History of Adult & Community Education- Godwin

History of Adult and Community Education in the 1980’s

Amanda S. Godwin

Ball State University

EDAC-631

Dr. Bo Chang

Name	Commented On:
Amanda S. Godwin	Carlos Guerrero Kayla Dusseau Kyle Dye

Social Background

America in the 1980’s represented a time for change. The nation was no longer focused on reform and protest as it had been for most of the two previous decades. Ronald Regan was in the White House. Americans were hopeful and ready to better themselves. Baby boomers became divided into two main groups: the “Me Generation” and the “Yuppies.”  The Me Generation were defined as being concerned with themselves.  The Yuppies were considered young, urban professionals. Both groups desired more and they sought the luxurious life, well-paying jobs, and money (History.com, 2010). Technology was motivating the generation and both groups to modernize. Home computers were the rage and affordable.  Cable television was introduced and available 24 hours a day.  News, movies, music, and other forms of entertainment were available on demand and in their homes. The VCR was available which allowed families to record their favorite shows and no longer tied the nation to their television set at prime time. Thanks to these new technologies, the economy was significantly improving. Career and Technical (vocational) Education became popular which led to the well-paying careers that the generation desired.  Pop culture was also a huge influence.  The talk shows, music lyrics, music videos, and television were all speaking freely and openly about sex and drugs. This opened the communication lines that led to the identification of the advancing health crisis of HIV and AIDS. Nancy Reagans entered the forefront with the popular “Just say, NO”. In launching this movement, she educated school children across the nation with the information that it was okay to say just no to drugs.

Highlights

The 1980’s provided two federal legislations related to adult education. The first, introduced in 1981, was public law 97-35.  Public la 97-35 was an amendment to the Adult Education Act (AEA) which provided funding to support the English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The second legislation, launched in 1986, was public law 99-500. This legislation allowed for continued funding of the Adult Education Act that had been in effect since the mid 1960’s (Eyre,1989).  Both legislations provided funding for important adult education programs.

During the fall of 1983, President Ronald Reagan addressed the literacy problem in America by announcing the Adult Literacy Initiative (Imel, 1989).  According to Jerold Apps, “20 to 30 million adult Americans are seriously handicapped in their work and in their everyday live by deficient basic literacy skills” (Apps, 1992).  This initiative resulted in the strengthening of adult education programs to address the forefront of the crisis by requiring adult educators to develop programs for those in need of literacy education. Imel said “Concern about the nation’s ability to maintain its competitiveness in a changing world market and an increasingly technological environment has exacerbated the debate about the goals and purposes of adult literacy education” (para. 4).

One year following the Adult Literacy Initiative, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act was introduced. This act amended the previous Vocational Education Act of 1963.  The website GovTrack.us describes the act as an influence to “strengthen and expand the economic base of the Nation, develop human resources, reduce structural unemployment, increase productivity, and strengthen the Nation’s defense capabilities by assisting the States to expand, improve, and update high-quality programs of vocational-technical education, and for other purposes” (GovTrack, para 1).

As home computers became affordable, distance education became increasingly popular.  Learners could enroll in courses without having to be on campus which allowed them to work at their own speed and on their own time from their own homes. This was all made available by the growth in technology during the period which included satellite televisions, teleconferences, compact disks, and audio tapes (Apps,1992).  This trend would grow and pave the way for distance education into the next century.

Influential Factors

Adult Educators

Jerold W. Apps is a professor of adult and continuing education, researcher, and author of several books and journal articles published in the 1980’s. In a paper titled Adult Education: The Way to Lifelong Learning, Apps outlined understanding the adult learner’s trends and issues. This information provided a framework for adult education for years to come. At the end of the article, Apps finished with his forecast for the future of Adult Education by stating, “Everyone in society will see learning as integral to living. Adult education will be available in hundreds of locations, made available by the broadest range of providers” (Apps, 1992).

