Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Adult students – Germany – Attitudes'

Based on theoretical reasoning and empirical evidence, the present study examined the unique and shared effects of attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and acculturation on attitudes toward seeking professional help among Latino college students. The research participants included 149 bilingual Latino college students from a large, public southwestern university. Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that attachment avoidance was positively associated with both the recognition of need for psychological help and stigma of seeking professional help. Acculturation to American society was found to be statistically insignificant in predicting help-seeking attitudes in this sample of the population. Findings from exploratory questions suggested that Latino individuals would most likely seek help from parents, close friends, and then professionals. This study suggested that Latino individuals with high attachment avoidance acknowledge the potential benefit of professional help-seeking but distrust the process of approaching others for help. Limitations, implications, and future research directions will be discussed.

This study explores adult returning students' mathematical experience and ways of thinking prior to enrolling in a community college arithmetic review course. It further examines one student's experience of the course. The first part of the study documents everyday activities adult students perceive as mathematical using Bishop's pan-cultural mathematical activities (Bishop, 1994), and queries students' prior experience with mathematics in school. The second part examines students' ways of thinking about proportion prior to instruction, using a framework developed from previous research (e.g., Lamon, 1993). The third part of the study examines the interaction between informal ways of thinking about mathematics that adult students bring to school and the mathematics they encounter in the classroom. Findings include: (1) Adult students view a variety of activities from their everyday lives as mathematical, (2) adult students' reasoning about proportional situations varies along a developmental trajectory described in previous research on proportional reasoning conducted with younger students, and (3) one student's experience in the arithmetic review course illustrates that she typically suppressed contextual ways of reasoning about problems she brought to the course and, when she did share prior experience, it was not leveraged to support the development of her and other students' mathematical understanding. These findings suggest that adult students' experience of everyday mathematics and ways of thinking about proportion should be the foundation that support students as they build upon informal ways of thinking toward the more formal ways of reasoning expected in school.

This study was conducted to examine the traits and goals of students enrolled in the ESL program at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington over the past two academic years (1992 and 1993). The study looks at the degree of awareness that these students have of further educational opportunities in the academic and vocational areas, and the degree to which the ESL program at Clark College engenders this awareness. Data was collected from two cohorts of students enrolled in the ESL program on two separate occasions, each approximately one year apart. The goals of the study included the following: ( 1) gathering background data for the students attending the ESL program; (2) collecting information regarding students' past and present knowledge of computer technology; (3) awareness of the financial aid programs available; (4) future goals in the areas of education and employment. Comparison of the responses from the two cohorts provides instructors and administrators a clear picture of the students they are serving and provides the rationale for providing the material and logistical support required to allow ESL students to enter into mainstream programs at the community college level.

The purpose of this study was to analyze attitudes and perspectives of university students towards D/deafness before and after studying American Sign Language, ASL, and to determine if any relationship between them exists. A double pre-test quasiexperiment design was used with participants who were students enrolled in a basic ASL course at a metropolitan university.Participants were in either a “control” or “treatment” group. There were 3 instruments used for this study: an attitude scale, a perspective scale, and a control group questionnaire. The control group survey purpose was to decrease chances of pre-sensitization. The attitude survey served to score student opinions about capabilities of Deaf Adults. Scores ranged from negative to positive. The perspective survey was used to reflect student views of D/deafness ranging from medical to cultural. There were 228 ASL I students requested to participate. Of the 228, there were 110 respondents. The control group had n=52 and the treatment group had n=58. Of the 110 pre-survey participants, 71 responded to the post-survey. A Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was run to determine any relationship between attitudes and perspectives of students before and after they studied ASL. Aninverse relationship between attitudes and perspectives was found. Before the students studied ASL, the treatment group attitude and perspective r=-.508 (n=58, p<.01). After participants studied one course of ASL the relationship was r=-.537 (n=71, p=<.01). As attitude score values increased to a negativeopinion about capabilities of Deaf adults,perspective scores decreased towards a medical view. While scores that leaned lower on the attitude scale were deemed more positive, they corresponded with higher score values on the perspective scale indicating a cultural view of D/deafness. There were 6 of the 71 post-survey respondents who had matching coded pre and post-survey response forms. A dependent t test was run to analyze if attitude or perspective scores changed for university students after studying ASL. It was determined one course of ASL does not significantly change attitudes or perspectives about and/or D/deafness ( p=>.05). A PPMCC was conducted to determine if a relationship between attitudes and perspectives of the six matched participants existed. Although not significant at the α<.05 level, the matched participants had an inverse relationship between attitudes and perspectives before studying ASL (n=6, r=-.660, p>.05). After studying ASL the matched participants had a significant inverse correlation between attitudes and perspectives towards D/deaf people (n=6, r =-.922, p<.01). In conclusion there is a relationship between attitudes of university students about capabilities of D/deaf adults and their medical or cultural perspective of D/deafness.

Rural communities are by definition less densely populated and more geographically isolated than non-rural communities, which often translates into higher rates of poverty and poor access to health care, especially mental health care. Previous research has found that persons residing in rural communities endorse higher rates of stigmatized beliefs towards individuals with mental illness and subsequently lower rates of professional help-seeking when compared to persons residing in non-rural communities. This study evaluated whether these attitudes were also present among emerging adults (18-24 years old) who had lived in a rural community for at least 10 years and were currently enrolled in a Virginia university. Further, this study extended prior work relating individual values linked to rural residence, stigma and professional (primary care provider and mental health specialist) help-seeking by also evaluating non-professional (spiritual leaders, family and friends) sources of help, a particularly salient source of help in rural communities. Three colleges were sites for recruitment (N=225) and surveys were completed online. Contrary to prediction, no rural cultural variable emerged within the data. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relation among each of the hypothesized rural cultural variables (religious commitment, internal health locus of control, low emotional openness and family cohesion), stigma towards mental illness and both professional and non-professional help-seeking attitudes and behaviors. Values were entered into models as unique contributors of stigma and help-seeking attitudes. Religious commitment, internal health locus of control and low emotional openness were positively related to stigmatized beliefs towards persons with mental illness. As hypothesized, participants with stigmatized beliefs towards those with mental health concerns also endorsed low levels of professional help-seeking attitudes. However, there were no significant relations for non-professional help-seeking attitudes. Stigma reduced help-seeking behaviors from professional providers and increased help-seeking from religious providers. However, contrary to predictions, persons who endorsed stigma also endorsed prior help-seeking from family members and friends for mental health concerns. Future research can expand these findings by using longitudinal methodology with both rural emerging adults seeking higher education as well as their rural community dwelling counterparts.

The purpose of this project is to gather an understanding of binge eating disorder and effective treatment approaches used for the reduction of binge eating symptoms for adult females. The research focus of this study will be, what are the attitudes and perspectives of binge eating disorder treatments for adult females among students who are in a masters of social work field or study. This research project utilized a post-positivist paradigm where data was gathered qualitatively through the implementation of interviews with MSW students of diverse ethnic backgrounds (e.g. Hispanics, whites, and blacks, professional and personal experiences) from California State University of San Bernardino. The researcher utilized literature review to prepare for the study execution, and participants were provided with an inform consent and debriefing statement. The researcher prepared questions, and audio recorded, transcribe, and then analyzed the interviews. Master’s students’ first-hand knowledge and perspectives contributed to a better understanding of what needs to be known in order to effectively treat binge eating disorder. The results consisted of the following themes: knowledge; basic knowledge of eating disorders, limited knowledge or awareness about binge eating disorder among adult females, no knowledge in regards to effective treatments for adult females with binge eating disorder, need for knowledge or awareness, perceptions; negative perceptions of binge eating disorder and treatments for adult females, experiences; personal and school experiences, and treatments; cognitive behavior therapy for treatment.

