s Prereq. s k i l l s * Examinations* Time to study .41 .28 .31 .44 .47 ,27 .25 .41 .43 .34 .59 III-3 . III-5 . III-6 . H I-1 5 . F in . A id — Personal Trans, to campus* Parking Confidence* .49 .29 .53 .32 .48 .22 .52 .35 .33 .34 .58 .38 1-13. 1-14. 1-15. 1-16. II-2 a . II-2 b . II-2 C . Note: Percentages have been rounded. ♦ S ta tis tic a lly s ig n ific a n t. Group IV Group V 10-20 y r s . 20-25 y r s , (N=2) (N=30) Group VI Never (N-2) 1.00 1.00 1.00 .50 96 Section V— C la ss ifica tio n of Open-Ended Responses Two sections of the questionnaire were designed to e l i c i t open-ended responses and were included under “ IV. The questionnaire stated: or problems„ OTHER NEEDS." “Section A deals with your special needs Section B requests your comments." There were a total o f 299 open-ended responses given on Questionnaire I (F a ll 1974) and a to ta l of 172 on Questionnaire I I (Spring 1975). Approximately 70 percent of a l l open-ended responses were elaborations of responses to the closed-ended questions. The majority of the elaborations concerned r e ite r a tio n of financial needs, d i f f i c u l t i e s in scheduling, specific parking and commuting problems, and concerns over re g is tra tio n procedures. "Time11 was also discussed as a major problem on the open-ended responses. The open-ended responses were typed and c la s s ifie d as a part of the research. who requested Abstracts are being forwarded to those students a report of the research re s u lts . Generally, the open-ended responses were clear and to the point of the questions raised in the f i r s t sections of the question­ naire, Approximately 10 percent o f the open-ended responses con­ tained specific suggestions fo r improvement o f liv in g and study con­ ditions fo r the students involved. Another 15 percent Introduced unique problems which had lim ite d application to the population as 97 a whole. These included dealing with the high noise level in dormi­ tories and housing units, the need fo r housing "300 pounds of dog," the re s tric tio n caused by the "on-campus" course requirements, need for higher a b i l i t y teaching, and the need to adjust from a respected position in the community to th a t of a "low student status." There 1s an interesting dichotomy posed by co n flictin g sched­ ules of colleges within the u n iv e rs ity . Many (approximately 10 per­ cent) of the open-ended responses c r it ic iz e d the lack of evening classes in business, p o litic a l science, psychology, and social work. Another 5-7 percent expressed a concern about the lack of daytime courses fo r students in graduate education being a real hindrance to fu ll-tim e students. This seems to indicate a need fo r more f l e x i b i l ­ it y in scheduling throughout the various colleges. The following quotations have been chosen from the open-ended responses as being p a rtic u la rly representative of the survey group or because of t h e ir special sig nifican ce. The respondents w ill remain anonymous. I think one o f the major problems confronting the adult student i s , at times, ju s tif y in g to himself the time spent in obtaining advanced degrees, etc. versus the financial rewards that might be obtained otherwise. Is i t a ll worth it? Registration was a very d i f f i c u l t process. As a new student, I had not pre-registered according to the designated alphabetical order, I was one o f the la s t to re g is te r. Many classes were closed. Several of 98 the classes I wanted to take were scheduled f o r the same time period. At the time o f rr\y re g is tra tio n I ended up with 2 classes. I t was la te r necessary to switch sections fo r both of these classes in order to add two more to complete my schedule. I'm d iffe re n t because I'm old er. I look and dress d if fe r e n t ly . No one w ill s i t with me at the Union or International Center. I feel very alone in this place of 40,000 people. Financial problems are lik e ly to occur next year when my savings are expended. We have three people in our family in college classes a t th is time — my husband, my daughter, and I are a ll attending f u l l- t im e . I applied to 14 Medical schools and I must say that M.S.U. is f a r and away the most helpful and informa­ t iv e to applicants. Wish there was some way to give new students a chance to get th e ir " fe e t wet" and discover th e ir weaknesses before classes begin. As an "atypical" student (Grandmother, age 48, handi­ capped with MS), my problems are mainly those of accessibi 1i t y . I t seems tin g any seems as graduate that being a minority student helps in get­ (most) school problems taken care o f. It though I'm being hand-carried through the programs. My second comment concerns the zealousness o f the campus police. The university policy stip u lates that a l l vehicles must be registered and assigned to park­ ing lo ts . Mull this over . . . you enroll fo r an ad­ vertised 100% evening curriculum . . . your core course is scheduled 4-6 P.M. and you, the f u l l- t im e employee, part-tim e student are expected to dash out of the o ff ic e , whiz down to Mt. Hope, park your car and catch a bus in time fo r class. (P.S. I pay taxes, too. I need close parking.) 99 Money and time ( I am reasonably certain these problems are not unique for an adult student.) Financial help would be welcome as to corrtinue my education I must hold down several f u ll-t im e jobs. These include a home, a fam ily, a job as a nurse's aid , and a student. I f I did not have to work outside the home nearly fo rty hours could be added to the time to be divided among my other commitments. At the doctoral le v e l, one frequently encounters a d is­ parity between one's former "status'* in the community and the very low "status" as student. The "cultural shock" i t seems to me ca>i' Tie very d is tra c tin g , d is ­ heartening, and possibly discouraging. I t took me most of the f i r s t quarter to stop feeling important and to recognize my proper place. One wonders about the "re­ entry" lagtime upon return to the real world. Registration is one of the most hectic experiences I'v e had. So many things I needed to know, but discovered t o t a lly by accident, I had attended M.S.U, fo r 2 years then l e f t fo r 4 years. Upon returning, I received v i r t u a l l y no guidance or assistance from my department. The counselor said I should take whatever I wanted. What the h ell kind of guidance is that for someone having been out of school for 4 years? The re g is tra tio n system seems to me an unnecessary de­ mand on one's time. Is i t possible for graduate stu­ dents to re g is te r by mail? I think that the p o s s ib il­ it y should be looked into as i t may increase the number of students e n ro llin g . Because of the great amount of time i t takes to re g is te r, possibly working teachers could decide to not continue with the hassle. I have found I am able to do a better job of college now than when I was 18. I t has been very enjoyable and not too many problems have arisen that d id n 't have s a tis fa c ­ tory solutions. Noise p o llu tio n j_s_ a problem on this campus— dorms act lik e huge parabolic microphones— soak up s tre e t noise— take a DB meter and check sometimes. 100 I'v e been Involved in 3 major universities now, and M.S.U. is the only one where I have been unable to a tta in any sense of belonging to an academic commun­ ity . I was fortunate to have a tremendous in s tru c to r who was very interested in helping an adult returning with a 22 year absence from a campus. As a 40 year-old night-tim e student who works during the day (and who has sons in college a ls o ), I have had bad experiences at M.S.U. and one big hassle about everything This is not geared to be a family college lik e LCC (Lansing Community College) is . The education received now is so much more meaningful than undergrad education where there was l i t t l e in the way o f frame of reference Am enjoying classes much more now, but finding i t expensive and a slow process towards completing requirements. Classes you need are never a va ila b le . Drop/Adds take more work than a class i t s e l f . Frustrating enough to ju s t q u it school Discrepancy between la s t f a l l ' s response and these be­ cause then was admitted to non-degree statu s, now hav­ ing d i f f i c u l t y gaining admission 'Into desired program with 3.85 average in 10 hours of required work. Rea­ sons: p a r t ia lly unethical i f not ille g a l admission practices. I am in the process of doing b a t t le . At age 55 would prefer to sfiend my energies otherwise. Lots of good support from fellow students. Freedom to learn. I deeply regret having submitted to the unnecessary structure of my education. I would not do i t again Been very interesting to f i l l this out as i t has helped me focus on real problems in going back to school. Thanks and best of luck. 101 The preceding quotations were presented to In d icate the range and fla v o r of the open-ended responses. I t was d i f f i c u l t to choose the representative comments since almost a l l o f the 471 responses were important and added to the study. Summary Chapter IV has attempted to present a thorough analysis of the data. F i r s t , frequency d is trib u tio n s were discussed and pre­ sented g ra p h ic a lly . Second, a b r i e f consideration of the problem variables preceded the tables presenting data describing the f r e ­ quencies on both Questionnaire I and Questionnaire I I . A resume of the data followed which lis t e d the problems in order of f r e ­ quency. Third, an explanation of the Pearson Product Moment Corre­ la tio n u t iliz e d in te s tin g the differences between the two question­ naires was reported. Fourth, the Chi-Square analysis was applied to the data and the resu lts were computed. S p e c ific frequencies were lis te d on selected variables to in d icate the range of responses. F i f t h , a b r ie f rep o rt was included on the open-ended responses, with i l l u s t r a t i v e selected quotations. Based on the data a n alysis, Chapter V w i l l o ff e r a summary of the conclusions and suggestions fo r fu rth e r research. CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLICATIONS Introduction Chapter V presents a summary of the conclusions of the study, recommendations for future research, implications o f the study, and the concluding statement. The purpose of the research project has been to take an in depth view of one segment of the population, the adult learner, a t one point in time at a single in s titu tio n . Concisely, i t has sought to id e n tify the expressed needs of the population of adult students at Michigan State University during 1974-1975 and to te s t whether or not and to what extent these expressed needs are a ltered during two terms of study. A review of the lit e r a t u r e revealed th a t several studies have been completed on adult learners' problems, but no research was uncovered which compares problems at two points in time or which in ­ cludes both graduate and undergraduate men and women. Generally, the dissertation lit e r a t u r e on the subject presents information on one area of adult student body: mature women, adult undergraduates, 102 103 or evening college students. Much of the lit e r a t u r e reviewed focuses on the problems of adult students returning to higher education. These studies were helpful in delineating problems and corroborating the findings o f the present research with what was done in the past. The most cormon and frequent problem id e n tifie d in studies of the Sixties and e a rly Seventies remain as problems in 1975. The targ e t population fo r the study was 775 adult students who enrolled as new or readmitted students fo r a t least one class on campus for c r e d it during the F all term of 1974. The responses on Questionnaire I totaled 584; of these, 463 were usable in the study. The 463 usable responses constituted the study sample, which was analyzed demographically and according to the problems indicated on the returned questionnaires. From the results of Questionnaire I I (Spring 1975), 348 paired responses were matched and tested fo r s ig ­ n ific a n t c o rre la tio n s . The Computer In s titu te f o r Social Science Research, Michigan State U n ive rs ity, was u tiliz e d as a s t a t i s t ic resource service as well as in tab u la tin g , programming, and computing the data. The in ­ formation was transferred from hand-coded Fortran sheets to key punched computer cards. A to ta l o f 917 computer cards was used to te s t the data. The collected and tabulated research was tested, evaluated, and correlated by a number o f methods. A frequency study was 104 completed and graphed fo r Questionnaire I and Questionnaire 11= Since demographic variables were contained only in the f i r s t ques­ tio n n a ire , these were catalogued separately,. be found in Tables 2 through 20= The frequencies can In addition, research questions were established concerning the data. To answer the questions, r e ­ sponses were analyzed by a combination of frequency d is trib u tio n s , Pearson correlatio n s, and Chi-Square tests. Conclusions on Research Questions The study asked three major research questions: 1) What are the characteristics of the adult students entering Michigan State University in 1974-1975? 