Programs

Near the end of the decade, Jump Start, an adult literacy program, was unveiled by the government. It offered guidelines for decreasing the illiteracy rate (Rachal,1989).  The goal of Jump Start was published as, “We must ensure that by the year 2000, or soon thereafter, every adult has the skills need to perform effectively the task required by the high- productive economy, to the best of his or her ability” (Chisman, 1989).

Organizations

1982 gave birth to the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE).  It was founded as a result of the merge between the National Association for Public and Continuing Adult Education (NAPCAE) and the Adult Education Association (AEA) (AAACE.org, 2018). AAACE provided leadership for the field of adults and continuing education by expanding opportunities for adult growth and development.

Social Events

Adult education became part of what Apps refers to as the “learning society” (Apps,1992.). This was partly due to the new technology that emerged during this decade. The Me Generation had transformed and learning was part of their agenda. For some, it was continued learning required for their careers while for others it was mothers and fathers completing required parenting courses while still others were motivated by the self-help movement.

Implication

Based on the research of the 1980’s, it is easy to recognize that not only was the nation growing but that Adult and Community Education was changing as well.  One of the main reasons for the changes was technology. Technology brought the United States into a new era of fast and convenient learning. Adult and Community Education was able to evolve with that growth via the progress of distance education. Much of what can be learned from the 1980’s is relevant today. Adult Education must grow with the times to give the learners the best opportunities for obtaining a successful education.

Table 1: Summary of the History of Adult/Community Education

Area	Summary
Social Background	1.    Technology 2.    Roland Regan- Presidency 3.    Pop culture- Yuppies, ME generation 4.    Sex & Drugs implications
Highlights	1.    Literacy crisis/ initiatives 2.    Technology advancement transforms adult education 3.    1981and 1988 amendments for AEA 4.    Perkins Act of 1984 bring funding and attention to CTE
Influential Factors	1.    Jerold Apps 2.    Jump Start, federal literacy 3.    Political conservatism 4.    AAACE 5.    Leaning society
Implications	1.    Adult educator’s past and learn to enhance education today.

References

Apps, J. W. (1992). Adult Education: The Way to Lifelong Learning. Fastback 334, 1-35. Retrieved from https://files-eric-ed-gov.proxy.bsu.edu/fulltext/ED348517.pdf

Chisman, C. P. (1989). Jump Start, The federal role in adult literacy (Report No. ED302675). Southport, CO. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED302675

Civic Impulse. (2018). H.R. 4164-98^th Congress: Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/98/hr4164

Eyre, G. (1998). Federal Response to Adult Illiteracy. Retrieved February 7, 2018 from

http://www.naepdc.org/issues/AEAHistort.htm

History.com. (2011). The 1980’s. Retrieved February 9, 2018 from http://www.history.com/topics/1980s

Imel, S. (1989). Adult Literacy Issues: An Update. Digest No. 89,(ED308402). Columbus, OH: Eric Clearing house on Adult and Vocational Education.

Retrieved from:

https://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9212/literacy.htm

Rachal, J. R. (1989). The social context of adult and continuing education. In S. B. Merriam & P. M. Cunningham (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 3-15). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/anniv40/end-mean.pdf

Who we are. (2013, January 1). AAACE history. Retrieved February 10, 2018, from

http://www.aaace.org/?page=WhoWeAre

 

Adult Education in the 1980s

 

Your name                                 Commented On
Emily Echelberry                 Angela Blankenship ___________________________Sheri Evans

Adult Education in the 1980s
Emily Echelberry

 