The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of returning adult students at community colleges in Arizona through the application of adult developmental theory. To differentiate adult students' needs from those of traditional-age students, samples of prospective freshmen and returning adults were surveyed. Participants in the study were 108 graduated high school seniors, and 104 community college students who were 25 years or older and had a break of three years or more in their education. Participants completed a questionnaire requesting demographic information, reasons for attending college, fears, expectations and needed services. Results showed that traditional-age college students enter higher education to expand their social world, to prepare for a career, and fearing the stresses of college life. Adult students' reasons for entering higher education relate to life transitions and personal growth. They are highly motivated yet hampered by multiple role responsibilities and fear of failing.

The purpose of this study was to describe the resilience in adult at-risk college students who had overcome adverse circumstances and the role resilience played in the post secondary experience in formal education. This qualitative study examined the characteristics and behaviors of resilience within the framework of human development.The eight study participants were clients of the Educational Opportunity Center program in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The study participants were low-income, first generation college students. Several assessment tools were administered to evaluate levels of resilience in the eight participants. In addition, all participants were interviewed, which allowed the participants to share their post secondary experience.The analysis of the evidence gathered showed that the eight participants exhibited traits of resiliency. These traits included being goal-oriented and exhibiting a desire to excel, exhibiting positive responses to new opportunities, using a capacity to delay gratification, demonstrating a high level of personal discipline and responsibility, being self-understanding and independent, exhibiting a high self-esteem, being flexible and creative in responding to life events, displaying a strong internal locus of control, making wise use of the presence and support of a caring person, building positive relationships with others, selecting environments that provided positive and high expectations as well as an opportunity to participate and contribute, possessing an easy-going temperament, finding meaning in life and having a vision of the future, responding with a sense of humor, and possessing a strong faith.All of the eight participants believed that resilience is present in all people and that resilience can be learned. There was not sufficient evidence provided by the assessment tools in this study to support strongly that resilience is a developmental process in adulthood. However, the analysis of the data gathered from the interviews suggest that resilience may be learned and strengthened by observing and learning from others.Conclusions and recommendations of this study focused on the identification of resilient at-risk adult students, determination of the role environment plays in the development and use of resilience in at-risk adult students, and the evaluation of effective assessment tools in identifying resilient at-risk students. Implications of this study for low-income, first-generation post secondary students include providing and strengthening the support of at least one caring adult in students' lives, as well as determining methods to teach or foster resilient behavior in at-risk adult students.
Department of Educational Leadership

The aim of the research study was to examine the marital attitudes of students from divorced, intact and single parent families. Most of these students were in the intimacy versus isolation developmental phase. During this phase young adults seek to form an intimate relationship with another person, but may fear intimacy or may not want to give up their independence and may experience loneliness and isolation instead. It was thus important to conduct the study since some of the students were at a developmental stage in which they might have been dealing with intimate relationship issues. Given the focus of international studies on the marital attitudes of students from intact and divorced families, it was considered important to include, in the comparison, students from single parent families. A survey research design was used as a broad methodological framework and Bowen's family systems theory was used as a theoretical framework. A convenient sampling method was used to select a sample of 209 participants from the Community and Health Science Faculty. A Marital Attitude Scale and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analyzed by means of basic descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis H-test, T-Test and Mann Whitney U-Test. Results showed that students&rsquo
parental marital status (married, divorced, single) had no influence on their attitudes towards marriage. Generally, the students showed positive attitudes towardsmarriage. The results showed that there was a statistically significant difference among different racial groups.

The results suggest that except for race, there was no statistically significant difference on the marital attitudes when compared on such variables as gender, religion and age. Although the marital attitudes of participants were generally positive among the different racial groups, participants from the Black community had less positive marital attitudes when compared with their Coloured, Indian and White counterparts. Participants from the Coloured community also had less positive marital attitudes when compared
to their counterparts from the Indian and White communities. The results of this study show that participants had relative positive attitudes towards marriage and that these attitudes did not differ according to parental status.

Nurse educators have identified that historically nurses have not been preparedto care for dying patients. Research also has identified that nursing students haveanxieties about death, dying, and caring for dying patients. Several factors have beenidentified as affecting nurses', nursing students', and medical students' attitudestoward care of the dying. Factors addressed in this research will be death education,and death experience. As part of a national movement to improve end-of-life (EOL) care, schools ofnursing are starting to implement EOL education in their curricula. This researchlooked at one component of EOL education, which incorporates experiential learningusing Quint's (1967) model of death education and transformative learning theory.The educational experiences were geared to help students understand the skills neededto competently and compassionately care for the dying; those behaviors include: (1)responding during the death scene, (2) providing comfort, (3) responding to anger, (4)enhancing personal growth, (5) responding to colleagues, (6) enhancing the quality oflife during dying, and (7) responding to the family (Degner, Gow, & Thompson,1991). The study examined the long-term effects of an educational experience todetermine if a one- time educational experience provides sufficient, lasting effects in a6-week format.Results of this study indicate that education can have a positive effect onnursing students' attitudes toward care of the dying. Nursing students in the treatmentgroup had a significant positive increase in their attitudes toward care of thedying after the treatment. It was also noted on the pretest that those students who hadprevious experience in caring for dying patients had a statistically significant higherpositive attitude toward care of the dying than those who did not have previousexperience in care of the dying. The attitude change increased slightly after a 4-weekperiod. The use of the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) educationpackage along with experiences at hospice, the funeral home, the anatomy lab and roleplay help facilitate transformative learning in nursing students.