2) Is there a s ig n ific a n t lin e a r r e la tio n ­ ship between the expressed problems in Fall term 1974 (Questionnaire I) and the expressed problems in Spring term 1975 (Questionnaire I I ) ? ; and 3) Are there s ig n ific a n t differences between the expected f r e ­ quencies and the obtained frequencies of the problem variables ex­ pressed by groups varying in demographic characteristics? The con­ clusion which can be drawn from the responses to these questions w ill be discussed below. QUESTION I: What are the characteristics of the adult students entering Michigan State University in 1974-75? A, What age groups are represented? 105 The resu lts o f the frequency d is trib u tio n s indicates that the m ajo rity of a d u lt students (60.26 percent) returning to Michigan State University are between 26 and 30 years o f age. This conclu­ sion correlates with the research findings o f Cross and V a lle y , Erickson, and Knowles. Students in the second group range in age from 31 to 40 years; 31.53 percent of the population f a l l s within that band. of age. Less than 10 percent of the population was over 40 years In summary, the m ajority o f the returning students are in the 26 to 30 age group and the problems are dispersed throughout the age groups. B. What is the sex r a tio between men and women? The frequencies on the sexual composition of the study sample r e f l e c t the to ta l d is tr ib u tio n of a d u lt students throughout the u n i­ v e rs ity as reported by the O ffice o f Evaluation Research, Michigan State U n ive rs ity. Of the adult returning students, 60.48 percent are male and 39.52 percent are female. In looking a t the percentage d is trib u tio n of problems by sex, females' problems are in the areas of selection of classes and re g is tra tio n procedures as well as park­ ing and transportation around campus. The major problems for males are in the s k i l l s area and in gaining information about university functions. Generally, there is very l i t t l e frequency difference be­ tween men and women on any of the te s ts . This leads the researcher 106 to conclude that the problems are sim ila r across sexes in magnitude and frequency, and that approaches- toward solving problems should be considered for both sexes. As has been noted, very few previous studies reviewed included botfr men and women as subjects. Including both sexes across a l l class levels in future studies might broaden the general knowledge of problems and contribute to an understanding of returning adult students. C. What percentage of the population is married? What percentage is stngle? The information on marital status was not found to be of great value in correlating problems, The two problemswhich would have related d ir e c t ly to marftaT Status, child care (Variable #51) and support from spouse and family (Variable #59), were indicated by only 16 percent of the population as problems and dropped because of the 25 percent c r it e r io n . The r a t io o f married to single students is 65.66 percent married versus 34.13 percent single for the group under study. D. What percentage of the population is represented in each curriculum grouping? Two c la s s ific a tio n s of curricula were recorded on each sub­ je c t under study. The f i r s t was the specific curriculum as lis t e d in the computer p rin t-o u t from the Data Processing Department, 107 Michigan State U niversity. There were 94 c la s s ific a tio n s in t o t a l , which provided too few subjects in a c ell fo r s t a tis t ic a l study. The researcher divided a ll Michigan State University c u rric ­ ula into ten major groups and used these data fo r in te rp re ta tio n . Even though 463 subjects were spread over ten groups, there were s t i l l very small c e lls in Engineering (N=12), Residential Colleges (N=7), and Communications (N=21). Chi-Square d is trib u tio n s . These small c ells influenced the The majority of students are enrolled in the Colleges of Education, Social Sciences, Business, and A gricul­ ture. These ra tio s must be considered in li g h t of the nature of the specific colleges and c u rric u la . The problems encountered could be in ­ herent within the specific d iv is io n ; for example the competitive na­ ture of admission procedures fo r medical students, which means that certain solutions to expressed problems w ill a ffe c t only students within a p a rtic u la r f i e l d or college. Need fo r academic counseling is another problem which varies between colleges and curricula areas with unique relationship to the specific area. Several interesting patterns of problems emerged from the data analysis. For example, 66 percent of the medical students lis te d admission problems; 40 percent o f the education students In ­ dicated d i f f i c u l t y receiving Information and forms, and 40 percent of a ll students (with the exception of medicine and residential c o l­ leges) lis te d a need for academic counseling. For over 40 percent 108 of the curriculum groups, except medical and business students, scheduling, re g is tra tio n , and fin an cial aid presented problems. Nothing was found in previous studies reviewed which correlates curriculum with problems. As a new area of study, i t provides an interesting contribution to the lit e r a t u r e . I t appears that the existence of problems in various colleges and departments is re ­ lated to variables such as budget, s iz e , faculty-student r a t i o , and physical f a c i l i t i e s . E. Into which class levels are the subjects divided ( fo r example, freshman, sophomore, ju n io r, senior, graduate)? The graduate levels a t Michigan State U niversity appear to a ttr a c t the great majority of students over 26 years of age: 70.20 percent of subjects in the study were above the undergraduate l e v e l . Close inspection of the problem variables reveals that the d is tin ctio n between problems is also divided between undergraduate and graduate levels: for example, 50 percent of undergraduates sur­ veyed indicated a problem with choosing a major f i e l d , in contrast to 25 percent of the graduate students; 70 percent of the freshmen group indicated problems in selecting classes and re g is te rin g , where­ as 25-30 percent of the graduate students stated these were problems, ( i t is noted th a t the freshman group contained a very small N of 11.) 109 In the s k i l l needs c la s s ific a tio n , the percentage of problems tends to diminish as the class level of the student increases. Ina­ b i l i t y to take examinations also diminishes as the class status ris e s . However, lib r a r y s k ills were lis t e d as problems by 50 percent of the freshmen, 80 percent o f the sophomores, 40 percent o f the ju n io rs , 45 percent of the seniors, 50 percent of the Master's degree candi­ dates, and 40 percent in the advanced areas. I t is a general conclusion that problems tend to diminish as one progresses up the academic ladder. This phenomenon could be attrib u ted to experience w ithin the system as well as higher motiva­ tion with higher educational le v e ls . A major question arises from this conclusion: do the prob­ lems actu ally diminish, or does the student become more adept a t cop­ ing with the existin g structure thereby perceiving the problems as less significant? The other side o f the issue is that adult students who find the problems of returning to higher education insurmountable drop out of the system and are not available to respond to questions concerning th e ir problems. The answer to the question o f class status of the adult students returning to Michigan State in 1974-75 indicates that the majority have had college experience and have completed undergraduate study. no F. What 1s the previous educational experience of the respondents ( f o r example, college or u n iversity, community c o lle g e , business school)? I t is obvious th a t present educational status correlates closely with the preceding discussion o f the class level of students. One additional conclusion should be added to the general one that problems seem to diminish with progression up the educational ladder. There appears to be a preponderance o f problems among com­ munity college graduates (Group #4). These respondents indicated more fin an c ial problems, more d i f f i c u l t y 1n scheduling classes and re g is tra tio n , and more problems with lack o f confidence and meeting other students. This would lead to the conclusion that the commun­ it y college transfer student generally has a tiigher ra tio o f prob­ lems than the population as a whole. planations; There are several possible ex­ These students may be more a r tic u la te in expressing th e ir problems, the community college environment may be smaller and thus more supportive o f students, or services provided to tra n s fe r students may be Inadequate and should be improved. G. How many years have elapsed since the la s t formal education experience? The conclusions on this variable are Influenced by the fact that a large percentage o f respondents (64.36 percent) Indicated that they had taken at le a s t one course w ith in the la s t two years. Ill A portion of this group reported moving d ire c tly from undergraduate to graduate school. Analysis of responses to Question I enables the researcher to suggest the p r o file of an average adult student. married male, between 26 and 30 years of age. He would be a He would be enrolled in a Master's degree program in education, business, or a g ric u ltu re , and he would have taken classes w ithin the past two years. This composite student does not d i f f e r ra d ic a lly from the regular Michi­ gan State University graduate school residential student less than 26 years old. This is an important point. Might not the problems and needs expressed by the population under study be representative of the