Society’s views of adult education today is very different than what it was in the 1980s. There are several influencing factors which can include the resources that were available at the time, influencing culture and views on education. It should be recognized that 1980s in the US and many westernized countries in the world was a time of transition, epidemics and economic instability. This greatly impacted Adult education. These factors created opportunity to motivate individuals to pursue education.
Adult education is vastly different than other types of education, Adult Education is typically voluntary. Often times adults continue their education to increase job opportunities and to make themselves more marketable to the workforce. Additionally, Adult Education such as Tech and vocational programs are just two types of programs that provide short term school that focuses on a specific trade. Finally, other forms of Adult education are programs such as GED classes, English as a First Language and citizen courses provide practical education to adults. The 1980s was a crucial decade for such programs as there was a push in legislation for funding and higher educational standards. In 1980 a different component Department of Education was introduced that focused specifically on adult education (Dep. Of Education, 2013 )
In the 1980s major attention was focused on unemployment, this led to congress taking action. In 1981 congress focused on strengthening agencies and institutions to prepare young adults for the labor force. In the late 70s going into the 80s the US saw more funding for adult education, in 1980 the United States reached the 100 million dollar mark for Adult Education grants any by 1981 the United Stated had allotted 5 million dollars towards Adult Education for Indochinese immigrants and refugees. (U.S. Department of Education, 1993 ). This was a very pivotal moment for Adult Education as it showed that America was making education a priority for everyone. In 1983 Reagan announced the Adult Literacy Initiative. The goal of this initiative was to prioritize literacy among young adults and develop literacy programs (Department of Education, 2013) .

 

President Reagan was committed to ensuring that all Americans had opportunities to grow through education. From 1985 to 1987 there was approximately $421 million in state grant funds. During those years, 11.6 million adults were enrolled in Adult Basic Education programs (Department of Education, 2013). Towards the end of t Reagan presidency, Reagan signed two long-term Continuing Resolutions (1986 and 1987) ensuring that the Adult Literacy Act would be continued (Department of Education, 2013 ). Between 1980 -1990 26.7 million adults were enrolled in Adult Education programs. Grants for these programs were approximately 1.1 millions dollars (Department of Education, 2013).

Although the United States was on a mission to improve education and literacy in adults the U.S had major work cut out for them. In 1986 a study conducted by the US government revealed that 1 in 8 Americans over the age of 20 could not read (Department of Education, 2013). A basic literacy test was administer to 3,400 individuals who were randomly selected. The results revealed that 13 percent failed the tested. 20 percent rejected the opportunity to take the test. Which researcher speculated was because individuals were insecure in their literacy abilities. (Department of Education, 2013)The results of this study left many to speculate how bad the problem really was. Was there an illiteracy crisis? It was clear that the School system had failed many young adults which consequently meant that young adults were in need of continued education so that they could successfully join the workforce

Aside from a big push from legislation to increase funding and opportunity for adult education there was also a culture shift that promoted furthering education in adults. Continued education began to be more common in young adults. In The early 1980s unemployment hit an alltime high since the great depression (Department of Education, 2013) this led to a push for educational and economic reforms such as The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act in 1984 (Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act) . This act was to not only promote education but also to promote economic growth. Ensuring that adults had the opportunities to learn needed skills for the labor force.
It was evident at this point the large draw to adult education was to help the economy. Prior to the 1980 there was consistent incline in college enrollment. Shortly after the 80s college enrollment slowed greatly Between the year of 1979 – and 1989 there was only a 17 percent growth in college enrollment as opposed to a 45 increase in college enrollment in the 1970s(U.S. Department of Education, 1993) . Women made up the majority of College enrollment in the 1980s and enrollment of older adult in college remained stable during this time period (Department of Education, 1993).
It is very important to understand that 1980s was a very crucial time period for Adult Education. There were many factors that effected the progression of Adult Education. One of the biggest factor was the economic recession that took place during the early 1980s. This high unemployment rate was undeniable which ultimately made congress look at the big picture. Why weren’t Americans employed? This was the catalyst for legislation to make big moves that encouraged adults to continue their education so that they could be consumers in a society that was in economic hardship.

 

 

References
Eyre , G. A., Dr., & Pawloski, R. (n.d.). An Amercian Heritage: A Federal Adult Education Legislative History (pp. 1-95) (United States , Department of Education , Adult Education and Literacy ).

