Generational differences

It is clear from the data that respondents’ life stages affected their adult education needs and decision-making in important ways. Younger respondents who had left school more recently talked about adult education in very different terms from those respondents who had been away from school environments for longer periods of time. These differences have important implications for adult education programs. This study demonstrates that length of time since school-leaving is an important factor that affects adult education needs and decisions.

Study participants ranged in age from eighteen to sixty-six with a mean age of 35.95 years. Because respondents related very different schooling experiences and plans given their life stage at the time of the interview, the transcripts were initially grouped into the following age categories:

	near school experience included respondents from 18-24 years of age whose school experiences were fairly recent;
	mid-career included respondents from 25-45 years of age who were typically established in the workplace, although they may have experienced sporadic work histories prior to settling into regular employment;
	and near retirement respondents included those over 45 years of age who were either already retired or indicated they were making plans to leave the work force.

Table Four indicates the distribution of interviews by age category and gender.

Table Four: Interviews by Age Category and Gender

	Male	Female
Near School	10	9
Mid-Career	14	5
Near Retirement	21	26

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Last modified: April 16, 2000