needs of university students as a whole? This p o s s ib ility w ill be expanded upon in the discussion of recommendations fo r fu­ ture study. QUESTION I I : Is there a s ig n ific a n t lin e a r relatio n ship between the expressed problems in Fall term 1974 (Question­ naire I ) and the expressed problems in Spring term 1975 (Questionnaire I I ) ? The lin e a r relationship between Questionnaire I and Question­ naire I I was tested with the Pearson Product Moment C orrelation. The Z te s t was used to establish the level of significance required for the Pearson, and i t was determined that any r above .09 would be sig ­ n ific a n t at the .05 le v e l. The low r percentage was due to the large 112 number o f variables being compared. On the basis of th is tabulation* a ll variables were s ig n ific a n tly re la te d . A second purpose in determining the Pearson Product Moment Correlation was to establish which variables increased or decreased in frequency between the two questionnaires. The findings indicate that receiving information, scheduling classes, need fo r lib ra ry s k i l l s , need for prerequisite s k i l l s , time to study, parking, re ­ ceiving information on university functions, and meeting facu lty and advisors a l l increased 1n the level of d i f f i c u l t y between Question­ naire I and Questionnaire I I . All other variables studied decreased or remained the same 1n the level of d i f f i c u l t y between the two ques­ tionnaires . Measuring changes in the levels of the problems proved d i f f i ­ c u lt 1n reviewing the Pearson data. The fact that many of the i n i ­ t i a l responses were made p rio r to entry into the in s titu tio n may have influenced the emphasis placed on the problem v a ria b le s . This fa c t poses a question as to whether the problem actu ally increased in se­ v e rity or whether recognition of the problem increased a fte r experi­ ence w ithin the system. In conclusion, the results of the Pearson Product Moment Cor­ re la tio n indicate a lin e a r relationship between the two questionnaires applied to the problems of adult students. The Pearson does not 113 indicate which groups increased or decreased in level of problems, but does indicate that there was an increase on specific variables. QUESTION I I I : Are there s ig n ific a n t differences between the expected frequencies and the obtained frequencies of the problem variables expressed by groups varying in demographic characteristics? The Chi Square Test was instrumental in testing differences between each variable as perceived by each subgroup with the sample, and differences were revealed a t the 05 level of significance. The data presented in Tables 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 indicate s ig n ific a n t levels of difference on 46 te s ts . The conclusions drawn are that there are fewer differences between age and sex groups, and greater differences between curriculum, class, and educational background. In conclusion, i t is noted that the Chi-Square Test is of lim ited value in comparing the data under study because the test is based on the assumption of more than fiv e respondents in a c e l l . Although the value of the assumption is s t i l l debated by authorities in s t a t i s t i c s , a cell of f iv e or fewer does tend to a ffe c t the re ­ sults, The researcher reports a second set of chi square scores based on the premise of an N=5 in Appendix C. 114 General Conclusions The general conclusions drawn from the study go beyond the answers to the research questions. What actu ally were the major problems indicated by the population under study? to have the greatest number of problems? tween measures? change? Which groups seem Did the problems change be­ What possible causes might have brought about the These are a l l questions which occurred to the researcher while analyzing the data. A. What were the major problems? The answer to the question of what the major problems were is found (Table 60) in the resume of the data from the frequency graphs. More than 40 percent o f the subjects Indicated needs in the following order of importance: time to study, parking on campus; scheduling classes; lib ra ry s k i l l s ; selecting classes; fin an cial assistance fo r personal needs; reading s k i l l s — speed; and fin an cial aid fo r tu itio n and academic needs. These same needs were reported 1n previous studies of adults 1n the lit e r a t u r e review: Cross and Valley In d i­ cate financial concerns and time re s tric tio n s as major obstacles to would-be learners in continuing t h e ir education; Erickson concludes that scheduling, counseling, fin an cial a id , and parking are key issues for adult students; Jeghellan and Barney found lack of time is a prime concern. Hunt voices lack of confidence and need fo r 115 specialized counseling as major problems. The Kellogg study, The Lifelong U n ive rs ity , makes concrete suggestions fo r greater f l e x i ­ b i l i t y , improved parking, easier scheduling, and more f a c i l i t i e s fo r counseling and financial a id . The present study corroborates the same needs, and the researcher finds the major problems reported over the la s t decade in the research also remain as major problems in 1975. These problems do not show evidence of change over the past decade; a general conclusion is th a t the major needs remain unmet a t Michigan State University and should be dealt with by the in s titu tio n in the immediate futu re. B. Which groups have the greatest numbers of problems? The conclusions regarding problem levels w ithin specific groups are described in Tables 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 in Chapter IV. In summarizing these re s u lts , the needs variables are evenly dispersed through a ll the age and sex groups. Problems were in d i­ cated by 50 percent of the respondents in generally a l l age cate­ gories, but a few stand out as d if f e r e n t . For example, financial problems tend to diminish in the older groups, whereas lack of con­ fidence and d i f f i c u l t y in taking examinations increase with age. S k ill needs, selection and scheduling of classes, and finances are lis ted as problems by younger students. to study and parking are major problems. All groups feel that time 116 In summarizing the data by class levels of the respondents, I t appears that undergraduates generally express more problems than graduate students, with the greatest percentage indicated by sopho­ mores. Among the graduate students, master's candidates indicate r e la tiv e ly high percentages of problems, with very few problems men­ tioned by medical students, Fewer problems among medical students can be explained to a c e rta in extent by the facts that there is a higher faculty-student r a t i o , more funds are available f o r student services, and the program is highly structured, Undergraduates and master's candidates are generally assimilated into the general uni­ v ers ity structure where fewer specialized services are a v a ila b le . From the perspective of educational background, the problems were dispersed evenly among the groups. Business school graduates expressed few financial problems, but require more academic counsel­ ing and reading s k i l l s . Community college graduates expressed finan­ c ial needs and the greatest need for more study time, A general con­ clusion related to the educational background variable is that more attention should be focused upon comnunity college tran sfer students, accompanied by more opportunities for counseling and fin a n c ia l aid at the upper class, undergraduate level. Again i t should be emphasized that conclusions re la te d to the groups of respondents are based on small numbers of undergraduates. 117 Due to the lim ite d number, i t 1s Impossible to formulate g en e ra liza ­ tions re la te d to the adult undergraduate student. In considering the number o f years since taking a class v a r i­ able, i t appears th a t the great m a jo rity of the subjects studied have had some type of continuing education up to the time they registered as students in F all 1974. The problems were g enerally dispersed throughout the groups, although the small number of responses from those who had been away from education fo r more than ten years makes any type of g e n e ra liza tio n d i f f i c u l t . A general conclusion drawn from the study Is th a t students who have had recent learning e x p e ri­ ences in d icate the same frequencies of problems as do those who have been away from formal education f o r some time. Concerning the frequency o f problems w ith in curriculum group­ ings, 1t is noted th a t the problems expressed r e la te d ir e c t ly to the college or area of study. For example, medical students in d ic ate ad­ mission as t h e i r g reatest problem area; business students have d i f f i ­ culty 1n s e le c tin g and re g is te rin g fo r classes, but have few fin a n ­ cial problems; students in Arts and t e t t e r s generally have problems in a l l areas; and the problems of education students r e la te to fin a n ­ c ia l a id , scheduling of classes, s k i l l needs, and academic counsel­ ing. 118 C. Did the problems change between the administration of the two measures? The knowledge th a t 22 variables increased as problems and that 18 decreased in frequency does not f u l l y explain the data. appears that changes occurred between categories. It For example, the area of pre-entry needs diminished a fte r the f i r s t measure, which can be explained when considering the nature of the variables re la tin g to learning the route through the system; once a student has been ad­ mitted, admission is no longer a problem. What is interesting about the pre-entry problems is that many of them did increase following two terms of experience w ithin the system. Receiving necessary in ­ formation, scheduling classes, a v a ila b ilit y of books and supplies, and dropping and adding classes a ll increased in frequency between Fall term 1974 and Spring term 1975. In the other areas, the changes in frequencies were s lig h t for s k il l needs, but a b i l i t y to take examinations showed a marked In ­ crease. Variables concerning personal needs increased somewhat, with parking, information about university functions, and meeting fa c u lty and advisors a l l showing a marked increase. I t is interesting to note that financial aid problems decreased s lig h t ly a fte r two terms of experience. This might be explained by students uncovering sources they did not re a liz e were available or by finding part-tim e jobs to aid them f in a n c ia lly . I t is also possible that some of the 119 nonrespondents to the second measure, who had responded to the f i r s t , dropped out of the u n iversity because of financial needs, which would a lte r the data. In summary, there were changes in the responses between the two measures. The differences were not great, but they do r e fle c t the conclusion that some problems decrease with experience as a stu­ dent, while others increase. viated a f t e r two terms. In no case was a problem t o t a lly a l l e ­ No new problems were uncovered as a result of the research, but i t is a general conclusion that major problems confronting students do not diminish a f t e r two terms w ith in the uni­ versity system. Possible solutions w il l be considered in the follow­ ing recommendations. Recormendations Based upon the Results of the Research The recomnendations growing out o f the present study encom­ pass two areas: immediate changes necessary to a lle v ia t e the most frequent problems observed by the researcher, and the suggestions by the respondents for changes that w ill assist them as a group. 