Snyder T.D. ( 1993). 120 years of American Education: A Statistical Portrait. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Center for Education Statistics.
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act, P.L. 98-524. (1986). Madison, WI: Bureau for Vocational Education.

 

 

History of Community Based Adult Education—Blankenship

Angela Blankenship

History of Adult/Community Education—

Based Adult Education in the 1980’s

EDAC 631

Angela Blankenship

Commented On:    Jennifer Bradley Amanda Godwin

 

Introduction:

During the 1980’s, many American’s embraced a new conservatism in social, economic and political life due to rising crime, inflation, and foreign policy turmoil brought on by the previous decade.  The 1980’s is remembered for its materialism and consumerism, the decade became a time of blockbuster movies, cable networks such as MTV, music videos, and the “yuppies”.

According to the People’s History website, Japan started selling the first CD player in 1983.  Motorola started selling the first mobile phones to the United States.  The 1980’s started the age of the computer.  Computers started in offices but them moved into homes.

Highlight:

The early 1980’s brought about debate, writing, discussion about the whether andragogy is a theory of adult learning.  The five assumptions to the andragogy of an adult learner are (1) has an independent self-concept and who can direct his or her own learning, (2) has accumulated a reservoir of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning, (3) has learning needs closely related to changing social roles (4) is problem-centered and interested in immediate application of knowledge, and (5) is motivated to learn by internal rather than external factors (Merriam, 5).   It was questioned whether andragogy was a theory for adult learning at all.  The other question that continues to be asked today is to which assumptions are actual characteristics of an adult learner.  Some adults require a teacher for structure and some adults may be externally motivated to learn for the sake of keeping their job

Influential Factors:

Adult education began to expand as there was in increased in leisure, earlier retirement, longer lives, new technologies, and even unemployment (Bruce, 210).  There was also a push for learning to happen in other ways than just in a classroom setting.

The 1984 amendments to the Adult Education Act were indicative of Reagan administration. These include a renewed interest in literacy but without federal support, an emphasis on the use of the volunteer, and measures for cost cutting and the encouragement of private enterprise’s entrance in areas typically saved for the public or private nonprofit sector.  In 1981 the nongovernmental Coalition for Literacy was established. This group emphasized volunteer activities, publicity for literacy issues, response to public inquiries, and fund raising to support these activities. The Reagan administration also pushed for the use of volunteers as a way of decreasing costs while still dealing with what was coming to be seen as a crisis in literacy. It launched the Secretary of Education’s Adult Literacy Initiative.  This group focused on the use of volunteers to increase different literacy activities.  The National Advisory Council on Adult Education (NACAE) found that there was widespread concern about the initiative among adult educators who feared that the secretary had overlooked existing ABE programs, that volunteers would not be properly trained and supervised, and that the influx of volunteers would affect management of programs in adverse ways.  In addition, the Secretary of Education became responsible for providing an information network. The secretary was also mandated to come up with a definition of literacy within 2 years and to conduct a study to estimate accurately the number of illiterate people in the United States (Rose, 25).

Implications:

The field of Adult Education grew in the 1980’s due to the increase in technology.  Computers started to become more commonplace.  First in the office and then in the home and schools.  There was in increase interest in adult education due to the fact that individuals were living longer lives, retiring earlier, and having a motivation to want to learn.  Adults wanted to learn to better themselves or to have a better understanding of what they needed for their careers.  The government was calling for an increase in Literacy.  There was a push for more volunteers in Literacy.

 

Summary of the History of Adult/Community Education
AREAS	SUMMARY
Social Background	*Increase in technology *Computers and mobile phones
Highlights	*Andragogy as a theory *Characteristic of adult learner
Influential factors	*Increase in who is interested in adult education *Increase in Literacy *Use of Volunteers *Secretary of Education created an information network
Implications	*growth in Adult Education due to technology and the want/need of others to learn.

