The Study of People, Programs, Places and Processes: Canadian Adult Education Literature, 1977-1984.

Overview & Synopsis

A study was conducted to identify the major areas of investigation in recent Canadian adult education literature. During the study, questionnaires were distributed to 216 adult educators located at 32 postsecondary educational institutions throughout Canada. Materials including 556 articles, books, reports, and proceedings papers were identified. The adult learner was the focus of most of the papers, as evidenced by their titles; other approaches that received frequent attention in the literature examined were teaching methods and conditions for learning. Examination of the relative percentages of publications on various topics revealed that 32 percent of books and proceedings published dealt with adult education in general, 23 percent were concerned with continuing and extension education, 14 percent dealt with education, and 6 percent dealt with counseling and psychology. Other topics included higher education, vocational education, community development, distance education, and literacy and adult basic education. (Appended to this study are a brief thesaurus of adult education synonyms, a list of Canadian adult education authors, and a list of postsecondary sponsors of adult education. The bulk of this report comprises a bibliography of periodical articles, proceedings papers, reports, and books identified in the study.) (MN)