120 Researcher1s Reconmendati ons The recomnendations fo r changes w il l be considered in the order of importance of the problems expressed by the students. 1. Time to study. —The time to study need could be a l l e v i ­ ated by counseling programs focused on teaching organizational s k ills and the management of time. A student center which would include personal as well as academic advisement in a central u n it could assist students in developing p r io r it ie s and strategies to control the use of t h e ir time. Since many of the students represented in the population hold f u ll- t im e jobs, the need fo r a unit to assist them should include services offered at nontraditional times such as lunch and dinner hours, evenings, and weekends. In another v ein , improving s k ills such as reading, w ritin g , and typing could save the students time in the long run, and a s k ills center to assist in such areas could be made part o f a general student center. 2. Parking on campus. — Parking has been a chronic problem at Michigan State University since the school's rapid growth in the 1950s. The need fo r more s e lf-liq u id a tin g parking f a c i l i t i e s close to the center of the campus, sim ila r to those found a t the University of Michigan and University of Toronto, could a lle v ia te the problem. These f a c i l i t i e s would not require a special use permit and would be available to anyone on a metered basis. In addition, more frequent 121 minibus service from o u tly in g parking lo ts could f a c i l i t a t e movement across campus. I f parking problems p e rs is t and grow in the fu tu re , i t may be necessary to reconsider building additional parking f a c i l i ­ tie s and to elim in a te p riv a te vehicles from the inner campus area to ta lly . E s s e n tia lly , th is has been the purpose of present d rivin g and parking reg ulatio n s, but inadequate enforcement, in e q u a litie s in issuance of permits, and lim ite d numbers o f f a c i l i t i e s have produced chaos. I f p riv a te vehicles are elim inated from the cen tral areas, then a much improved t r a n s i t system must be in s titu te d to move stu­ dents and s t a f f across campus„ Regardless of the solutions consid­ ered, parking remains a primary problem f o r students. 3. Scheduling c la s s e s . —The need f o r greater a d m in is tra tiv e f l e x i b i l i t y in scheduling is re fle c te d in the problems and comments of the population under study. More tra in e d personnel in the area of admissions, e a s ie r access to admissions and re g is tra tio n f a c i l i t i e s , and the p o s s ib ility of re g is tra tio n -b y -m a i1 could be accomplished i f planned in advance. The d o lla rs now being spent on corrections in scheduling e rro rs , drops and adds, and changes in class loads could be invested in a more e f f i c i e n t system of re g is tra tio n procedures. Simply c u ttin g down the steps in the re g is tr a tio n process would help. Another aspect of the scheduling problem is the discrepancies between colleges in the times when o ffe rin g s are presented. For example, business classes are o ffe red only during the day, while graduate 122 education classes are availab le almost e n tir e ly 1n the evening. Greater f l e x i b i l i t y should be considered. Easier access to preregi­ stration procedures fo r nontraditional students who cannot preregi­ ster during regular class hours might provide one solution. 4. Library S k i l l s . — I t seems t h a t , due to size and dispersed resources, the lib r a r y remains an enigma to many students. One com­ prehensive, printed guide and one knowledgeable resource person could be of great assistance in fa m ilia riz in g students with the lib ra ry sys­ tem. Simply learning the fact th a t a resource should be explored in two or three d iffe r e n t locations in a lib r a r y can prevent students from becoming discouraged. Since the majority of subjects studied were graduate students, the need fo r accurate knowledge concerning lib ra ry resources is v i t a l . 5. Financial A id . —A major problem in obtaining financial aid appears to revolve around where and what resources are availab le. A complete l i s t of both public and p rivate funds a v a ila b le to a ll students could help students in applying fo r assistance. Some type of centralized administration staffed by trained personnel with knowledge of campus-wide financial resources could be immensely use­ ful . I t appears th a t financial aid to a l l of higher education w ill continue to be a major problem. 123 Students' Suggestions A second source o f recommendations which must be seriously considered as a re su lt o f the research is a l i s t compiled from the open-ended responses of the students surveyed. These have been cate­ gorized below according to the groups making the suggestions. The physically handicapped students suggest: (1) More re s tric te d parking places close to class buildings. (2) More a c c e s s ib ility and "b a rrie r-fre e " design in buildings such as the M.S.U. Bookstore, the Union, 01 in Health Cen­ t e r , and M o rrill H a ll. (3) More “readers" fo r blind and p a r t ia lly sighted students. Students who commute reconnend: (1) B etter scheduling o f buses from commuter lots during hours in the la te afternoon and in the evening. rush (2) Book stores and o ffic es with evening hours, esp ecially counseling o ffic e s . (3) More lib e ra l evening parking on campus. * (4) Lots placed closer to classroom f a c i l i t i e s . be of the h ig h -ris e , s e lf-liq u id a tin g type. These could Single adult students would appreciate: (1) Small, apartment-type housing fo r single graduate students. (2) A ltern ative "meal tic k e t" plans in the graduate dormitory. (3) More social functions fo r o ld er, single students. (4) A center on campus s t r i c t l y fo r dealing with adult problems. 124 (5) More f l e x i b i l i t y in scheduling classes (blocks of time, and so fo rth . (6) More leniency fo r on-campus d riving o f automobiles. Divorced students believe in the need for: (1) Social and c ultu ral a c t iv it ie s fo r children of "one parent'1 fa m ilie s . (2) Social and c u ltu ra l a c t iv it ie s fo r divorced and widowed adults who would lik e to meet other students. (3) Counseling and support groups fo r "one parent" fa m ilie s . (4) Low cost, high q u a lity day care f a c i l i t i e s of both short and long duration. F u ll-tim e students find i t d i f f i c u l t to p articip ate in cooperative nurseries. (5) Reliable babysitting information fo r new students. Summary Although the students' recommendations speak to personal, subjective issues and are unaccompanied by s t a t is t ic a l d ata, the preceding remarks convey an impression o f the type and scope of prob­ lems which face them. Such impressionistic information can be a v al­ uable guide in determining which areas are most in need of improve­ ment. 125 Recommendations fo r Future Study These recommendations fo r future study w ill suggest how this work could be improved upon i f i t were to be done again; what would have been done d if f e r e n t ly ; and what should be done on an on-going basis. The results of the study described the majority o f the popu­ lation as young, continuous learners who have had extensive college experience. Even though the population over 40 years o f age proved to be smaller than anticip ated, i t would be recommended th a t future research s c ru tin ize the older learners and study th e ir problems in depth. A s im ila r recommendation applies to problems of undergraduate students. Is there a difference between the problems of older under­ graduates in contrast to graduate students? completing the degrees they In it ia t e ? v ers ity system? Are the undergraduates Oo they remain w ithin the uni­ The present system seems to be perpetuating the idea that continuing education is fo r those who have already been success­ ful w ithin the system. Intensive research is required to find ways to f a c i l i t a t e learning experiences fo r the students who have not com­ pleted college degrees. I f the present research were to be r e p l i ­ cated, the researcher would recommend an in-depth study of a smaller sample of a l l undergraduate students over 40 years of age to deter­ mine needs, motivations, and success patterns o f older students. 126 The researcher would also reexamine the c r i t e r i a fo r d e f in i­ tion of “adult" in redoing the study. I f the range of adult covers a ll human beings from 18 years of age, then problems uncovered in the study would apply to anyone beyond 18. One approach might be a com­ parative study of re s id e n tia l students 18-22 years of age and nonresidential students 35-40 years old. Are the problems confronting the student body as a whole delineated by age d is tin c tio n s , or does the l i f e - s t y l e of the student determine the perception of problems? A study comparing expressed problems a t d if fe r e n t age levels might find that the problems are inherent in the system and not determined by the age o f the students. Another area of future study 1s follow-up research on adult students who apply and are accepted fo r admission, but do not appear for classes. Do they choose other in s titu tio n s ? couraged by the re g is tra tio n process? them? Do they become d is ­ Do other commitments hinder This type of research would be p a r a lle l to Cross and V a lle y 's study of would-be learners. Continued research on the needs of a l l students is essential 1f programs are to be improved and expanded. Sharing the results and conclusions with other in s titu tio n s also seems important i f progress 1s to be made. A r e la t iv e ly unexplored area concerns the motivational drives of adult students in t h e ir struggle to overcome problems confronted 127 1n the pursuit of education. How many of these students surmount th e ir problems because the in s titu tio n assists them, and how many survive through sheer determination in the face of in s titu tio n a l barriers? Another aspect requiring Investigation involves what i n s t i ­ tutions such as Michigan State U niversity are doing today for stu­ dents of a l l ages. Of real usefulness would be the cataloguing of a ll services availab le to students on various campuses. P a rtia l lis t s containing helpful advice now are availab le through counseling o ffic e s , the lib r a r y , and the special services d iv is io n s , but what is needed Is a compendium which could be mass produced and e as ily d is ­ seminated to a ll students, and a volume more personalized than the General University Catalogue. The potential fo r follow-up research on students returning to higher education appears to be endless. Is i t the pattern of formal learning developed In college which influences the learners to con­ tinue education throughout lif e ? A longitudinal study of learning patterns o f returning students would add to our knowledge s i g n i f i ­ cantly. One la s t area worthy of study might be the application of ex­ perimental research to the problems and possible solutions noted here. Setting up a control group which progresses through the system of higher education without assistance versus a p i l o t group which is 128 assisted w ith specific problems might be one approach. Does assis­ tance make a difference? In short, the p o s s ib ilitie s fo r future research seem almost unlimited, done. What is important is that such work should and must be As the implications of this research suggest, progress has been too slow in the area of life lo n g education. Implications of the Study The results of the study reveal no new or revolutionary needs expressed by the students in 1975. U t iliz a t io n of time, parking, scheduling, counseling, and fin an cial aid are a l l reported by r e ­ spondents in 1975 as major problems much as they were reported by Hunt in 1965, by Erickson in 1968, by the Women's Bureau in 1971, and by Cross and Valley in, 1974. What is distressing is that the lite ra tu re shows the same needs existed over a decade ago, and no radical changes 1n the structure have been in s titu te d to deal with them. I f Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , for example, has a comnitment to life lo n g learning, and such an a ttitu d e was expressed in The Lifelong U n iv e rs ity , then needs assessments should lead to action to a lle v ia te the problems. I t is!