 

References: 

Bruce, M. (1982). Demand Is Growing for Adult Education. The Phi Delta Kappan, 64(3), 210-211. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu/stable/20386637

History.com. (2011).  The 1980’s. Retrieved February 11, 2018 from http://www.history.com/topics/1980s

Merriam, S. (2001).   The New Update on Adult Learning Theory. In S. B. Merriam & P. M. Cunningham (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 3-15). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/anniv40/end-mean.pdf

Rose, A. (1991). End or Means: An Overview of the History of Adult Education Act.  Information Series No346. Washington, DC: Eric Clearing House.  Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED341875.pdf

The People History. (2016). 1980s news, events, popular culture and prices.  Retrieved from http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1980s.html

 

Adult & Community Education Molly McGuire

History of Adult and Community Education in the 1980s

Molly A. McGuire

Ball State University

EDAC – 631

Dr. Bo Chang

Name	Commented On:
Molly A. McGuire	Angela Blakenship Sheri Evans Emily Echelberry Jennifer Bradley Carlos Guerrero Lecia Overley

 

Social Background

The 1980s were a time of numerous changes in the United States as well as around the world. There were great strides made in the advancement of information technology. It seemed like every month some cool technology came onto the market. Many of the most popular consumer products of today made their mark in the 1980s (Brian, 2006). Such products included the debut of the personal computer as well as compact discs, camcorders, cable television, cell phones, fax machines and the internet. These technological advances accelerated the speed at which people could send and receive information, ultimately changing the way people around the world were able to communicate with each other and in turn opening the door for the development of online and distance education.

Unfortunately, even with all the positive advances in technology at home, school and work, there were still other social issues of concerns, affecting the global population, which needed attention. The 1980’s marked the final decade of the Cold War, yet the United States already had a new war to fight within its own borders; the War on Drugs.  Besides the growing drug epidemic, there was also an increase in social problems such as poverty, illiteracy, crime, racism, AIDS, political chicanery and unemployment, Chang (n.d). Many countries including, the United States found themselves slipping deeper and deeper into financial recession and severe debt. As a result, of the financial crisis, the poverty rate in the U.S. was on the rise and a War of Poverty was also declared.

In 1981, newly inaugurated President Ronald Reagan outlined a plan for U.S. economic recovery to deal with the debt crisis in the United States by calling for large cuts to taxes and federal spending by signing the Economic Recovery Tax Act. Observers described it at the time as the most comprehensive economic proposals since President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his New Deal program in March 1933 (Glass, 2018, p. 4).

Highlights

Reagan had inherited a sluggish economy, characterized by high inflation, high interest rates and persistent joblessness; yet another overriding concern in the 80’s was the quality of American education (Glass, 2018, p. 2). In May 1986, according to a government study on literacy, approximately 1 of every 8 Americans could not read. Eyre, 2013, p. 18).

A Nation at Risk, became the paradigmatic educational statement of the 80’s (Ravitch, 1990, p. 2). Study after study documented the poor performance of students in every area, in comparison both with those of past and with those of other countries, or warned about the folly of failing to educate poor and minority children (Ravitch, 1990, p.1). As a result of these findings literacy became a national priority and amendments to the Adult Education Act were made to increase funding and grants for workplace and English as a second language, because of the heightened concern with national productivity and the link between literacy and economic development (Rose, 1991).

The 1984 amendments to the Adult Education Act were indicative of Reagan administration preoccupations with these issues. These can be summarized as a renewed interest in literacy (but with reduced reliance on federal support), an emphasis on the use of the volunteer, and measures for cost cutting and the concomitant encouragement of private enterprise’s entrance in areas formally reserved for the public or private nonprofit sector. (Rose, 1991)

Influential Factors

The years between 1979 and the early 1990s were years of growth in congressional funding, state budgets, and adult student enrollment (Eyre, 1991, p. 16), this was especially true for adult education in regard to literacy programs, educational services for immigrants and refugees as well as adult basic education . In a shift of major proportions, the locus of educational policy making moved from the federal governments to the states. (Ravitch, 1990, p. 2) and in terms of literacy initiatives, several efforts both public and private were launched.