The goal of this research was to better understand the lived experiences and perceptions of nontraditional, adult college students in an asynchronous online environment. Contemporary researchers have investigated the differences between online education and the traditional, in-class learning. Most of the work has been done in quantitative methodologies, focusing on the similarities and differences in cognitive achievement. The extant literature is replete with studies and positions claiming little or no difference between the two delivery methods. However, most research is not presented in a theoretical construct; therefore, it is difficult to create a nexus between one study and the next. Investigating the different ways in which students report their experiences and perceptions in the asynchronous, online environment provides a much richer understanding of nontraditional, adult students. This research used hermeneutic phenomenology, a qualitative methodology to explore and interpret deep human experiences. In other words, this research was conducted to better understand the lived experience of nontraditional students in an asynchronous online learning environment. This understanding was achieved through rigorous analysis of in-depth, semi-structured interviews and journal entries of four nontraditional, adult students enrolled in an online baccalaureate degree program. The purpose of the analysis was to describe the various experiences and perceptions, then group these experiences and perceptions into a logically organized description of the lived experience of adult emergency services students in the asynchronous online environment. Results revealed that student experience fell into two overarching themes, each with related subthemes. The two identified themes and subthemes are: (a) Theme I: Flexibility, with the subthemes of convenience, self-directedness/self-discipline, and reflectivity; (b) Theme II: Conflict of Values: A Paradox of Learning, with the subthemes of communication/socialization between students, student/instructor interaction, and the students’ paradigmatic shifting and conflicted beliefs on learning. A discussion on the relationship of the study results with the constructivist learning theory is presented, as well as the relationship of the results to adult learning theories and the affective domain of learning. A discussion on the study implications regarding asynchronous online delivery and suggestions for further research conclude this work.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to explore the effective and efficient implementation of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) within a specific group of companies. A central argument underlying the study is that the attitudes of managers and students who participate in these programmes play a critical role in the successful implementation of such programmes. The specific objective of the study is to identify those factors that influence managers' and students' attitudes towards ABET within the Grindrod Group. A literature review traces the origin of ABET and its historical development within other countries as well as in the South African context. The role of ABET within the context of Human Resources Development is identified and explored. The research entails a case study of the implementation of ABET within the Grindrod Group of Companies. Quantative as well as qualitative information regarding managers' and students' attitudes were obtained. The attitudes of both the managers and students at Grindrod's were identified by using structured questionnaires during 1998-1999. The questionnaire included closed as well as open questions. In-depth interviews were also conducted with a selected group of managers and students. The aim of the interviews was to facilitate a deeper understanding of managers' and students' attitude towards ABET and the variables that might influence these attitudes. In the case of students interviews were conducted with those who had dropped out of ABET programmes. ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to explore the effective and efficient implementation of Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) within a specific group of companies. A central argument underlying the study is that the attitudes of managers and students who participate in these programmes play a critical role in the successful implementation of such programmes. The specific objective of the study is to identify those factors that influence managers' and students' attitudes towards ABET within the Grindrod Group. While the attitude of both managers and students could be described as positive, the study suggests that the following variables can be seen to influence managers' attitudes towards ABET: seniority of managers, their political orientation, their educational qualifications and the number of years that ABET has been in operation in a specific company. As far as students are concerned, the following variables seem to play a role: the length of their employment, their occupational status, the level of the ABET module that they participate in as well as their formal educational level. The problem that was most commonly cited by managers was that the ABET programme resulted in operational disruptions because the programme was run in working hours. The most regularly identified benefits included improved communication between managers and employees, improved motivation of employees and identification of development potential of employees. The vast majority of all the employees that partook in ABET stated that they believed that they had benefited from the programme. The most commonly cited benefits included being able to write, speak, read and understand English. While the study focuses on a specific group of companies within a specific industrial sector and does not allow generalisations to be made, it nevertheless attempts to lay a foundation for further research to be undertaken regarding the implementation of these programmes in different sectors of the economy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na die effektiewe en doeltreffende implementering van programme vir die Basiese Onderrig en Opleiding vir Volwassenes (ABET - Adult Basic Education and Training) binne 'n spesifieke groep van maatskappye. 'n Belangrike uitgangspunt van die studie is dat die houdings van bestuurders en studente wat aan hierdie programme deelneem 'n kritiese rol speel in die suksesvolle implementering al dan nie van sodanige programme. Die studie poog om enkele faktore wat moontlik verband hou met bestuurders en studente se houdings teenoor programme binne die Grindrod Groep te identifiseer. 'n Literatuurstudie is gedoen van die oorsprong en historiese ontwikkeling van ABET wêreldwyd sowel as in Suid-Afrika. Die rol van ABET binne die konteks van Menslike Hulpbronontwikkeling is ook geidentifiseer en ondersoek. Die navorsing behels 'n gevallestudie van die implementering van ABET binne die Grindrod Groep van Maatskappye. Kwantitatiewe sowel as kwalitatiewe inligting betreffende bestuurders en studente se houdings is bekom. Die bestuurders en studente by Grindrod se onderskeie maatskappye se houding teenoor ABET is vasgestel d.m.v. gestruktureerde vraelyste gedurende 1998-1999. Die vraelyste het beide geslote en 'oop' vrae ingesluit. Benewens die aanwending van vraelyste, is daar ook in-diepte onderhoude met 'n geselekteerde groep bestuurders en studente gevoer. Die doel van die onderhoude was om 'n beter begrip te ontwikkel betreffende bestuurders en studente se houding teenoor ABET en die faktore wat hul houding beinvloed. In die geval van studente is onderhoude gevoer met diegene wat nie die program suksesvol voltooi het nie. Terwyl die houding van bestuurders en studente in die algemeen as positief beskryf kan word, suggereer die ondersoek dat die volgende faktore bestuur se houding teenoor ABET beinvloed, naamlik, die senioriteit van bestuurders, hul politieke oriëntasie, hul opvoedkundige kwalifikasies en die aantal jare wat programme in die betrokke onderneming geimplementeer is. In die geval van studente blyk die volgende faktore 'n rol te speel: aantal jare wat studente in diens van die onderneming is, hul posisie binne die onderneming, die vlak van die module wat deur die studente gevolg word asook die vlak van skoolonderrig wat hulle oritvang het. Die mees algemene probleem wat bestuurders identifiseer is dat ABET programme operasionele onderbrekings veroorsaak omdat die program tydens werksure geimplimenteer word. Voordele wat met die program geassosieer word behels verbetering van kommunikasie tussen bestuurders en werknemers, verhoogde motivering van werknemers en die identifisering van die ontwikkelingspotensiaal van werknemers. Die oorgrote meerderheid van die studente wat deelgeneem het in die ABET program was van mening dat die program vir hulle van nut was. Die belangrikste voordeel wat deur die studente geidentifiseer is, is dat dit hulle in staat gestel het om Engels te skryf, praat, lees en verstaan. Terwyl die ondersoek fokus op 'n bepaalde groep maatskappye binne 'n bepaalde nywerheidsektor en dus nie veralgemenings toelaat nie, poog dit om 'n grondslag te lê vir verdere navorsing oor die implementering van sodanige programme in verskillende sektore van die ekonomie.

This study sought to identify influences on the retention of Māori students, and adult students in general within Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is a Māori-led tertiary institution in New Zealand. A mixed method research design was employed and data were collected by qualitative methods (focus group) and quantitative methods (72-item questionnaire). Inductive and deductive analytic techniques were employed including Rasch Rating Scale model estimations (Andrich, 1978). Seven retention variables were identified. These were student retention attitudes and behaviours, kaiako (teacher) characteristics, whānau (family) features, integration processes and institutional culture, employment and financial situation, student motivation, and pre-enrolment and induction processes. The variables were qualified and quantified by plotting item difficulty measures and person ability measures on the same scale. Additionally, associations between variables were examined by a multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance. Student retention attitudes and behaviours were shown to be positively associated with kaiako (teacher) characteristics and student motivation. Also the ethnicity of the student (Māori or non-Māori) was shown to weakly account for variance in integration processes and institutional culture.After highlighting the key factors affecting the retention of students at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, four propositions were made regarding ways to improve their retention. These were: Kaiako (teachers) need retention related training; External motivation for kaiako (teachers) will improve student retention; Improved student retention requires a change in institutional culture; The measurement of retention attitudes and behaviours could provide data essential for increasing retention. The study has led the way for future research in the following areas: Using the student voice to provide a grounded view of retention; Researching the area of kaiako (teachers) and pedagogy with regards to their ability to positively affect retention; Researching the role of whānau (family) features to effectively configure support programmes to positively affect retention; Identifying significant factors that contribute to adult students feelings of pressure, negatively affecting their retention.