* possible to go on describing and assessing fo r decades, but unless overt action Is taken to correct problems, continual reassessments and recommendations are f u t i l e . 129 Another question the study raises Is whether or not the pre­ sent u niversity environment does fo s ter attendance by mature stu­ dents. From the results of the research, very small numbers of stu­ dents over 40 years of age appear to be returning to the higher levels of education. This contradicts research findings in general, as reflected 1n government reports and the Carnegie study. I t would seem that I f older students are indeed being encouraged to continue education, then a sample of 463 students over 26 years o f age should contain more than 8 percent over 40. Perhaps the present system fosters students who conform to the t r a d it io n a l, re s id e n tia l, fouryear mold. 130 C oncluding S ta te m e n t To j u s t i f y th e ir existence, u n iversities need students; people need u n ive rs itie s to assist them in expanding th e ir horizons; each can enrich the other. To f a c i l i t a t e th is process, people and universities must be brought more closely together, f i r s t by diag­ nosing the needs of the recipients of learning and then by changing the structure to meet those needs. The analysis o f expressed needs presented here speaks to the f i r s t issue, diagnosis, and i t is hoped that this research w ill be a s ig n ific a n t step toward re a liz in g McGeorge Bundy's vision of academic utopia: By 1975, the greatest change wrought w ith in the university during the previous f ift e e n years would be the fa c t that i t is not merely a place of f u ll- t im e e f f o r t by young students and old professors--!*t is also a home, fo r hours, or days, or weeks at a time for a l 1 highly c iv iliz e d men. 69 McGeorge Bundy, "A Report from an Academic Utopia," Harper's Magazine, CCXXIV, No. 1340 (January 1962), p. 15. BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, George R. ta tio n s . The Graduate Students' Guide to Theses and Disser­ San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1973. American Association for Higher Education. Higher Education Reflects on I t s e l f and on the Larger Society. Current Issues In Higher Education. G. Kerry Smith ( e d .) . 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P r io r itie s fo r Action: Final Report of the Carnegie Com­ mission on Higher Education. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1973. Clark, Burton R. The M arginalIty o f Adult Education. Notes and Essays on Education for Adults, No. 20. Chicago: Center for the Study o f Liberal Education for Adults, 1958. ________. The Open Door College: A Case Study. H ill Book Company, In c ., 1960. New York: McGraw- Committee on Undergraduate Education. Improving Undergraduate Educa­ tio n , Michigan State U n ive rs ity, 1967. East Lansing, M ichi­ gan: Michigan State U n ive rs ity, 1967. Criml, James E. Adult Education in the Liberal Arts College. Chi­ cago: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education fo r Adults, 1957. Cross, K. P a tric ia . New Students, New Needs. Berkeley, C a lifo rn ia : UC Center for Research and Development in Higher Education, 1972. 133 Cross* K. P a t r ic ia , John R. Valley and Associates. Planning NonTraditional Programs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Company, 1974. DeCrow, Roger. Administrative Practices in University Evening Col­ leges . Chicago: Center for the Study of Liberal Education fo r Adults, 1964. DeCrow, Rober and Stanley M. Grabowski (Compilers). 1970 Annual Register: Research and Investigation in Adult Education. Syracuse: ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education and A .E .A ., 1971. DeCrow, Roger and Loague Nehum (Eds.). Adult Education Abstracts 1963-1967. Washington, D.C.: Adult Education Association of U .S .A ., 1971. Drazek, Stanley J . , and others. Expanding Horizons: Continuing Edu­ ca tio n . (Golden Anniversary Publications of the National University Extension Association) Washington: North Wash­ ington Press, 1965. Dyer, John P. Ivory Towers in the Market Place. M e rr ill Company, I n c ., 1956. New York: Bobbs Erickson, Mildred B. "An Analysis o f Selected Characteristics and Needs of Adult Undergraduate Students Attending Michigan State U niversity, Fall Term 1966." Unpublished Doctoral D issertatio n , Michigan State U n iversity, East Lansing, Michigan, 1968. Farmer, Martha L. Student Personnel Services for Adults in Higher Education. Metuchen, N .J .: Scarecrow Press, 1971. Glass, J. Conrad J r. and Richard F. Harshberger. "The Full-Time Middle-Aged Student in Higher Education," Journal of Higher Education, Vol. XLV, No. 3 (March 1974), p. 211. Glass, Gene V. and Julian C. Stanley. S ta tis tic a l Methods in Educa­ tion and Psychology. Englewood C l i f f s , N .J.: Prentice-Hal1 I n c . , 1970. 134 Goldseth, Ann. "An Assessment of the Self-Supprted Educational Vocational Counseling Program fo r Non-Student Adults Spon­ sored by the Continuing Education Service and the Counsel­ ing Center a t M.S.U." Unpublished D is s e rta tio n , Michigan State U n iv e rs ity , East Lansing, Michigan, June 1974. Goldwin, Robert A. ( e d .) . Higher Education and Modern Democracy. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1965. Gould, Samuel B. D iv e rs ity by Design. C o., 1973. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Hack, Walter G ., and others. Educational Futurism 1985. (Report o f National Conference o f Professors of Educational Admin­ is t r a t i o n , 1985 Committee.) Berkeley: McCutcheon Publish­ ing Corporation, 1971. Harcleroad, Fred F. (e d .) Higher Education. Issues of the Sevenites: The Future o f San Francisco: Jossey-Bass In c ., 1970. H e f f e r lin , J. B. Lon. Dynamics of Academic Reform. Jossey-Bass In c ., 1969. San Francisco: Henderson, Algo D. and Jean Glidden Henderson. Higher Education in America. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1975. Hesburgh, Theodore M ., Paul A. M i l l e r , and C lifto n R. Wharton, J r . Patterns fo r Lifelong Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1973. Holmstrom, Engin I . "Older Freshmen": Do They D i f f e r from “T y p ic a l" Undergraduates? A.C.E. Research Reports, Volume 8, No. 7 , October 1973. Los Angeles: American Council on Education, U n ive rs ity o f C a lifo rn ia . Horn, Francis H. Promoting High Standards of Professional Excellence C .S.L.E.A. Occasional Paper #9. Boston: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education f o r A d ults, 1964. Houle, C yril 0. The Design o f Education. Bass , I n c . , 1972. San Francisco: Jossey- 135 ________. "Lifelong Learning in the Near Future." Address before the State Meeting o f Community School Directors, Community College Personnel, and Adult Education Personnel, Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 14, 1974. ________. The External Degree. 1973. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Co., Houle, C yril 0 . , and others. The Continuing Task: Reflections of Purposes in Higher Continuing Education. Notes and Essays on Education for Adults, No. 54. Boston: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1967. Hunt, Beverly. "C haracteristics, Perceptions, and Experiences of Married Women Students at Lansing Community College.11 Un­ published D issertatio n , Michigan State U n iversity, 1965. Jackard, Charles R. "The American Adult Male Rejects Counseling." Adult Leadership, Vol. 23, No. 1, May 1974. Jeghelian, A lic e . "Persistence in Adult Students and Its R elation­ ship to Selected Psychological Factors." Unpublished Doc­ to ral D issertation, Ph.D. Degree, Boston College, Boston, Mass. , 1971. Jensen, Gale, A. A. Liverigh t and Wilbur Hallenbeck. Adult Educa­ tio n : Outlines o f an Emerging Field o f University Study. Washington, D.C.: Adult Education Association of the U.S.A., 1962. Johnstone, John W. C., and Ramon J. Rivera. Volunteers fo r Learning. Chicago: Aldine Publishing House, 1965. Krietlow, Burton W. Bibliography of Research in Adult Education and University Extension. Madison: American Educational Research Organization, N .E .A ., 1968. Knowles, Malcolm S. Higher Adult Education in the United S ta te s . Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1969. ________. The Adult Learner. A Neglected Species. Gulf Publishing Co., 1973. ________. The Modern Practice of Adult Education. c iatio n Press, 1971. Houston, Texas: New York: Asso­ 136 Liveright, A. A. Adult Education In Colleges and U n iv e rs itie s . Chicago: Center fo r the Study o f Liberal Education fo r Adults, 1965. Magarrell, Jack. "Black Enrollments Rising Again." U.S. Bureau of Census Survey, reported in The Chronicle of Higher Edu­ c atio n , Vol. X, No. 4, March 17, 1975. McClusky, Howard Y. "The Relevance of Psychology fo r Adult Educa­ tio n ." Adult Education Outlines of an Emerging Field of U niversity Study, A.E.A. o f U.S.A. Washington, D .C ., 1964. Mehrens, William A. and Irv in Lehman. Measurement and Evaluation in Education and Psychology. New York: H o lt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1973. M ille r , Marilyn V. On Teaching Adults: An Anthology. Center fo r the Study o f Liberal Education fo r Adults, Notes and Essays on Education fo r Adults. Chicago: C .L .E .S .A ., 1960, No. 32. Porter, Lee. "Adults Have Special Counseling Needs." ship, Vol. 18, March 1970. Rauch, David B. "Open for Discussion," Vol. 5, November 1974. Adult Leader­ Adult Leadership, No. 23, . P r io r it ie s in Adult Education, A Publication of the Adult Education Association o f the U.S.A. New York: MacMillan Co., 1972. Sanford, N evitt ( e d .) . Where Colleges F ai1. Bass, I n c . , 1969. San Francisco: Jossey- Seeber, E. D. A Style Manual fo r Students: For the Preparation of Term Papers, Essays, and Theses. