The research was designed to test the hypothesis that significant differences exist between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students respecting background characteristics and reasons for enrollment in selected two-year colleges. The findings led to firm conclusions regarding the need for educational institutions to provide remedial and tutorial services, liberal financial aid, culturally sensitive institutional ambience, diversity in faculty, counselors, and staff, and instructional and student development programs responsive to the cultural diversity of all students.

This bibliometric study examined 19,385 citations in the bibliographies, book reviews, and reading lists of 70 volumes of Adult Education Quarterly, Adult Education, Adult Education Bulletin, Adult Education Journal, and Journal of Adult Education, and 13 volumes of the Handbook of Adult Education in the United States to identify books published before 1960 which have been frequently cited before and after 1960. Through citation analysis, an initial list of 434 titles was reduced to a core list of 64 books cited five times or more during the years between 1934 and 1988. For the purposes of this study, numbers of citations were taken to mean importance of works by indicating usefulness to subsequent authors. Of the 64 books, 55 had received at least one citation before 1960 and 57 had received at least one citation after 1960. While not all 64 of the core works constitute what might be called "classic works," it is suggested that classic works are likely to be found within the listed works.

The problem of this study was to compare and evaluate two methods of teaching medication compliance to an elderly population with a variety of medical problems, cultural backgrounds, and educational levels. Eighty patients over 65 years old who were attending clinic at a county health care facility participated in the study and were randomly placed into two groups. The Medication Knowledge and Compliance Scale was used to assess the patients' medication knowledge and self—reported compliance. Group I (control) received only verbal teaching. Group II (experimental) received verbal teaching as well as a Picture Schedule designed to tailor the patients' medication schedule to their daily activities. Each patient was re—evaluated two to three weeks later. Medications were also counted at each visit and prescription refill records were examined. Knowledge and compliance did increase significantly among all 80 participants. Patients in Group II demonstrated a significantly greater increase in compliance than Group I but did not show a greater increase in knowledge. Patients in Group II also improved compliance as evidenced by their prescription refill records. This study demonstrates that even though significant barriers to learning exist, knowledge and compliance can be significantly improved when proper teaching techniques are utilized.

A survey instrument was mailed to a random sampling of wives of graduates of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, from 1982 to 1986. The purpose of the survey was to determine if wives of seminary graduates have ministry-related educational needs during the first five years of professional ministry that can be met by an educational program. Furthermore, demographic and attitudinal variables were investigated as potential contributing factors. Finally, suggestions were sought from the wives themselves for the implementation of an education program. For each wife, a total educational need score was calculated from her responses. Of the 240 respondents who completed the entire survey document, almost 42% of the respondents indicated a high educational need score with 5% producing a very high need score. Of the top twenty educational needs, only one was from the Theological/Christian Education category; the top three were all from Self Needs regarding stress management, dealing with criticism, and conflict resolution. The Chi Square Test for Independence was used to identify contributing factors, both demographic and attitudinal. The following were validated at the .05 level (unless indicated otherwise) as having a relationship to the wives' scores: Year of Husband's Graduation, Husband's Degree, Size of …

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze computer literacy and general attitudes toward computers of students at Thai public unversities. The comparative study of computer literacy levels and attitudes toward computers among Thai students with various demographic classification was performed followed by the study of relationships between the two variables among the samples. A fifty-eight-item questionnaire was adapted from the computer literacy questionnaire developed by the researchers at the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. The items were designed to assess knowledge and attitudes relative to computers. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 492 students who took at least one computer course from thirteen public universities in Thailand. Statistical tests used to analyze the data included t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson product moment correlations. Based on the research findings, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) Thai university students exhibited a moderate computer literacy level. (2) While a higher proportion of female students enrolled in computer classes, male and female students reported similar computer literacy levels. (3) Graduate students had higher computer literacy levels than did other students from different educational levels. (4) Academic majors and academic performance (GPAs) were also factors affecting computer literacy …

The purpose of this study was to trace the historical development of the American University of Beirut and its educational contributions in Lebanon and the Middle East from 1920 to 1967. Through their activities in the Levant in the early nineteenth century, the American missionaries virtually laid the foundations of the Syrian Protestant College, later known as the American University of Beirut. Though religion was the cornerstone in the founding of the University, under the pressure of the local environment, its secular character was to be substituted for the religious one. The establishment of the University in 1866 marked the beginning of the system of higher education in the Arab world. As the first established institution of higher learning, the University played a significant role in raising the level of literacy throughout the region. Despite the difficult times that the University faced throughout its history, it survived and continued its dedicated mission to serve the people of Lebanon and the entire area. For the University, the first 50 years under Ottoman rule was a period of surviving and maintaining its existence. With the freedom it came to enjoy during the French Mandate and later during independence, the University moved into …