In the United States, adults 65 and older represent a significant and growing cultural minority (Cohn & Taylor, 2011). Ageist stereotypes, whether directed at older adults or internalized by elders themselves, can cause real harm to elders’ mental and physical health (Nelson, 2016a). Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (TLT; 1991) directly addresses the essential nature of challenging personal prejudices and cultivating empathy as critical to development within the adult learner, and transformative empathy-enhancing interventions have been used successfully to improve attitudes toward older adults in helping professionals and professionals-in-training (e.g., Friedman & Goldbaum, 2016; Henry & Ozier, 2011). Even though older adults receive mental health services at a lower rate than any other age demographic (Karel, Gatz, & Smyer, 2012), and greater numbers of older adults are entering postsecondary education (Chen, 2017; DiSilvestro, 2013; Kasworm, 2010), there has been limited focus in counseling and higher education research on meeting the needs of this expanding demographic. Intervening early in students’ training to address age-related biases and to foster empathetic awareness (Andersson, King, & Lalande, 2010) aligns with the counseling profession’s commitment to purposeful counselor preparation (Kaplan, Tarvydas, & Gladding, 2014) and professional competency standards for student support professionals (ACPA & NCPA, 2015).

Using Bartholomew’s (1998) Intervention Mapping model (IM), I developed a three-part empathy-enhancing transformative learning intervention, “The Game of I am” (Bailey, 2016c). Using a pre-post quasi-experimental design, the purpose of the current feasibility study was to test the preliminary effectiveness of the intervention at enhancing self-reported empathy and improving self-reported attitudes toward older adults with first-year master’s students training to be counselors (N = 14) and student support professionals (N = 13). Although preliminary qualitative themes emerged that supported its utility, quantitatively there were no statistically significant changes in mean empathy and attitude scores for the participants following participation in “The Game of I am” (Bailey, 2016c). Additional plans for the analysis of collected qualitative data are described and implications for integrating “The Game of I am” (Bailey, 2016c) into existing master’s level coursework are discussed.

Since Bergevin and McKinley (1966) first wrote about Participation Training as a way to create collaboration among learners, more than 40 years of research has explored, separated, and defined various types of group work and group learning. Themes that emerged in the study were: Participation Training as something missing, Participation Training as resistance, Participation Training as "self' concepts, Participation Training as theater, Participation Training as negotiation, and Participation Training as shared experience. Data collected through interviews with individuals who experienced a 2007 Participation Training Institute reveal the complex, eductive nature of the phenomenon. That is, although the structures employed throughout the training were articulated before the participants actually experienced them, the constructed process, including content, was entirely authored by the particular group of people involved. The structural tools that define the procedure were prescribed; learners came to Participation Training having read about the structure of the training, the roles, and yet every one of the contributors believed there was no structure present at the beginning of the training. The experience of Participation Training did not depend on discussion content; it depended on rehearsal and reflection. In this study, contributors perceived the absence of content as the absence of structure. When none was supplied, they gradually created structure by determining content together, so they were able to take "ownership" of the process as they generated it. This absence of prescribed content was, for these contributors, the essence of Participation Training.Using a variety of theoretical lenses, Participation Training should be explored for its potential towards helping learners – teachers and students – work together through the development of individual skills that support interdependence. Since Participation Training is based on dialogue, discourse analysis might provide a particularly rich window onto the development of various forms of interaction among learners; semiotics could examine the meaning of Participation Training as a face-to-face, rather than technologically mediated, experience. Comparative case studies might reveal productive similarities and differences between Participation Training and other forms of group learning.
Department of Educational Studies

Many adults who enter universities to continue their education are placed in developmental or basic writing classes. With the prevalence of computers on university campuses, some of these writing classes are taught in computerbased classrooms, which may cause adult learners to be apprehensive of both writing and computers. Previous research studies regarding writing and computer apprehension have examined traditional age college students, ignoring how the social context of the computer-based classroom and the computers used as tools for writing may affect adult learners' attitudes toward both writing and computers. The purpose of this descriptive study of adult developmental writers was to examine their perceptions of the effects of computers in a computer-based writing classroom, focusing on how the context of the classroom, including the social situation within the computer-based classroom, influenced their attitudes and apprehension toward both writing and computers.In order to obtain scores that indicated students' apprehension toward writing and computers, the Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test and the Loyd and Gressard Computer Attitude Survey were given to adult learners (n=41) at the beginning and the end of the semester to determine changes in students' apprehension. Additional data from interviews, observation reports, and journals of twelve adult learners allowed the researcher to examine students' perceptions of their interactions with other students and between students and their computers, thus promoting an understanding of the context in which learning to write took place.Findings indicated that adult learners' apprehension scores toward writing and computers decreased by the end of the semester in the computer-based classroom. Qualitative data revealed that the computer-based classroom provided a context that enabled students to form supportive peer groups which helped and impacted their writing, allowing them to develop fluid processes for writing with computers.This study has particular relevance for understanding how adults learn to write in various settings. Adult learners are a special population with unique needs. Apprehension toward writing and computers affects adult learners' attitudes toward writing, many times causing them to drop out of educational programs. This study illuminates the problems and feelings adults face as they learn to write using computers.
Department of Educational Leadership

Many children in low-income areas are failing in schools, frequently due to substandard reading skills. Research has shown that early intervention can help alleviate this problem. However, most early intervention strategies are very expensive and labor intensive for school personnel. Furthermore, it is often not clear what programs will work with a certain student population due to their widely diverse backgrounds. In low-income schools, parents are often an ignored resource. Many teachers complain about lack of parent involvement, and yet most do nothing to solicit it. Using parents to help provide beginning reading practice for their children could be a way to involve families in the school and help children gain vital reading skills. This study investigated the effects of parent training in a fluency reading method called “Paired Reading” among low-income first grade students. A one-hour training sessions was offered at two different times to the parents of four first grade classes in an urban elementary school. Thirty-one participated. The children of these parents constituted the experimental group. This group was pretested and posttested to assess reading fluency, sight word recognition and reading attitudes. Forty-one students at a neighboring elementary school acted as the control group for this study. Qualitative interviews were also conducted on experimental group parents and teachers. The results indicated significant gains in reading fluency, sight word recognition and attitudes about reading. Also, there was a significant relationship between the minutes a child spent practicing Paired Reading with the parent and the amount of improvement the child made. Interview data suggested that parents welcomed this type of training session and enjoyed doing the activities with their children. Unfortunately, the interview data also indicated that teachers were negative about the efficacy of parent training sessions and had no immediate plans to implement such classes.

