A follow-up survey of the graduates of the Continuing Education Programs, University of Saskatchewan, 1966-1980
Date
1984
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
The increased adult education activity in society has
caused an increased demand for professionally prepared adult
educators and a concern regarding their appropriate training
requirements. These developnents led to this follow-up
survey of the graduates of the Continuing. Education Programs,
university of Saskatchewan, 1966 to 1980.
The research problem was to investigate the professional
roles of the graduates, to ascertain their perceived
competency to perform these roles, and to ascertain their
perceived adequacy of preparation from their graduate
programs to perform the roles.
A conceptual framework developed from the literature was
used to analyze the research pcoblem. It consists of seven
defined roles of adult educators--administration, research,
instruction, program planning, evaluation, counselling and
community developnent. These roles are described by 31
requisite competencies or specific adult education work
activities. This list of adult education work~activities was
used to determine the specific adult education work
activities the graduates are performing in their work and
volunteer roles. This list was also used to determine the
graduates perceived current competency levels in each of the
activities and to determine their perceived adequacy of
preparation fran the Programs in Continuing Education to
perform each of these activities.
A mailed questionnaire was sent to the graduates and an
87% response rate (N=l03) was obtained. The data were cooed
and analysed by canputer program. The majority of the
graduates (68%) live and work in Saskatchewan; hence the
results and conclusions very much reflect the Saskatchewan
adult education scene.
Conclusions:
1.Professional Affiliation
The graduates as a group have divided and dual loyalties
in terms of professional affiliation. Some graduates
primarily affiliate with adult education while others
primarily affiliate with other professions--likely the
profession of their undergraduate degree.
2. Adult Education lM:)rk Roles and Activities
Adult education work roles and activities fall into two
clusters based on the proportion of graduates performing
them. The first cluster includes program planning, instruction,
administration and evaluation. Activities in this
category are performed by approxi~ately two-thirds of the
graduates. The second cluster, performed by approximately
one-third of the graduates, includes research, counselling,
and community developnent.
3. Adult Education Volunteer Roles and Activities
The graduates perform a broad range of adult education
work activities as volunteers, serving at all levels in
Houle's pyramid and not only at the base performing direct
guidance and teaching of adults.
Secondly, the pattern of work activities performed in
volunteer roles is different fran those performed in work
roles.
4.Appropriateness of Graduate Professional Preparation
The graduates are performing work activities for which
preparation at the Master's and Postgraduate Diploma level is
appropriate. These graduates can be termed adult education
practitioners according to the Douglah and Moss model (1969).
5. Perceptions of Current Corrq;?etency to Perform Adult
Education Wbrk Activities
The graduates generally perceive themselves to be
competent to perform the adult education work activities.
However, the graduates feel more competent to perform
activities in the program planning and instruction roles, and
less competent to perform administration, research,
evaluation, community development and counselling roles.
6.Perceptions of Adequacy of Preparation to Perform Adult
Education Wbrk Activities
As a group, the graduates' perceptions of adequacy of
preparation from the Programs in Continuing Education can be
described as "adequate". However, it should be noted that
some individuals perceived their preparation to be less than
adequate, and that for some activities a considerable number
of graduates indicated that they had received no preparation.
7.Relationships Between Adult Education WOrk Activities
Performed/Not Performed and Perceived Adequacy of Preparation
No one global conclusion can be drawn to explain the
data regarding the relationships between adult education work
activities performed/not performed and_perceived adequacy of
preparation. Four different patterns emerged arrongst the
work roles and respective activities. There are those
exhibiting no relationships (evaluation activities), those
exhibiting positive relationships (research activities),
those exhibiting negative relationships (administration
activities), and finally those exhibiting a mix of positive
relationships and no relationships (counselling, community
development, program planning and instruction activities).
8.Relationships Between Perceived Competency and Perceived
Adequacy of Preparation for Adult Education work Activities
The graduates who perceive themselves to be competent to
perform adult education work activities, also perceive that
they were adequately prepared by their Program in Continuing
Education for those activities. However, the relationships
were far from perfect indicating that competency can be
attributed not only to graduate professional preparation, but
also to other factors such as work experience, self-study,
inservice training/conferences/workshops and undergraduate
preparation.
Recommendations for further research and implications
for the University of Saskatchewan Programs in Continuing
Education were made.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Degree
Master of Continuing Education (M.C.Ed.)
Department
College of Education
Program
College of Education