Adult Educators, Programs and Organizations

In the 1980’s, education’s focus was on excellence, high school curriculum, whole language, old math vs. new math, a new national assessment of education progress, issues of governance, increased adult education program evaluation, and workforce literacy (Eyre, 2013, p.16).

In 1981 the nongovernmental Coalition for Literacy was established (Rose, 1991 p. 25), with a focus on the use of volunteer educators to decrease operation costs associated with running the program. Volunteers were cost effective when it came to the operating budget for the program, and their focus remained on combating the problem of illiteracy. In 1983 President Reagan announced the Secretary of Education’s Adult Literacy Initiative, this program like the nongovernmental Coalition for Literacy, also focused on the use of volunteers to oversee the program efforts. These volunteer efforts eventually budded into other types of community education classes and adult education programs, such as classes for aging adults, training for the homeless and low income families as well as those who were incarcerated in county jails and state prisons.

Even through adult literacy was a big priority for both the government and private programs, it would come too late for millions of American adults already living in illiteracy. Many of them appeared to manage well enough by relying on familiarity, memorization, and sheer bluff, yet as the magnitude of the problem claimed the national spotlight, more and more illiterate adults seemed willing to come forward, admit their difficultly, and try to do something about it (Eyre, 2013).

Implication

The 1980’s were a decade when politicians and educators realized the need to work together to combat issues surrounding financial and educations deficits in the United States. The government came to the realization that the education of adults increases the ability for those unemployed to obtain employment and retain their positions, which gradually dropped the poverty rate in turn leading to faster economic recovery and growth of the nation.

Table 1: Summary of History of Adult and Community Education

Area	Summary
Social Background	Advances in Information Technology Speed of Information Sharing National Debt Crisis End of Cold War
Highlights	War on Drugs War on Poverty Literacy Crisis Drugs/Crime Unemployment
Influential Factors	Quality of Education Growth in Funding Education Reform Reduction of the Federal Role in Education Economic Recovery Tax Act Adult Literacy Initiative
Implications	Focus on Program Improvement Economic Recovery

 References

Brain, M. (2006, May 18). 12 New Technologies in the 1980s. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/80s-tech.htm

Chang, B. (n.d.). Shift of Adult Education Research [Scholarly project]. Ball State University, USA

Eyre, G, Pawloski, R 2013, An American Heritage: Federal Adult Education A Legislative History 1964-2013, US Department of Education, Washington, DC

Glass, A., Hounshell, B., Rosenberg, M. L., Debenedetti, G., & Shafer, J. (2018, February 18). Reagan outlines plan for economic recovery, Feb. 18, 1981. Retrieved February 18, 2018, from http://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/18/this-day-in-politics-february-18-1981-415852

Ravitch, D. (2016, November 18). Education in the 1980’s: A Concern for ‘Quality’. Retrieved February 13, 2018, from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/1990/01/10/09200009.h09.html?cmp=eml-contshr-shr

Rose, A. D., & ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, C. O. (1991). Ends or Means: An Overview of the History of the Adult Education Act. Information Series No. 346.

 

History of Adult and Community Education in the 1980s – Sheri Evans

Your name	Commented On
Sheri Evans	Emily Echelberry, Jennifer Bradley

Adult education has been around for a long time. In America, the term can be traced back prior to 1900, (Stubblefield & Rachal, 1992).  The understanding of the term may have evolved over the years, but the idea has been relatively similar. Adult education, then and now, encompasses the basic idea of learning throughout the lifespan.  The “community” part of adult education is appropriately reflected by the understanding of a neighborhood as being a community, (Brookfield, 1983). Many adult education programs are hosted within an area that is also likely to be close to many of the adult students in attendance, (Brookfield, 1983). Adults learners often choose programs that are centered within the community, or neighborhood, close to where they live. Consequently, many if not all of this adult education programs, are also funded by the same surrounding community, (Brookfield, 1983). Stephen Brookfield (1983) considered three specific  dimensions of community education; adult education for the community, adult education in the community, and adult education of the community.