The professional literature contains little or no documentation of university curriculum in adult education that deals with ethical practice. Nor is there evidence indicating what graduate students learn about ethics in their professional studies.Purposes of this study were to identify: (a) the extent to which university graduates, at the doctoral level, in adult education were aware of ethical dilemmas in their practice; (b) how practitioners determined ethical behavior; (c) the influence of graduate studies on determining ethical situations; (d) self perceptions of preparedness to face ethical dilemmas; and (e) the extent to which adult educators rely on codes of ethics.The study sought to answer the following questions: (a) Are adult education practitioners aware of ethical dilemmas in their practice? (b) How often do they encounter ethical dilemmas in their practice? (c) Do they have a way to determine ethical behavior in their practice? (d) How do they describe the impact of their graduate work on their ability to make ethical decisions? (e) How do they perceive their preparedness to face ethical dilemmas? (f) Do they consider codes of ethics when making decisions?Findings include: (a) over 90% of the respondents indicated they are aware of ethical dilemmas/situations in their work; (b) while all respondents indicated that they faced ethical dilemmas in areas such as program planning, marketing of programs, evaluation of programs, and in the teaching of adults approximately two thirds said they encountered them infrequently; (c) virtually all respondents indicated they had determined what ethical behavior was in their practice and cited personal values and religious beliefs as the two primary sources of information; (d) 83.3% of participants described graduate work as a significant factor in their ability to make ethical decisions; (e) s significant majority (89.0%) of participants indicated they were very well or well prepared to face ethical dilemmas; and (f) less than half indicated they used a code of ethics in their decision making process.Conclusions from the study include: (a) ethical dilemmas are perceived to be pervasive in the practice of adult education, (b) a person's own value system and religious beliefs were the most influential on impacting the way participants approached ethical dilemmas, (c) although professional knowledge obtained in graduate school was deemed influential, it was not deemed more important than one's personal values and beliefs.Recommendations include: (a) further study is needed to probe the specific elements raised on evaluation of students as an area of ethical concern, (b) further study could reveal why practitioners differ with regard to the frequency of encountering dilemmas, (c) if a deeper understanding of the value of graduate school is to be achieved more study is necessary, (d) a clearer understanding of the value of codes of ethics is needed.
Department of Educational Leadership

The critical shortage of competent nurses, disillusionment, and high attrition rate among graduates entering the workforce provided the impetus for this investigation. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived level of empowerment among graduating nursing students of two basic nursing educational programs and the relationship of empowerment to selected variables. The selected variables were self-directed learning readiness, self-esteem, level in the program, and demographics. In addition, predictors of empowerment were investigated. A sample of 294 nursing students of associate and baccalaureate degree programs from five schools of nursing in the Mid-Atlantic region participated in the study. Instruments used were the Vincenz Empowerment Scale, Self- Directed Learning Readiness Scale, and Self-Esteem Inventory and a data sheet for demographics. The survey was completed from June to September 1994. Nursing students in general perceived themselves to have fairly high levels of empowerment, self-directed learning readiness, and self-esteem which was significantly higher for graduating students as compared to freshman students. There were no significant differences among the variables under study between baccalaureate and associate degree students or the type of institution they represented as private or public. Similarly, there were no differences in their perceived levels of empowerment, self-directed learning readiness, or self-esteem based on gender, racial/ethnic background, or affiliation with Student Nurses' Association. The wide variation in age and educational background ranging from high school to graduate degrees were associated with the participants' levels of self-directed learning readiness and self-esteem. In addition, participants who were involved in community organizations reported higher levels of empowerment. Regression analysis indicated self-directed learning readiness and self-esteem contributed significantly to the variance in empowerment. The findings add to the empowerment literature. Implications for nursing education include: (a) enhancing students' level of self-directed learning readiness and self-esteem may assist in empowering them, and (b) the basic educational process plays a significant role in nursing students' perceived levels of empowerment.
Ed. D.

ABSTRACT Finding ways to improve nutritional and physical activity components with today's adolescents is a significant problem. The obesity epidemic is over 10 years old and little research has been done on successful interventions that motivate today's students using the latest technology. A total of 140 middle school students and four physical education teachers participated in a 4-week study using a newly created application (AFIT app) for supplemental teaching in and out of the classroom. Combining a theoretical framework of Self-Determination and motivating strategies implored in today's mobile technology, significance was found using the PACE (2001) instrument in fruits and vegetable and physical activity psychosocial behaviors. The pretest to posttest for fruits and vegetables revealed a decrease in confidence for behaviors that support meeting recommended daily requirements in eating fruits and vegetables. The pretest to posttest for physical activity highlighted an increase in supporting behaviors for meeting the daily physical activity requirements, and an increase in friend support for meeting those daily physical activity requirements. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators were incorporated in the app design and the tenets of autonomy, competence, and relatedness were used as adolescent motivators. At the end of the 4-week study, benefits and obstacles were also noted for both teachers and students with recommendations to increase teachers' in-services with regard to the latest technology and troubleshooting procedures. A home survey highlighted the need for more adult education in the household and stressed the importance of family support in both fruits and vegetables and physical activity behaviors.

This paper studies the attitudes of college students concerning statistics; students who are taking the basic course in Statistics under an Adult Worker Student program at a private university in Lima, Peru. Two scales have been considered: Attitudes Toward Statistics (ATSE) proposed by Estrada (2002) and Attitudes Toward Statistics (ATSC) proposed by Cazorla et al (1999). The sample corresponds to 137 students with ages ranging from 32 to 42 years old, from four engineering majors, , 84% male and 52% who had taken a previous course in statistics. The item analysis was performed considering the Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) under the Bayesian inference of the Samejima’s graded response model (Tarazona, 2013). The results reveal that AEC has a reliability of 0.93, and by comparison a shortened version of AEE after eliminating two items has a reliability of 0.88. Both scales are closely correlated are therefore are interchangeable. However AEE is the only one that reveals differences by specialty, especially among students of the School of Industrial Engineering (positive attitudes), and of Telecommunications and Network Engineering (less positive attitudes). Finally, other factors such as gender, different age groups and experience in a previous course of Statistics were insignificant in explaining attitudes toward statistics at any scale.
Se analiza las Actitudes hacia la Estadística en estudiantes universitarios que llevan un primer curso de Estadística en el marco del programa Estudiante Adulto, Trabajador de una universidad privada de Lima en Perú. Son consideradas dos escalas: Actitudes hacia la Estadística de Estrada (2002) (AEE) y Actitudes hacia la Estadística de Cazorla; Silva; Vendramini & Brito (1999) (AEC). La muestra corresponde a 137 estudiantes de cuatro especialidades de Ingeniería, con edades entre 32 y 42 años, siendo un 84 % del sexo masculino y un 52 % que ya habían llevado antes un curso de Estadística. El análisis de ítems fue realizado considerando la Teoría Clásica de los Test (TCT) y la Teoría de Respuesta al Ítem (TRI), bajo inferencia bayesiana del Modelo de Respuesta Graduada de Samejima (Tarazona, 2013). Los resultados muestran que AEC tiene una confiabilidad de 0,93; en contraste, AEE tiene 0,88 para una versión recortada eliminando dos ítems. Ambas presentan una fuerte correlación, siendo por tanto intercambiables. No obstante, AEE es la única que muestra diferencias por especialidad, sobre todo entre los estudiantes de Ingeniería Industrial (actitudes más positivas) y los estudiantes de Ingeniería de Telecomunicaciones y Redes (actitudes menos positivas). Finalmente, otros factores como sexo del estudiante, permanencia a diferentes grupos etarios y experiencia en un curso previo de Estadística no resultaron significativos para explicar las Actitudes hacia la Estadística en ninguna escala.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
工業教育學系在職進修碩士班
91
Abstract The study aims to investigate the possibly relative factors affecting the learning attitudes of adult students in national and private vocational schools in Taiwan. Based on the literature analysis, the study further used a questionnaire to collect the data. The instrument used was learning attitudes of adult students in continuing vocational high schools and the subjects examined were adult students in 8 national and private continuing vocational high schools. There were 595 valid samples and the data collected were conducted by means of frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffe’s posterior comparisons. The following is the conclusion after the data were analyzed. 1. Overall, adult students in continuing vocational high schools have positive attitude toward learning. 2. In terms of personal factors, the learning attitudes of adult students in continuing vocational high schools are varied due to the differences in sex, age, current work condition and satisfaction over the department in school. 3. As for family factors, the learning attitudes of adult students in continuing vocational high schools are varied due to the differences in parents’ education backgrounds and jobs. 4. As for school factors, learning attitudes of adult students in continuing vocational high schools are varied due to the differences in school grades, departments, the locations of the schools and whether the schools are national or private. 5. The major factors affecting the learning attitudes of adult students in continuing vocational high schools were personal variety and school variety. Keywords: continuing vocational high school, adult student, learning attitude