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1967. Sheats, Paul H. The Case Against the Adult Drop-Out. Occasional Papers, No. 11. Boston: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education fo r Adults, 1965. Smith, Robert M. "Case Study o f a Programming F a ilu re ." Leadership, Vol. 22, No. 8 , February 1974. Adult 137 Smith, Robert M. and others. Macmi1lan Co., 1970, Handbook of Adult Education. New York: S t e ff lr e , Buford. "Counseling in the Total Society: The Meaning, Need and Use of Counseling a t D ifferent Levels of Our Soci­ e ty ." Unpublished. Prepared for the Ninth Meeting of the National Manpower Advisory Committee's Panel on Counseling and Selection, Washington, D.C., February 17-18, 1967. Stern, Bernard H. Never Too Late fo r College: The Brooklyn Degree Program fo r Adults. Series. Brookline, Massachusetts: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education fo r Adults, 1963. Stern, Milton R. People, Programs and Persuasion: Some Remarks about Prompting University Adult Education. Notes and Essays on Education fo r Adults, No. 33. Chicago: Center fo r the Study of Liberal Education for Adults, 1961. Tate, Mildred C. Jackson. "An Analysis of the Relationship Between Selected Personnel Socio-Economic Characteristics of a Ran­ dom Sample of Adult Women and Their Reasons fo r Enrolling in an Urban Community College." Unpublished D issertation, Michigan State U n iversity, 1971. Tolley, William. American U niversities in Transition and the New Role of Adult Education: Fourth Mansbridge Memorial Lec­ tu re, June 16, 1966. England: University of Leeds, 1967. Turabian, K. L. A Manual fo r Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and D issertatio n s. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1967. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Perspectives of Adult Education in the United States and a Projection for the Future. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government P rin t­ ing O ffic e , 1972. U.S. Women's Bureau. Continuing Education Programs and Services fo r Women. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing O ffic e , 1971. University Microfilms Inc. D issertation Abstracts In te rn a tio n a l. Ann Arbor: Xerox Co., 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970, etc. 138 Valentine, John. "The Liberal Arts College and the Experienced Learner." Adult Leadership, Vol. 23, No. 8, February 1975. Warnath, Charles F ., and Associates. New Directions for College Counselors. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Co., 1973. Webster*s Third International Unabridged D ictio n ary. Mass.: G. and C. Merriam Co., 1964. Young, Anne M. "Going Back to School at 35." Vol. 96, No. 10, October 1973. S p ring field , Monthly Labor Review, Zelmer, Amy. "The Adult Part-Time Student Role in Extensive Programs a t the University of A lberta, Canada— 1970-71." Unpublished D issertatio n , Michigan State U niversity, 1973. (Multimedia; Vol. I —Bound, Vol. I I SIide-tape c o lle c tio n in Main L ib ra ry .) APPENDICES APPENDIX A Appendix A includes sample copies of the four cover le t t e r s mailed to the subjects on September 3, 1974, November 29, 1974 (follow-up to Measure I ) , March 3, 1975, and March 26, 1975 (fo llo w up to Questionnaire I I ) . Appendix A also includes one copy of the questionnaire. An identical instrument was used fo r Questionnaire I I with the exception o f changes made on page 1, deleting demographic data. 139 140 M IC H IG A N STATE U N IV E R S IT Y C O LL E G E OP E D U C A T IO N d e p a r tm e n t op a d m in is tr a tio n HAS I a n d h ig n e r k d u c a tio n [ A N S IN O ■ M IC H IG A N ■ 1NU 1 September 31 1974 ER IC K S O N H A L L Welcome to Michigan State University: This letter concerns you and your status as a near student or re-admitted student over tventy-six years of age. With the current national and university interest in lifelong learning, your concerns and needs are becoming of greater significance now than ever be­ fore. I would like to enlist your assistance in gathering data about these needs. Hopefully, this research view of adult students may be used to aid in solving problems and improve student life for you and others. The plan is to question you now with the enclosed survey and once more in March 1975 to discover your expressed needs and to determine if and how these needs change after two terms at Michigan State. All information gathered is strictly confidential and will be treated with the greatest respect, If you wish to remain anonymous, leave your name off. If you would rather not answer certain questions, it is your choice. Please use this opportunity to discuss needs that reaily concern you. Your opinion is valuable. Your frank and honest responses will enhance the value of the study. As a result of responding to the Adult Student Questionnaire, you will know at least one person at Michigan State. Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you in any way during your first term at M.S.U. Please complete the attached questionnaire and return it in the selfaddressed envelope as soon as possible. Your assistance in this project is greatly appreciated. GOOD LUCK IN THE COMING YEAR!111U t Very sincerely, Peggy A . Nine Doctoral Candidate Continuing Education Michigan State University P le a s e respond to: 1123 Alton Fomd E a s t L a n s in g , M ic h . 4 8 8 2 3 Phone: (5 1 7 ) 3 5 1 -5 2 5 1 141 M IC H IG A N STATE U N IV E R S IT Y COLLEGE OF E D U C A T IO N E A S i I AN.SJNG • M IC H IG A N • 4N&24 D E P A R T M E N T OF A D M IN IS T R A T IO N A N D H IG H E R E D U C A T IO N November 29, 1974 ERICKSON H A L L Dear Fellow Students: This letter is written as a follow-up to one sent you in September regarding questions of deep concern to adult students at Michigan State University. In case my first inquiry missed you while you were moving or was misplaced during registration, I am enclosing a second one accompanied with a postage-paid envelope for your convenience. Please respond!1!1! After studying the first responses received this fall, it seems apparent that adult students do encounter some problems as they re-enter the formal education stream. Unless we are able to gather complete data on these needs and define them in precise terms, little can be done to solve the problems. This is where you come in— please give this questionnaire your careful attention, complete it, and return it to me by December 15th. If you have already responded, please tear off the bottom of this letter and return it in the enclosed envelope. It is sincerely hoped that this study will reflect tbe needs of all adult students at Michigan State. I hope this means you. Very sincerely, Peggy A . Hine Doctoral Candidate Continuing Education Michigan State University To Peggy A. Hine 1123 Alton Road E. Lansing, MI 48823 I have mailed my questionnaire to you. I have no problems and am not interested in responding to your guestions. Name: 142 M IC H IG A N STATE U N IV E R S IT Y COLLEGE O F E D U C A T IO N LAM I A N M N G ■ M IC H IG A N - March J, 19? 5 D E P A R T M E N T ()T A D M IN IS T R A T IO N A N D H IG H E R E D U C A T IO N EIUCKSON H A L L Dear Follow Students: Hello, again....I ’m the graduate student who contacted you during Fall Term for information about your concerns as a student at Michigan State University. I hope these last two terms have gone well for you. Your responses to my first inquiry have been exciting. Certain concerns appear to be universal and reflect basic needs•-others are special and indicate unique problems. Whatever the case, each one has added a sig­ nificant measure to this study. My sincere thanks for your cooperation. Once again I am calling on your time and interest. The real value of this study will come from comparing those needs you expressed last fall to those you perceive at this time. The comparison will indicate which con­ cerns are being satisfied within the existing structure and/or by experience within the system, and which needs have remained unmet. If you are presently enrolled as a student at Michigan State, please complete this inquiry and return it to me by March 20, 1975 in the selfaddressed, postage-paid envelope. If you are no longer a student here or have changed your status and are not able to complete this second response, please tear off the bottom portion of this letter and return it in the enclosed envelope. I would like to thank each one of you personally for your time, your honest responses, and your addition to my doctoral study. I hope it will maJce a real difference. Very sincerely, Peggy A. Hine Doctoral Candidate Higher and Continuing Education I am no longer a student at Michigan State University because Name 143 M IC H IG A N STATE U N IV E R S IT Y COLLEGE OF E D U C A T IO N LA S I D E P A R TM E N T O F A D M IN IS T R A T IO N A N D H IG H E R E D U C A T IO N March 26, 197 5 L A N S IN G • M IC H I G A N • t w ill ERICKSON H A L L Dear Lost, Strayed, and Otherwise Occupied: If I told you you would win a million doiiars, J ' U bet you'd return this questionnaire!!I I can't say this, hut it would be worth a million to me to receive your response. The importance of this study is in looking at how problems and expecta­ tions change as people work within a system. This can be done only by comparing September and March responses to the same questions. Yours Are Very Important. Let me reassure you that every response is treated with the greatest respect and confidentiality. If you have already returned the response mailed to you on March 3rd, please disregard this letter. If you are still taking courses at Michigan State University, please take a few minutes to fill out the attached inquiry and return it to me in the self-addressed envelope. If you are not a student at M.S.U. this term, piease complete the portion at the bottom of this letter and return it. Whatever the case, J would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thank you for your prompt response. Very sincerely, Peggy A. Hine Doctoral Candidate Higher and Continuing Education I am no longer a student at Michigan State University because Name 144 ADULT STUDENT Q U E S T I O N N A I R E PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS Fleaae Print NAME High School Graduate TOT FIRST College Credits ____ ADDRESS DURING THE 1974-75 SHCOOL YEAR Junior College Graduate Street Business or Vocational School Graduate City College Graduate State Graduate School Credits Zip. Please checJt ( n/ ) the statement which b e s t d e s c r i b e s y o u . NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE TAKING A COLLEGE COURSE FOR CREDIT: TYPE OF INSTITUTION ATTENDED PRIOR TO M.S.U. Public Private University____ Small College Private Business or Trade School Community College Never 20-25 years_ 10-20 years 5-10 years_ Other 2-5 years__ 2 yrs - now_ 0 - 1001 Large College l o o i - s c y io o o QUESTIONS Please c h e c k 1. 2. ( V ) the r e s p o n s e d o m e s t to the one w h i c h b e s t s u i t s y o u . This is not a problem fo r me* This is a minor problem fo r me. 3. 4. This is a moderate problem fo r me. This is a major problem fo r me. 1-No Problem I. PRE-ENTRY NEEDS 1. D iffic u lty in being admitted 2. Receiving necessary information 3. D if f ic u lty in choosing a major fie ld 4. D iffic u lty in getting into the chosen fie ld or major 2-Minor Prob. 3-Mod. Prob. 4-Major Problem & forms --1-- 145 Adult Student Questionnaire P le a s e I. ( J ) th e re s p o n s e c lo s e s t to th e o n e w h ic h PRE-ENTRY NEEDS (c o n t'd .) 