Provision of Adult Education and Education Leisure, 1966-1968; Staff

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.A three part study by the National Institute of Adult Education to enquire into the adequacy of provision in selected areas by the various agencies for adult education. It included surveys of the general adult population, students in adult education and tutors, between April 1966 and June 1968. Seven areas were selected for the survey, based on four factors for which statistical information could be obtained: terminal education age; occupational composition (social class); proportion of domestic rateable value from property of high rateable value; and inter-censal population movement between 1951 and 1961. The survey of adults (SN:66040) collected data by means of interviews with a random sample of the adult population of each area, and covered attitudes to, knowledge of, and participation in adult educational activities. The survey of students (SN:66041) collected data by means of questionnaires completed by a random sample of students currently enrolled in Local Education Authority, extra-mural and Workers' Educational Association classes, covering the same points with additional data on circumstances relating to aspects of the class attended. A third survey (SN:66042) collected data by means of enquiries addressed to part-time tutors in adult education to provide information on staffs' own motives and attitudes, recruitment, future teaching intentions and also their views as to students' motivations and satisfactions.Main Topics:Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Information collected in this survey falls into four categories: 1. Description of Class Taught: character of class work; attitudes to lengths of class meetings and courses; perceived purposes of teaching; attitudes to individual attention to students and time taken for class preparation; perceived benefits to students of class attendance; use of radio and television material in class; attitudes to publicity given to classes and how this could be improved. 2. General Reasons for Teaching: most important reason for teaching adults; method of recruitment into adult teaching, and into specific class; perceived personal benefits and satisfactions from teaching class; teaching intentions; attitudes to training available for adult teaching; and details of personal training experience. 3. Problems Involved in Teaching Adults: a list of various areas in which teachers of adults often experience difficulties is given and respondent is asked to indicate whether he finds these no problem, a minor or a major problem with reasons. Areas are: accommodation; equipment; materials; books; size of classes; payment for work; quality of students and any other problems experienced by tutor. 4. General Questions on Provision of Adult Education Locally: each tutor was asked to indicate the type of person who most often, in his opinion, enrols in classes for adults by choosing one of 4 given characteristics within each of 7 groups of characteristics. Other information concerns tutors' opinions as to differences between students and the adult population as a whole and on the general level of interest in adult education in the area, their opinions of ways in which classes could be made more popular, reasons why students drop out, on the range of courses available locally, on the possibility of expansion of this range within the next few years and, finally, what the single change which would do most for the development of adult education within the area would, and should, be. Background Variables Sex, marital status, age cohort, present full-time occupation, courses attended since leaving school, age at finishing full-time education, certificates, diplomas or degrees obtained, name of class through which questionnaire obtained, intended duration of class, nature of centre at which teaching, length of time already spent in adult education, number of classes taken per week and any other comments