This study was designed to investigate a phenomenon, retention of Hispanic adult second language learners in Washington State's community colleges, from a qualitative paradigm and phenomenological approach. The focus of this study was to capture eight foreign-born Hispanic ESL non-continuators' voices and experiences, in their native language of Spanish, who dropped out of Washington State's community colleges and unveil the phenomenon behind the factors leading to their retention barriers. The following questions guided the research: (1) What are the retention barriers of Hispanic English as a Second Language population in Washington State Community Colleges? (2) What is the profile of the foreign-born Hispanic ESL learner in Washington State's Community Colleges? (3) Why do Hispanic ESL participants drop out? (4) What services are needed and provided to increase retention patterns of Hispanic ESL learners? (5) What services could make a difference in retention of Hispanic's English as a Second Language participants? A qualitative methodology and phenomenological approach of in-depth interviews was the research paradigm utilized for data collection. Participants were recruited from a survey implemented at various community colleges' and communitybased organizations' ESL programs in Washington State. Criteria for inclusion as a potential participant in this research required adult participants to be: (1) foreign-born Hispanic, (2) a resident of Washington state, (3) in the age range of eighteen to thirty years of age, (4) a prior drop out student from one of Washington State's community colleges adult basic education ESL programs, and (5) a volunteer to participate in the study. This study unveiled factors that caused retention barriers for eight foreign-born Hispanic ESL adult learners that dropped out of Washington State's community colleges Adult Basic Education ESL programs. In many Adult Basic Education ESL programs in Washington State, foreign-born Hispanic adults are largely voluntary candidates, and the role of student is just one of the countless roles competing for their time and attention. From the eight foreign-born Hispanic non-continuators' voices and experiences, the findings indicate that retention is a complex phenomenon involving various institutional, situational, and dispositional factors. This study's findings also unveiled structural issues for the eight foreign-born Hispanic participants, creating systemic structural barriers to their socioeconomic and education development in the United States. This means no one factor could provide an explanation for the retention phenomenon. The eight foreign-born Hispanic adult non-continuators' situational and dispositional factors overwhelmed their zeal for ESL instruction, ESL level completion, and/or ESL program completion. The interview question guide unveiled reasons often voiced as the causes for non-continuation: (1) family struggles and hardships, (2) lack of childcare, healthcare, and transportation, and (3) long work hours. At the same time, the eight foreign-born Hispanics adult non-continuators had pragmatic reasons for engaging in ESL, and felt that the programs would provide meaningful contextual learning for immediate or long-term goals for the home, workplace, or community.
Graduation date:2005

碩士
國立高雄師範大學
工業科技教育學系
93
A Study of the Factors that Influences Learning Attitudes of Adult Students in Continuing Vocational High Schools Abstract This study aims at exploring the current learning situation of students at Continuing Vocational High Schools and the factors affecting these students’ learning attitude. To achieve the objectives, data were collected and analyzed, and relevant literature was investigated to derive the theoretical base of the study. Data were collected through questionnaire, using “Factors Affecting Students’ Learning Attitude at Continuing Vocational High Schools” questionnaire. Contents of the questionnaire have divided into two main parts, namely “basic information” and “factors affecting students’ learning attitude”. The “basic information” section includes age, gender, the departments studied, current working status, satisfaction with the departments studied, location of the school attended, type of the school attended, educational level of parents or guardian, occupation of parents or guardian, etc. The section on “factors affecting students’ learning attitude” was further divided into 7 perspectives including: personal factor, family factor, learning environment, curriculum, course contents, teachers and classmates. Subjects of the study were students at Continuing Vocational High Schools in Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County in 2004, with 5,922 students from 19 schools, such as National Kangshan Agricultural & Industrial Vocational School, being taken as the target population. The questionnaire is administered in a purposive sampling model, and 1,642 valid responses had been collected. Statistics included: frequencies, means, standard deviations, t-test, One-way ANOVA, Scheffe′s posterior comparisons, etc. The following conclusions were made after statistical analysis of the data: 1. A majority of the students (about 80%) at Continuing Vocational High Schools supplementary advanced schools were directly promoted in schools after graduation from junior high. They were relatively inactive in terms of learning attitude, and were relatively insensitive to learning environment. They usually lacked of their own opinion or goal during the learning stages. 2. Most of the students at Continuing Vocational High Schools were working and studying at the same time (78.8%), but over half of them (57.4%) had jobs that were unrelated to the subject they studied. Were students not applying what they had learned, or were the course contents not meeting the needs of the society? These were problems that worth more attention and further research. 3. Most of the students at Continuing Vocational High Schools came from low-to-mid-stratum families. Continuing advanced education students aparted from learning initiative, they needed government provided more financial assistance to avoid being an inferior program. 4. In terms of factors affecting learning attitude: personal factor, family factor, learning environment, curriculum, course contents, teachers and classmates all have significant impact on learning effectiveness. keywords：Continuing Vocational High Schools、Continuing advanced education、learning attitude