Adult education for the community is based on consumer needs and demands. If it is determined that adults within a particular community are in need of specific programs, then the community looks to develop the programs to meet these needs, (Brookfield, 1993). For example, if there are many adults within a community population that have struggled with parenting issues and concerns, then leaders in the community may decide to find instructors to facilitate parenting classes to meet the needs of said community. In this dimension the educator listens to community as to what issues and concerns they feel need to be addressed, (Brookfield, 1993).

Learning in the community requires the adult learners to go out within their community to be educated, (Brookfield, 1983). Those adult learners in the medical field often participate in this type of education. Rather than being limited by the classroom structure of reading and lectures, they go out into the hospitals and medical facilities within a locale and directly observe and work to acquire experience and first hand learning. These adult learners are directly integrated within their community while learning.

Adult education of the community puts the determination of subject content on the shoulders of the educator, (Brookfield, 1983). The educator concentrates instruction on what he or she feels is important skills or knowledge for the students to develop to use within the community. In this situation an educator may determine that too much juvenile insubordination in this area is the result of a lack of parenting skills and proper discipline. Therefor the educator decides himself to implement a parenting program to meet community needs.

As the concept of adult community education continued to evolve in the 1980s, it centered around an increase demand for adult literacy to positively impact the economy, (Rose, 1991).  The 80s government was a move back to conservative values and with that came concerns of how to improve the weak economy. This was a time of economic recession and both individuals as well as the government was interested in moving the country to a wealthier economy and a more secure future. The Federal government invested funding into programs and states during this time – to encourage adult literacy programs, but it also sought volunteers to help cut costs, (Rose, 1991).  As government funding began to decrease the shift moved to more self-funded programming, (Kulich, 1992). As more individuals became responsible for paying for their learning, many of them also selected classes and programs to improve themselves individually, rather than the community. This led to a greater desire for vocational education, which was a major focus of adult education during this time.

To subsidize the financial burden throughout the decade, the number of adult education volunteers grew significantly. The reported number of volunteers was 34,513 in 1984-85 and 91,388 in 1988-89, (Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 1993). In addition to volunteers, part-time instructors also filled a lot of the needs to keep costs down, (Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 1993). This influx of instructors and volunteers was required to meet the needs of the increasing adult educational population. This era saw the last of the baby boomers enter the workforce. These adults were products of a time of rebuilding with an increased emphasis on education. Because of this, many of them enrolled in classes in community colleges, (Palazesi & Bower, 2006). Baby boomers came from wealthier families than the previous generations.  This meant that many of them had more disposable income to dedicate to furthering their education as adults. Baby boomers also began to realize a longer life expectancy.  A longer life often meant the need to work to an older age to be able to support themselves, (Palazesi & Bower, 2006).  This created a strong sense amongst this generation to reinvent themselves and improve upon the past by acquiring additional skills and knowledge through these adult learning programs, (Palazesi & Bower, 2006).

As the end of the 80s approached many baby boomers began their careers. Surprisingly, though, this did not significantly impact adult education. Even baby boomers who were at an early retirement age still had the desire to better themselves and increase their knowledge through continued education, (Palazesi & Bower, 2006).

In 1988 the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) in Washington D.C. held a teleconference to address the future of adult education as it headed into the next century. A major goal of this conference was to address continued issues of racism and disparities in underprivileged populations that continued to plague community colleges, (AACJC, 1988). Many suggestions were made to increase the diversity of students, give support for first year students, and to discourage adults from dropping out of community programs.