The problem of this study was the status of higher education in Haiti. The purposes were to analyze the organization, administration, and contributions of higher education to national development from 1958 to 1988 and to provide background information from foreign literature which might assist in the improvement Haiti's system of higher education. In an effort to locate information necessary to achieve these purposes, a computer search was conducted. A survey of available literature in French, Creole, and English and personal and telephone interviews were also conducted. The results of this study reveal that, in the past three decades, higher education in Haiti has merely functioned as a symbol of social prestige. Haiti's system of higher education exhibits no apparent direction, purpose, of long-term goals. With more than 90 percent of its professors part-time and ill-prepared, its curriculum unrelated to the needs of Haitian society, and its student body in revolt for the past three years, higher education in Haiti is urgently in need of radical reform. Any contribution made to national development by the system of higher education is weak at best. The small but oppressive elite group that dominates the economic and political realms in Haiti has proved to …

Frank C. Laubach made substantial contributions both to literacy education and the Christian life. There were between sixty and one hundred million people who learned to read through his literacy campaigns. He traveled to 130 countries developing literacy primers in 312 languages. At the same time, Laubach was a missionary mystic, spiritual experimenter and leader among Protestant Christians. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between two important parts of Laubach's life: his Christian development and literacy education. The study presents an overview of the family and social background of Frank C. Laubach from a chronological framework. Additional chapters examine: the importance of i-he Christian disciplines in Laubach's life, the impact of the missionary call and Laubach's concern for Christian social responsibility. The final chapter summarizes and evaluates the research. Both the Laubach collection, found in the George Arents Research Library at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, and the library at Laubach Literacy International in Syracuse, provided the resources for comprehensive research in the life of Frank C. Laubach.

This study focuses on the history of higher education in Kenya since 1975, with an emphasis on curriculum development. The main purposes of the study were (1) to describe the historical events of higher education in Kenya since 1975, and (2) to analyze the present system of higher education in the country. The study attempted to answer questions related to higher education in Kenya. The questions investigated were (1) how had the characteristics of higher education curriculum changed since 1975?; (2) in what ways had the purposes of higher education in Kenya changed since 1975?; (3) to what extent have these purposes been achieved? why or why not?; and (4) which events since 1975 had a major impact on higher education in Kenya? The major analysis of the study is historical and gives an explanation of the history of the development of higher education in the colonial days in Kenya, briefly discussing the period 1963-75. The analysis of Kenyan institutions of higher education covers the development of Kenyan higher education since 1975. The discussion consists of basic facts of Kenyan higher education. Data from primary and secondary sources were analyzed and studied. Documents were chronologically and topically reviewed. Chapter I …

This study examines the effects of the computer-assisted text analysis program, WRITER'S WORKBENCH, on writing performance, levels of writing apprehension, students' writing processes and attitudes about using the computer and WORKBENCH for writing. A sample of 275 subjects enrolled in freshman composition were divided into an experimental group (N = 200) who used WORKBENCH in a mandatory computer lab component in addition to their composition course and a control group (N = 75) who received only the course, itself. Because random selection of participants was not possible, a Nonequivalent Control Group design was utilized. Holistic scoring of pre and posttest essays revealed a significant improvement in writing among both groups as a result of the treatments, but there was no significant difference in writing gains between the group using WORKBENCH and the group who did not (p = .942) . Similarly, though both groups demonstrated a small decrease in writing apprehension after instruction, there was no significant difference in the degree of decrease between the two groups (p = .201). Also, the data did not support a relationship between writing performance and apprehension. A 40 item questionnaire was given to the experimental group to determine: 1) attitudes about writing with …

In this study the public view of adult education in the United States was inferred from articles published in nationally distributed magazines. Two hundred twenty-eight articles from fifty-three non-professional magazines published in the United States from January 1,1970, through December 31, 1987, were reviewed. The articles were selected from those listed under "adult education," or cross referenced as "see also" under "adult education" in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. The research questions were: What concept of adult education appears in the print media? To what extent is this view congruent with professional views of adult education? Leisure learning and literacy programs were prevalent and available from a variety of sources. Adult illiteracy was reported as a national concern. Programs that were commonplace (basic education, general equivalency degree classes, job skills training, and industrial training) were reported less often than new or novel programs. Most articles were positive in tone, promoting adult education activities as useful, rewarding, and enjoyable experiences, but ignored adult education as a professional field. The public view as reflected in the articles was positive with programs available to adults of many levels of educational attainment. The public view was not congruent with professional writings. Group activities …