Chan, Wai Nga Gloria.
Thesis submitted in: December 2006.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 278-285).
Abstracts in English and Chinese ; appendix also in Chinese.
ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) --- p.i
ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.vi
TABLE OF CONTENT --- p.viii
LIST OF TABLES --- p.xix
Chapter Chapter 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1
Chapter 1.1. --- Background to this Study --- p.1
Chapter 1.2. --- Purpose of this Study --- p.2
Chapter 1.3. --- Significance of this Study --- p.3
Chapter 1.4. --- Organization of this Thesis --- p.3
Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5
Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.5
Chapter 2.2 --- "Motivation, Investment and Language Learning" --- p.5
Chapter 2.2.1 --- Socio-psychological Approach to Motivation --- p.5
Chapter 2.2.1.1 --- Motivation as a Socio-educational Model --- p.7
Chapter 2.2.1.2 --- Instrumental and Integrative Motivation --- p.8
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Motivation in Self-determination Theory --- p.13
Chapter 2.2.2.1 --- Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation --- p.13
Chapter 2.2.3 --- Individual Differences and Language Learning --- p.17
Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Personality --- p.18
Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Self-esteem --- p.19
Chapter 2.2.4 --- Motivation and Investment of Adult Language Learners --- p.22
Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Differences between Child-Adult Learners --- p.22
Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Investment of Adult Language Learners --- p.25
Chapter 2.2.5 --- Language Learning and Socio-cultural Theory --- p.27
Chapter 2.3 --- Shift in Perspective in Adult Education from Transmission of Knowledge to Transformative Learning --- p.29
Chapter 2.3.1 --- Different Perspectives on Adult Education --- p.29
Chapter 2.3.2 --- Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory --- p.31
Chapter 2.3.2.1 --- Definition and the Emergence of Mezirow's Transformative Theory --- p.31
Chapter 2.3.2.2 --- Transformation in Meaning Perspectives and Meaning Schemes --- p.33
Chapter 2.3.2.3 --- Indication of Transformative Learning --- p.34
Chapter 2.3.3 --- Recognition of the Value of Lifelong Learning in Hong Kong --- p.36
Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.37
Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- METHODOLOGY --- p.39
Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.39
Chapter 3.2 --- Research Design --- p.39
Chapter 3.3 --- Participants --- p.40
Chapter 3.3.1 --- Selection Criteria for the Focused Cases --- p.40
Chapter 3.3.2 --- Demographic and Language Background --- p.41
Chapter 3.3.3 --- Profile of Participants --- p.42
Chapter 3.4 --- Instrumentation --- p.46
Chapter 3.4.1 --- Focus Group Interviews --- p.47
Chapter 3.4.2 --- Participant Observation and Informal Conversation --- p.48
Chapter 3.4.3 --- Semi-structured Individual Interviews --- p.48
Chapter 3.4.4 --- Survey --- p.51
Chapter 3.4.5 --- Triangulation of Data --- p.52
Chapter 3.5 --- Data Collection and Processing --- p.53
Chapter 3.5.1 --- Open-ended Focus Group Interviews --- p.53
Chapter 3.5.2 --- Semi-structured Individual Interview --- p.54
Chapter 3.6 --- Data Analysis --- p.55
Chapter 3.7 --- Validity and Reliability --- p.55
Chapter 3.8 --- Ethics --- p.57
Chapter 3.9 --- Limitations --- p.58
Chapter 3.10 --- Summary --- p.59
Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS -SUN AND KRISTY'S STORIES --- p.61
Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.61
Chapter 4.2 --- Sun's Story --- p.62
Chapter 4.2.1 --- English Learning and Use in Childhood --- p.62
Chapter 4.2.1.1 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.62
Chapter 4.2.1.1.1 --- Parental Influence --- p.62
Chapter 4.2.1.1.2 --- Influence of Siblings --- p.65
Chapter 4.2.1.1.3 --- Influence of Community --- p.67
Chapter 4.2.1.2 --- Formal Schooling (Kindergarten to Secondary Three) --- p.68
Chapter 4.2.1.2.1 --- Learning Experiences in Formal Schools --- p.68
Chapter 4.2.1.2.2 --- English Teachers --- p.70
Chapter 4.2.1.2.3 --- Attitudes Towards Education and English Learning in Formal Schools --- p.73
Chapter 4.2.2 --- English Language Learning and Use in the Workplace --- p.76
Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Recognition and Confidence Gained from the Workplace --- p.77
Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Use of English in the Workplace --- p.79
Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Attitudes Towards English and English Learning in the Workplace. --- p.81
Chapter 4.2.3 --- Returning to the English Classroom --- p.81
Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- Motivation --- p.82
Chapter 4.2.3.2 --- Attitudes Towards English and English Learning --- p.83
Chapter 4.2.3.3 --- Investment in Learning English --- p.85
Chapter 4.2.3.4 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.88
Chapter 4.2.3.5 --- English Learning Experiences in Adulthood --- p.93
Chapter 4.2.3.6 --- Course Instructors --- p.94
Chapter 4.2.3.7 --- Classmates --- p.96
Chapter 4.2.4 --- Impact of English Learning at Adulthood --- p.101
Chapter 4.2.4.1 --- Increased Confidence in Using English --- p.101
Chapter 4.2.4.2 --- Better Job Opportunities --- p.102
Chapter 4.2.4.3 --- Better Self-perception --- p.103
Chapter 4.2.4.4 --- Psychological Well-being --- p.104
Chapter 4.3 --- Kristy's Story --- p.105
Chapter 4.3.1 --- English Learning and Use in Childhood --- p.105
Chapter 4.3.1.1 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.106
Chapter 4.3.1.1.1 --- Influence of Parents --- p.106
Chapter 4.3.1.1.2 --- Influence of Siblings --- p.109
Chapter 4.3.1.1.3 --- Influence of Community --- p.110
Chapter 4.3.1.2 --- Formal Schooling (Kindergarten to Secondary Four) --- p.111
Chapter 4.3.1.2.1 --- Learning Experiences in Formal Schools --- p.111
Chapter 4.3.1.2.2 --- English Teachers --- p.115
Chapter 4.3.1.2.3 --- Attitudes Towards Education and English Language Learning --- p.119
Chapter 4.3.2 --- English Language Learning and Use at the Workplace --- p.121
Chapter 4.3.2.1 --- Use of English in the Workplace --- p.122
Chapter 4.3.2.2 --- Attitudes Towards English and English Learning at the Workplace --- p.123
Chapter 4.3.3 --- Returning to the English Classroom as an Adult --- p.124
Chapter 4.3.3.1 --- Motivation --- p.124
Chapter 4.3.3.2 --- Attitude Towards English and English Learning --- p.125
Chapter 4.3.3.3 --- Investment in Learning English --- p.125
Chapter 4.3.3.4 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.127
Chapter 4.3.3.5 --- English Learning Experiences in Adulthood --- p.132
Chapter 4.3.3.6 --- Course Instructors --- p.133
Chapter 4.3.3.7 --- Classmates --- p.134
Chapter 4.3.4 --- Impact of English Learning in Adulthood --- p.137
Chapter 4.3.4.1 --- Increased Self-confidence and Confidence in Using English --- p.137
Chapter 4.3.4.2 --- Better Job Opportunities --- p.140
Chapter 4.3.4.3 --- Psychological Well-being --- p.142
Chapter 4.4 --- Summary --- p.143
Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS -EVA AND PAM'S STORIES --- p.148
Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.148
Chapter 5.2 --- Eva's Story --- p.150
Chapter 5.2.1 --- English Learning and Use in Childhood --- p.150
Chapter 5.2.1.1 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.150
Chapter 5.2.1.1.1 --- Influence of Parents and Siblings --- p.150
Chapter 5.2.1.1.2 --- The Influence of Community --- p.153
Chapter 5.2.1.2 --- Formal Schooling (Kindergarten to Secondary One) --- p.155
Chapter 5.2.1.2.1 --- Learning Experiences in Formal Schools --- p.156
Chapter 5.2.1.2.2 --- English Teachers --- p.158
Chapter 5.2.1.2.3 --- Attitudes Towards Education and English Language Learning --- p.166
Chapter 5.2.2 --- English Language Learning and Use at the Workplace --- p.168
Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Use of English at the Workplace --- p.168
Chapter 5.2.3 --- Returning to the English Classroom as an Adult --- p.168
Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Motivation --- p.169
Chapter 5.2.3.2 --- Attitude Towards English and English Learning --- p.170
Chapter 5.2.3.3 --- Investment in Learning English --- p.172
Chapter 5.2.3.4 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.176
Chapter 5.2.3.5 --- English Learning Experiences in Adulthood --- p.181
Chapter 5.2.3.6 --- Course Instructors --- p.181
Chapter 5.2.3.7 --- Classmates --- p.182
Chapter 5.2.4 --- Impact of English Learning in Adulthood --- p.184
Chapter 5.2.4.1 --- Increased Self-confidence --- p.184
Chapter 5.2.4.2 --- Better Self-perception --- p.187
Chapter 5.2.4.3 --- Psychological Well-being --- p.189
Chapter 5.3 --- Pam's Story --- p.190
Chapter 5.3.1 --- English Learning and Use in Childhood --- p.191
Chapter 5.3.1.1 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.191
Chapter 5.3.1.1.1 --- Influence of Parents and Siblings --- p.191
Chapter 5.3.1.1.2 --- The Influence of Community --- p.196
Chapter 5.3.1.2 --- Formal Schooling (Kindergarten to Secondary One) --- p.197
Chapter 5.3.1.2.1 --- Learning Experiences in Formal Schools --- p.197
Chapter 5.3.1.2.2 --- English Teachers --- p.198
Chapter 5.3.1.2.3 --- Attitudes Towards Education and English Language Learning --- p.201
Chapter 5.3.2 --- English Language Learning and Use at the Workplace --- p.203
Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- Use of English at the Workplace --- p.203
Chapter 5.3.2.2 --- Attitudes Towards English and English Learning at the Workplace --- p.203
Chapter 5.3.3 --- Returning to the English Classroom as an Adult --- p.204
Chapter 5.3.3.1 --- Motivation --- p.204
Chapter 5.3.3.2 --- Attitude Towards English and English Learning --- p.209
Chapter 5.3.3.3 --- Investment in Learning English --- p.212
Chapter 5.3.3.4 --- Influence of Family and Community --- p.215
Chapter 5.3.3.5 --- English Learning Experiences in Adulthood --- p.217
Chapter 5.3.3.6 --- Course Instructors --- p.217
Chapter 5.3.3.7 --- Classmates --- p.220
Chapter 5.3.4 --- Impact of English Learning in Adulthood --- p.224
Chapter 5.3.4.1 --- Better Job Opportunities --- p.224
Chapter 5.3.4.2 --- Increased Self-confidence --- p.224
Chapter 5.3.4.3 --- Better Self-perception --- p.226
Chapter 5.4 --- Summary --- p.227
Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS --- p.231
Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.231
Chapter 6.2 --- Guiding Question One --- p.231
Chapter 6.2.1 --- Difficulties faced at home --- p.231
Chapter 6.2.2 --- Difficulties faced in school --- p.234
Chapter 6.2.3 --- Difficulties faced in community --- p.239
Chapter 6.2.4 --- Impact on adult language learning experiences --- p.240
Chapter 6.3 --- Guiding Question Two --- p.243
Chapter 6.3.1 --- Motivation to return to the English classroom in adulthood --- p.244
Chapter 6.3.2 --- Investment in English learning --- p.245
Chapter 6.4 --- Guiding Question Three --- p.251
Chapter 6.4.1 --- Better Job Opportunities --- p.252
Chapter 6.4.2 --- Increase in Self-confidence and Confidence in Using English --- p.253
Chapter 6.4.3 --- Better Self-perception --- p.255
Chapter 6.4.4 --- Psychological Well-being --- p.258
Chapter 6.5 --- Implications --- p.261
Chapter 6.5.1 --- For Adult EFL Learners --- p.261
Chapter 6.5.2 --- For Instructors of Adult EFL Learners --- p.264
Chapter 6.5.2.1 --- The Potential Personal Qualities of a Good Instructor for Adult EFL Learners --- p.265
Chapter 6.5.2.2 --- Adult EFL Learners' Needs and Appropriate Teaching --- p.268
Chapter 6.5.3 --- For Formal School English Teachers --- p.274
Chapter 6.6 --- Limitations of the Present Study --- p.275
Chapter 6.7 --- Suggestions for Future Study --- p.276
REFERENCES --- p.278
Appendix A Questionnaire - Before Taking Any Adult English Language Course (English Version) --- p.286
Appendix B Questionnaire 一 Before Taking Any Adult English Language Course (Chinese Version) --- p.290
Appendix C Questionnaire - At The Present Stage (English Version) --- p.293
Appendix D Questionnaire - At The Present Stage (Chinese Version) --- p.302
Appendix E Interview Protocols - Childhood and Formal Schooling --- p.309
Appendix F Interview Protocols - In Working Life and Adulthood --- p.316
Appendix G Consent Form (English Version) --- p.323
Appendix H Consent Form (Chinese Version) --- p.325