1-No Problem 5. Academic counseling before choosing course s 6. Credit evaluation of past college courses 7. Transferring credits a. fo r business courses b. for nursing courses c. for other courses 8. Transferring credits for courses taken many years ago 9. Transferring credits for courses from non-accredited in stitu tio n s 10. Credit by examination for required courses 11. Financial aid for tu itio n and academic needs 12. Selecting classes 13. Scheduling classes to f i t available time 14. Getting into desired classes 15. P re-registration for classes 16. Registration 17. A v a ila b ility of books and supplies 18. Locating class buildings and rooms 19. Dropping and adding classes a fte r registration heat s u its you. 2-Minor Problem 3-Mod. Prob. 4-Major Problem — 2— 146 ADULT STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE ( c o n t'd .) P le m a e II. ( >/ } th e re s p o n a e c lo s e s t to the one w h ic h b e s t s u i t s you. SKILL NEEDS 1. Understanding the English language 2. Reading s k ills : a. Speed b. Comprehension c. Vocabulary 3. Writing s k ills 4. Speaking s k ills 5. Library skil Is — knowing available sources 6. Prerequisite knowledge for required courses 7, A b ility to take tests and examinations 8. Need for tu to ria l assistance 9. A b ility to type 1 - No Problem 2-Mtnor Problem 3-Mod. Prob. 4-Major Problem 10. Time to study III. PERSONAL NEEDS 1, Need for local housing 2. Full or part-tim e employment information 3. Financial assistance for personal and family needs 4. Vocational counseling 5. Transportation to campus --3 147 ADULT STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE (c o n t'd .) Plmmmm ( J ) the zmmponmm closmmt to the one which b e s t suit* you. III. PERSONAL NEEDS (co n t'd .) 6. Transportation around campus 7. Parking on campus 8. Child care during class hours 9. Locker space on campus 1-No Problem 2-M1nor Problem 3-Hod. Prob. 4-Major Problem 10. Lunch and dinner f a c ilit ie s 11. Heating other adult students 12. Gaining Information about university functions (lectures* concerts, speakers) 13. Meeting faculty and advisors 14. Personal counseling IS. Confidence In a b ility to do well In college 16. Support from spouse and family IV* OTHER NEEOS— Please specify your needs which have not been lis te d above: A. Your special needs or problems... B. Your comments. . . . ._ 4 „ 148 A D U L T S T U D E N T Q U E S T I O N N A I R E P lease p r i n t NAME Last F irs t Student Number ADDRESS DURING THE 1974-75 SCHOOL YEAR Street City State QUESTIONS Please check ( J ) the response closest to the 1. 2. one which best suits you. This is not a problem for me. 3. This is a moderate problem for me. This is a minor problem for me. 4. This is a major problem fo r me. _____________________________ i ______________ _______________ ______ ________ 1-No 2-Mi nor 3-Mod. 4-Major I . PRE-ENTRY NEEDS Problem Prob. Prob. Problem 1. D iffic u lty in being admitted 2, Receiving necessary Information 4 forms 3. D iffic u lty in choosing a major fie ld 4. D iffic u lty in getting into the chosen fie ld or major APPENDIX B Appendix B includes a graphic description o f the results o f both questionnaires on each variable tested. The researcher con­ siders the following section highly relevant to the d issertatio n 1n describing the actual re s u lts . A resume o f these graphs is found in Table 9 on page 70. The graphs illu s t r a t e the numbers of respondents and the percentage of respondents on each question asked. In comparing the graphs on each page, the reader is provided with a visual image of the changes th a t occurred between Questionnaire I (F a ll 1974) and Questionnaire I I (Spring 1975). 149 GRAPH 1 D IF F IC U L T Y IN BEING ADMITTED N = 463 100 75 N = 348 100 — N = 343 74.08% 50 25 N = 62 13.39% N = 3Z 6.91% 1 N = 23 12.07% 4.97% 2 0 2 3 Problems Problems A problem f o r 25.27% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p r o b le m f o r 19 .26 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 2 RECEIVING NECESSARY INFORMATION AND FORMS N = 463 N = 348 100 100 75 N = 330 75 N - 243 71.92% 69.83% 50 50 25 25 N = 92 N= 3 19.87% 20.69% N = 26 N = 12 5.62% 2 N = 72 2.59% 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 8 . 0 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I N = 21 N = 3 N - 9 6.03% .86% 2 2.59% 3 Problems A problem f o r 29.31% o f p o p u la t io n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 3 D IF F IC U L T Y IN CHOOSING A MAJOR FIELD N = 463 N ■ 348 100 100 N - 257 75 N = 336 72.57% 50 25 14.90 14.08 6.70% . 86% 0 1 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 6 . 5 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 .57% 0 2 3 Problems A problem f o r 25.58% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 4 D IFFIC U LTY IN GETTING INTO THE CHOSEN FIELD OR MAJOR N = 463 N = 348 100 -------- 100 r = 277 N = 357 75 50 25 N= 1 0 Q j6 0 4^.75% 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 0 . 7 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 5,17% 2.01?; 0 2 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 1 8 . 3 9 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 5 ACADEMIC COUNSELING BEFORE CHOOSING COURSES N = 463 N -- 3 4 8 100 75 N - 264 50 57.02% N - 93 25 N = 66 20.09% 12.96% N - 17 6.26% 0 . 3.67% 0 22.70 H -- 29 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 Problems Problems A problem f o r 39,31% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A problem f o r 37.64% o f p o p u la t io n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 6 CREDIT EVALUATION OF PAST COLLEGE COURSES N - 463 N * 348 100 100 75 77. OH 50 25 0 0 4 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 1 8 .1 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 2 3 Problems A problem f o r 19.54% o f p o p u la t io n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 7 TRANSFERRING CREDITS N 3 463 N = 348 100 100 3.02% 0 2.30 2.16% 2 0 2 3 Problems Problems A problem f o r 9.93% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A problem f o r 9.20% o f p o p u la t io n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 8 TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR BUSINESS COURSES N = 463 N * 34 8 100 100 75 N * 243 N = 299 64.58% 50 25 2.30% 0 0 1 2 3 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 2 .5 9 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 4 .0 2 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 9 TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR NURSING COURSES N * 463 100 N = 348 100 — N -- 27! 75 77.87, 70.41% 50 25 28.29 N - 5 2 20.69% U )8 ■22% 0 N ■ 72 3 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 1.3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 N ■1 . 1 29 % 2 N • 4 1 i .15* 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 1 .4 4 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 10 TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR OTHER COURSES N - 463 N -- 348 100 100 0 2 3 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 1 0 .3 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 Problems A problem f o r 8.90% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 11 TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR COURSES TAKEN MANY YEARS AGO N - 463 = 348 100 00 N N - 362 75 75 80.46% 7 8 .1 9 * 50 50 25 25 N - 72 15.55^ 280 N - 47 N = 15 N * 13 2 ...! _2-JI jI I . 3 N - Problems A p r o b le m f o r 6 , 2 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 22-1J 4 13.51% N T 13 3."4% N = 5 | 1.44% JLU J 2 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 6 .0 4 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) . 86 * ! GRAPH 12 TRANSFERRING CREDITS FOR COURSES FROM NON-ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS N -- 348 N = 463 100 100 75 75 N N 302 1 69 25' 65.23 50 50 N ; 148 25 241 N -- 100 25 31.97% N = 3 OO .65 ir--- N - 4 28.74; 3 N = 6 j 1.30s 2 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 2 .8 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I o N - 2 - 1 N L 2 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 2 .0 0 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) 2 ; ___i 57 GRAPH 13 CREDIT BY EXAMINATION FOR REQUIRED COURSES N ' 463 N = 348 100 100 61.99% 0 2 3 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 5 .1 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 5.7 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 14 FINANCIAL A I D FOR T U IT IO N AND ACADEMIC HEEDS N - 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 170 N = 215 11. 88% 11. 02% 18.10% 13.82% 0 11.78% 0 Problems A problem f o r 41.69% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I Problems A problem f o r 41.37% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 15 SELECTING CLASSES N = 463 N = 348 100 100 75 75 N = 244 N = 193 50 50 55.46% N = 137 N = 105 25 25 9.77% 0 3.67% 0 2 3 0 3 Problems Problems A problem f o r 44.28% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A problem f o r 43.10% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 16 SCHEDULING CLASSES TO F I T AVAILABLE TIME N = 348 N = 463 100 100 75 75 50 50 N = 217 25 N = 160 25 0 4.54% 0 13.79% 0 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 Problems Problems A problem f o r 48.59% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p r o b le m f o r 5 2 . 2 9 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 17 GETTING INTO DESIRED CLASSES N = 348 N = 463 100 75 N = 234 50 25 15.33% 0 2 3 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A problem f o r 29.37% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A problem f o r 31.33% o f p o p u la t io n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 18 PRE-REGISTRATION FOR CLASSES N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N * 264 75.86* N = 282 16.41* 4.75* 0 2 3 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A problem f o r 2 2 . 6 8 * o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A problem f o r 2 2 . 1 4 * o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 19 REGISTRATION N = 348 N = 463 100 100 75 75 N = 254 50 50 25 25 16.6351 7.18% 5.1851 0 0 2 3 4 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A problem f o r 29.80% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p r o b le m f o r 2 9 . 3 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 2 0 A V A IL A B IL IT Y OF BOOKS AND SUPPLIES N = 463 N = 348 100 100 75 N = 237 N = 293 50 25 20.9816 8.05% 13.61% 0 0 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 1 9 .8 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 2 3 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 3 1 .3 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 21 LOCATING CLASS BUILDINGS AND ROOMS N = 463 N = 348 100 100 75 N = 326 50 25 2.o n o 1.15% 0 2 3 Problems A problem f o r 20.95% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 1 8 .1 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I (Decrease) GRAPH 22 DROPPING AND ADDING CLASSES AFTER REGISTRATION N = 348 N = 463 100 100 N = 258 N = 259 55.941 7.18% 2 3 3 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 1 3 .6 0 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I Problems A problem f o r 18.68% o f p o p u la t io n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 23 UNDERSTANDING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE N = 463 N = 348 100 100 93.97% 3.67 0 3.89 2 1.08% .43' 3 4 Problems A problem for 5*40' of population on Questionnaire I 0 2 3 Problems A Droblem for 2.88% of population on Questionnaire II (Decrease) 4 GRAPH 24 READING SKILLS The d ata on V a r i a b l e 32 was n o t graphed because o f poor responses due t o c o n f u s io n by respondents as t o wh e th e r *32 was a problem o r m e re ly a d i v i s i o n w i t h i n th e q u e s t i o n n a i r e , GRAPH 25 READING SKILLS: SPEED N * 463 N = 348 100 100 75 = 190 50 50.32% 25 11 . 88% 9.20% 0 0 2 3 4 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A problem f o r 42,55% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p r o b le m f o r 3 7 .0 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 26 READING S K IL L S : COMPREHENSION N = 463 N = 348 100 N = 238 N = 318 17.53% 17.4955 8.2155 0 8.33% 2 3 4 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 3 . 