This ex post facto inquiry investigated the existence of an association between advanced formal education and the largely psychomotor task of flying military aircraft. The analysis of data indicated that such an association does exist. Data were analyzed by computer comparison of two separate data bases. The first data base included selected U.S. Air Force officers' educational histories. The second set of data included aircrew standardization/evaluation qualification grade scores. Individual subjects were identified, and for each subject a record was formed that included the subject's standardization flight proficiency grade and advanced educational background. Group subsets of selected variables were then recorded in 2 X 2 contingency tables and statistical calculations using chi square tests of independence were applied.

This study sought to determine the ways in which Texas public school districts differ in their calculation of Grade Point Average/Rank in Class (GPA/RIC), how district size affects weighting practices, and the effect of non-uniform calculation of GPA/RIC on admissions to college. Descriptive and non-parametric analysis techniques were used.

This study determined the number of self-directed learning projects undertaken by older adults and examined the motivational factors and anticipated benefits related to the learning activities. In addition, obstacles to conducting self-directed learning were identified by the respondents. A list of 20,032 names of adults, aged 50 or more years and residing in Tom Green County, Texas, was obtained from voter registration rolls and the residential rolls of four retirement complexes. Four hundred names were randomly selected to serve as the sample of the study. Of the 400 potential subjects, 120 persons agreed to be interviewed. Indepth interviews were conducted using the questions from Tough's Interview Schedule for Studying Some Basic Characteristics of Learning Projects and a probe sheet to identify obstacles to conducting self-directed learning projects. The interviews focused on the learning activities of older adults during the previous year. The 120 subjects of this study conducted a total of 239 learning projects in the previous year, an average of 1.99 self-directed learning projects per person. Ninety-five (95%) percent of the persons interviewed reported to have conducted at least one learning project in the past year. The majority of the learning projects were self-planned for the purpose of self-enjoyment …

The purpose of this study is to identify which characteristics of student-athletes are most helpful in making administrative decisions about intercollegiate athletic programs, and then to develop a descriptive profile of a group of student-athletes at a particular university. Additional purposes include comparing these descriptive data with other group data and with perceptions of the same group of student-athletes by faculty administrators at the same university. Data were collected in four phases. First, a jury of three experts developed a list of student-athlete characteristics they believed to be helpful in making administrative decisions regarding those athletes. Next, information was gathered to develop a descriptive profile of a selected group of eighteen student-athletes based on the identified characteristics. Next, statistical comparisons were made with available data from other groups of students and from the eight Athletic Council members' perceptions of the study group. Major findings include the identification of useful characteristics, inconsistencies between student-athlete high school ranks in class and SAT scores, high scores in hostility, and accurate perceptions of student-athletes by Athletic Council members.

The problem of this study was selected aspects of public community college non-credit law enforcement training programs in Texas. Purposes of the study were: (a) to examine the development of police academies at community colleges in Texas; (b) to provide normative data describing the academies in terms of background, organization and administration, adequacy of facilities and equipment, personnel, student policies and practices, the program administrator's perceptions of internal and external support, involvement of outside forces and the extent of the program, and (c) to provide data which community colleges can use in organizing and developing police academies.

The National Technological University (NTU), a consortium of more than twenty American engineering schools, broadcasts courses produced at member institutions to professional engineers at corporate sites across the country. It is a nonprofit institution.begun in fall 1984 with headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado, which offers only course work leading to the Master of Science degree in various branches of technology, or applied science. Students must be sponsored by their corporate employers who pay their tuition. This is the first systematic examination of the instructional process at an educational institution created in response to the demands of the governmental and corporate sectors' technological needs. This study includes an attempt to explore the effectiveness of that instructional process and the use of computers in distance education at NTU and implications for institutions of the future. This study focuses on distance education, corporate education, national universities and nontraditional institutions and the extent to which NTO exemplifies each of these concepts. It covers the organizational structure and methods of operation of NTU, and offers opinions of students, faculty, and other personnel associated with the institution as reflected by surveys, interviews, and the media.