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Drinking and driving is increasingly becoming a detrimental behavior, especially amongst college-aged students in the U.S. and other countries. Additionally, research shows that college-age students in the U.S. are more likely to drink and drive, than college-age students in Germany. Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned Action asserts that subjective norms and attitudes signify behavioral intentions. In order to test the TRA and understand the drinking and driving differences and similarities in the U.S. and Germany, focus groups of German and American college-age students were conducted to discuss subjective norms and attitudes surrounding drinking and driving behaviors, followed up by an electronic pilot study survey regarding same. The data collected illustrated that college-age drinking and driving is occurs more frequently in the U.S., and that American and German students differ in their attitudes and subjective norms surrounding drinking and driving. Future research would benefit the continued use and circulation of the electronic surveys for larger cross-cultural samples of college-age students to more effectively and quantitatively assess actual drinking and driving behaviors as it relates to subjective norms and attitudes, as suggested in the TRA.

The study is about factors that influence students‟ choice of a campus and how those choices influence students‟ decision to complete their courses. Since FET colleges have campuses with different historical backgrounds and unique characteristics, they offer specialised programmes according to the resources they have, relevant to their geographic location. The research focused on answering the following questions 1) What factors influence students‟ choice of campus? 2) What factors influence the students‟ completion or non-completion of courses? The aim of these questions was to determine what currently influences the students‟ choice and what kind of information or sources do students use in their study choice decisions. Some related researchers in other contexts have shown that there is a link between education and socio-economic factors. This study has been primarily informed by Tinto‟s (1987) theory on student retention and no-completion of courses, which suggested that non-completion is a result of a mismatch between the social/academic background, intentions and goals of the student and their institution‟s ability to meet those goals. Chapman‟s model of choice (1991) enabled him to indicate some factors, which influence student‟s choice. The aim of using the model was to check if the same influential factors were important for the current FET students in South Africa. A number of available studies have focused on the student, significant others in their lives, parents and teachers, as well as marketing of colleges or recruitment of students as factors influencing the choice. There is little literature that looks at how the fixed college factors such as program availability, location and reputation influence students, which is the focus of this research. This study falls into an interpretive paradigm and is qualitative in nature. Data has been collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted among students of different campuses in one FET College. The sources of information are current students, those who dropped out and students who have completed their courses. Data collected show that the costs factor, academic achievement and significant others influence students‟ choices.
Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.