1 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 2.01 2 3 4 Problems A p r o b l e m f o r 2 3 .2 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 2 7 READING SKILLS: VOCABULARY N = 4 63 N = 348 100 100 N = 319 70.11% 4.10% 0 .86 % 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 2 . 6 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 0 .4 0 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 28 WRITING SKILLS N = 340 N = 463 100 75 N = 325 6 8 . 10 % 50 25 0 2.81% 0 2 3 4 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 7 .0 0 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 3 0 .4 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 2 9 SPEAKING SKILLS N 3 463 N * 348 100 100 N = 256 N = 331 178 19.65% 2 . 01 % 2.81% 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 5 .7 0 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 4 .4 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 30 LIBRARY SKILLS--KN0W1NG AVAILABLE SOURCES N * 463 N = 348 100 N = 237 33.33% 11.23% 0 2 3 3.74 2.30% 4 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A p r o b le m f o r 4 5 ,7 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 4 7 .7 0 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 31 PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE FOR REQUIRED COURSES N = 463 N = 343 100 100 N = 229 180 65.01% 24.43% 6.32% 2.59% 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 1 .5 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 1.72% 0 2 3 4 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 3 2 .4 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 32 ABILITY TO TAKE TESTS AND EXAMINATIONS N = 463 N - 348 100 100 N = 309 N = 222 66.74% 63.79% 24.71% 19.87 7.76% 2.16% 0 2 Problems 3 A p ro b le m f o r 3 0 .0 2 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 2 Problems 3 A p ro b le m f o r 3 5 .0 6 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 33 NEED FOR TUTORIAL ASSISTANCE N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 368 N = 288 8.91% 0 2 3.02% 1.30% 3 4 2.30% 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 1 1 .4 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 1 1 .7 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 34 ABILITY TO TYPE N = 463 N * 348 100 100 75 75 N = 284 50 25 25 183 50 17.49% 9.29% 0 10.34% 2.59% 0 2 3 4 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 6 .0 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 9 .3 6 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 35 TIME TO STUDY N = 463 100 100 75 50 N = 215 N = 135 46.44% N = 101 N = 123 to II 26.57 25 = 64 38.79 29.02% 18.39 13.82 N = 41 11.78% 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 4 9 .6 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 1 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 5 9 .1 9 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 36 NEED FOR LOCAL HOUSING N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 344 0 N - 264 2 3 4 0 2 3 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 1 .8 2 % o f p o p u l a t i o n A problem f o r 20.40% o f p o p u la tio n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I on Q u e stio n n a ire I I (Decrease) GRAPH 37 FULL OR PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION N = 463 100 N = 348 100 75 N = 238 186 50 25 13.17% 0 7,76% 0 2 0 7.76% 2 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 6 .5 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 2 3 .8 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 38 FIN A N C IA L ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONAL AND FAMILY NEEDS N = 463 N = 348 100 100 75 50 25 13.22' 2 3 0 6.70% 0 14.37 2 3 4 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 4 2 .5 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 4 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 7 .9 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 39 VOCATIONAL COUNSELING N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 337 77.59 72.79% 2 . 01 % 2.59% 0 2 3 0 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 1 7 .9 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p r o b le m f o r 1 5 .2 2 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 40 TRANSPORTATION TO CAMPUS N = 348 N = 463 100 100 N = 258 N = 328 74.14% 70.84% 14.08% 6.03% 2.87% 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 6 .5 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 2.87% 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 2 .9 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 41 TRANSPORTATION AROUND CAMPUS N = 463 N = 348 100 100 75 N = 294 50 25 17.285! 0 6.6156 4.02% 0 2 3 2 3 4 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 2 ,6 2 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 3 0 .7 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 42 PARKING ON CAMPUS N = 34 8 N = 463 100 100 75 50 N = 202 N = 149 43.63% 25 17.82% 7.13% 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m o f 4 9 .2 4 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 3 4 4 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 5 3 .1 6 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 4 3 CHILD CARE DURING CLASS HOURS N = 4 63 N = 348 TOO 100 N = 234 N = 384 65.23% 15.23% 17.71% 8.05% 3.74% 0 1 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 1 7 .0 6 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m o f 1 7 .5 4 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 44 LOCKER SPACE ON CAMPUS N = 463 100 N * 348 100 N = 270 N = 329 71.06% 17.93% 0 10.63% 2 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 1 1 .0 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 0 2 3 4 Problems A q u e s t i o n f o r 1 1 .7 9 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 45 LUNCH AND DINNER F A C IL IT IE S N = 46 3 N = 348 100 100 N = 364 N = 257 76.46% 73.85% 8.64% 1.30% 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 1 3 .8 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 6 .90 * 0 4 .3 1 * 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 1 9 . 2 5 * o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I (In c re a s e ) 4 GRAPH 4 6 MEETING OTHER ADULT STUDENTS N = 4 63 N = 348 100 100 N = 220 N = 276 63.22% 0 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 3 0 .4 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 3 .3 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 47 GAINING INFORMATION ABOUT UNIVERSITY FUNCTIONS {LECTURES, CONCERTS, SPEAKERS) N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 293 96L N = 219 = 32 8 - 21* 0 6.91% 2 3 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 8 ,5 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 3 3 .9 1 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 4 8 MEETING FACULTY AND ADVISORS N = 4 63 N = 348 100 100 N * 286 N = 220 61.77% 18.79% 21.26% 7.07% 0 2 3 2.30% 0 2 3 4 Problems Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 0 .4 5 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I A p ro b le m f o r 3 4 .4 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) GRAPH 49 PERSONAL COUNSELING N = 463 100 100 N = 253 N - 313 72.70% 11.23% 13.61% 2.87 0 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 2 1 .1 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 2 2 .1 2 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 GRAPH 5 0 CONFIDENCE IN ABILITY TO DO WELL IN COLLEGE N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 300 N = 232 N = 113 23.56% 7.56% 1.94% 0 2 1.30% 2.30% 4 0 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 3 3 .2 7 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 5.17% 2 3 Problems A p r o b le m f o r 3 1 .0 3 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( D e c r e a s e ) GRAPH 51 SUPPORT FROM SPOUSE AND FAMILY N = 463 N = 348 100 100 N = 359 N = 267 77.54 76.72 200 7.56% 0 2 4.32% 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 1 4 .6 9 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I 4 0 2 3 Problems A p ro b le m f o r 1 6 .3 8 % o f p o p u l a t i o n on Q u e s t i o n n a i r e I I ( I n c r e a s e ) 4 APPENDIX C Appendix C has been Included in the research to v e rify the v a lid ity o f the use o f the Chi Square Test on the data presented. Due to the controversy among s ta tis tic ia n s concerning less than fiv e subjects in a c e l l , i t was necessary to group small c e lls together and r e -te s t the data. The following re s u lts indicate th a t 32 of the tests computed on the combined groups proved d iffe re n t a t the .05 level o f sig n ifica n ce . F o rty-six of the o rig in a l tests reported in * the body of the research were s ig n ific a n tly d iffe re n t a t the .05 le v e l. The researcher considers the data gathered from the small c e lls as highly relevant to the research and has presented both sets of resu lts to c la r if y the issue. 201 202 APPENDIX C TABLE 23 AGE—RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS The age groups combined in this series are Groups 3 and 4. Group 1 - 26-30 Years o f Age - N = 279 Group 2 - 31-40 Years o f Age - N = 146 Combined Groups 3 and 4 - 41 Years of Age and Over - N = 37 Variable #1 - Age Observed X2 Theoretical X2 Selection of Classes 15.568 12,592 Pre-R egistration 13,400 12.592 R egistration 16,594 12.592 N ote: These th re e t e s t s a re s i g n i f i c a n t a t th e .05 le v e l w ith 6 degrees o f fre e d o m . 203 APPENDIX C TABLE 24 CLASS— RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS The class groups combined in th is series are (1) Freshman, (2) Sophomore, (3) Junior, (4) Senior, and (5) Special Programs, form ulat­ ing one group o f Undergraduates - N = 138 Masters' Candidates and Combined Groups Variable #5 - Class 7, 8, and 9 — Advanced Graduate & Medical-Osteopathic Observed X2 N = 236 N_ Theoretical X2 Admission 30.704 12.592 Choosing Major Field 27.360 12.592 Selecting Classes 14.416 12.592 Scheduling Classes 22.600 12.592 Getting into Classes 20.192 12.592 Reading Comprehension 21.684 12.592 Reading Vocabulary 16.394 12.592 N o te : These seven t e s t s a re s i g n i f i c a n t a t th e .05 le v e l w it h 6 degrees o f freedom . 204 APPENDIX C TABLE 25 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL STATUS— RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS The Present Educational Status Groups combined in th is series are: Group 1 - Graduate School - N = 216 Combined Groups 2 & 3 College Graduate Business College Graduate - N = 140 Group 4 - Community College Graduate - N= Combined Groups 5 & 6 High School Graduate College Credits - N = 63 Variable #6 Present Educational Status Observed X2 42 Theoretical X2 Choosing Major Field 22.683 16.919 Scheduling Classes 25.652 16.919 Reading Comprehension 32.327 16.919 W riting S k ills 32.746 16.919 Transportation to Campus 20.063 16.919 Transportation around Campus 28.189 16.919 Confidence 22.218 16.919 Note: These seven tests are s ig n ific a n t a t the .05 level with 9 degrees of freedom. 205 APPENDIX C TABLE 26 NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE TAKING A COLLEGE COURSE— RESULTS OF SIGNIFICANT CHI SQUARE TESTS COMPLETED ON COMBINED GROUPS The groups combined in th is series are: Group T - 2-Years - Now - N =■ 2 9 8 Group 2 - 2 - Years - N = 81 Group 3 - 5 - 1 0 - N = 42 Years Combined Groups 4 - 1 0 - 2 0 Years - N = 30 5 - 2 0 - 2 5 Years - N = 2 6 - Never V a ri a b l e #7— N u m b e r of Years r. T „ .. r Since Taking a College Course - N - Observed ; X" 2 . Theoretical Typing 20,050 16.919 Transportation around Campus 17.315 16.919 Note: These two t e s t s a r e s i g n i f i c a n t a t t h e 9 degrees o f freedom. .05 l e v e l w ith v7 X'