As the AACJC looked to the future, they encouraged community colleges and leaders to adopt the philosophy of John Garder, (AACJC, 1988). In Gardner’s words, “The college can be a valuable source of civic, cultural, and economic renewal for the nation,” (AACJC, 1988). This idea merged the previous goal of economic renewal with the new thoughts of advancing tolerant and pro-social attitudes to create a community of acceptance and understanding. Understanding the Gardner philosophy of learning essentially meant to understand that the learning never stops for the learners or for the educators. The idea was to keep building from a firm foundation to make sure every person, no matter disparity, has the equal opportunity to pursue adult education, (AACJA, 1988).  The belief of this time was that every person had an equal right to continue their education and that this right should not be negated by situations of misfortune or cultural differences. This decade expanded on equal rights initiatives of previous decades with an understanding that to improve the economy it was imperative to allow all individuals to improve themselves to effectively function and contribute to society.

The AACJC also encouraged community colleges to consider the classroom as a community working together for a common goal, rather than individual students who were in competition with one another, (AACJC, 1988). Again, this reinforced the “community” and the importance of working together while also respecting the respecting the individual. This may also have contributed to an acceptance of diversity in the adult classroom.  An understanding that learning is greater than the individual.

The 80s began seeing baby boomers considering a longer future filled with many opportunities. Economic problems led to many adults seeking vocation and additional schooling to improve their financial situations and prepare for a longer life. The idea of adult community education was broadened and understood in multiple dimensions. It was understood as any way in which adults integrated and collaborated within the community for learning and improving themselves. The importance of everyone having the opportunity to participate in community learning became very important. As the government looked for ways to reduce contributions to this field, the AACJC encouraged community colleges to find ways to aid those individuals and groups who lacked resources to fund their learning so that every person had the same opportunities available to them. In the few years following the recommendations of the AACJC, the number of adult learners enrolled in education programs increased by an average of more than 5% each year, (Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 1993). By 1991, African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians accounted for about two-thirds of adult learners, (Office of Vocational and Adult Education, 1993).

The 80s was a period of adult learning that made great strides to ensure than any adult who wished to further their education would be afforded the opportunity to do so. This was a time of understanding a greater and multipurpose meaning of “community education”. Adult community education at this time respected the individuality of the person while encouraging a sense of responsibility to the community as well. These were important foundations that helped mold the multifaceted concept of adult education we see today.

Areas                                                                                 Summary

Social background                                                        Recession, Baby boomers, longer life span, equal opportunity

Highlights                                                                    Broader understanding of what Community education is

Influential factors                                                        AAJCJ encourages funding for disadvantaged populations, John Gardner

Implications                                                                 Increasing adult learning population

 

References

 

American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, W. D. (1988). Building Communities: A Vision for a New Century. AACJC National Teleconference Live via Satellite (Washington, DC, November 22, 1988). The American Seminar V Teleconference Workbook.

Brookfield, S. (1983). Community Adult Education: A Conceptual Analysis. Adult Education Quarterly, 33(3), 154-60.

Cruce, T., & Hillman, N. (2012). Preparing for the Silver Tsunami: The Demand for Higher Education Among Older Adults. Research In Higher Education, 53(6), 593-613. doi:10.1007/s11162-011-9249-9

Kulich, J. (1992). Adult education through a rear view mirror: The changing face of adult education over the last.. Convergence, 25(4), 42.

Office of Vocational and Adult Education (ED), W. L. (1993). Adult Education Delivery System Trends. Program Year 1990-91. A Statistical Abstract Prepared for State Directors Area/Regional Workshops. Participation in Adult Basic & Secondary Education.

Palazesi, L. M., & Bower, B. L. (2006). Self-Identity Modification and Intent to Return: Baby Boomers Reinvent Themselves Using the Community College. Community College Review, 34(1), 44-67.

Rose, A. D., & ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, C. O. (1991). Ends or Means: An Overview of the History of the Adult Education Act. Information Series No. 346.

Stubblefield, H. W., & Rachal, J. R. (1992). On the Origins of the Term and Meanings of “Adult Education” in the United States. Adult Education Quarterly, 42(2), 106-16.