Adult Education in the decade of 1970 to 1980.
Herman Jones
Introduction
The decade of the 1970 was a time of economic challenge in America. The economic support for education was reduced in importance due to lack of funding for adult education initiatives. The economic pressures meant there was less involvement from the federal government to advance adult educational programs. During this period education experimented with open classrooms for students allowing them to roam freely versus being confined to a desk for most of the day. There was a feeling during this period that the United States was losing the battle of educational advancement primarily in the areas of math and science. Adults seeking higher education increased due to the technology advancements of the period, but the scope of adult education continued to be debated. As the need for additional training increased based on the change in job skills the number of individuals with at least 1 year of college education increased. In 1970 more than 50 percent of the blue-collar workers had completed fewer than 4 years of high school by 1979, 44 percent had received a high school degree. The increase for years of college education doubled among that same demographic (Young 1981). As the number of adults seeking additional education grew to advance their skills adult education moved to the forefront of priorities. Adult education during this period required a transitional change that would move the focus from social education to a professionalism approach. The flexibility of providing adult educational resources needed presents a challenge in finding the most effective ways to deliver these educational resources for future growth.
Highlights
The decade of the 1970 can be considered a period of increased adult educational attainment. Although the reduction of men in the workforce was reducing the labor force was experiencing an increase in the number of females entering the workforce. This increase was due to the growth in women obtaining post-secondary education while males remained in the blue-collar workforce. The trend towards higher education for adults changed the dynamics of educational programs to incorporate a curriculum to meet the needs of specialized labor. While America was immersed in the Vietnam War, cultural and middle-class advancements the need for specialized training was becoming more prevalent. The advancement of technology shifted the educational level of many workers in the traditional workforce. Along with this change to adult education the shift from social education to a more professionalized education became the focus of many of the adult curriculums. Professionalism became the practice of modern adult education whereby the learner focuses on a specific skillset and looks to advance their knowledge within that category. This period of 1970 to 1980 was a time of life and adjustments to changes at work. Life adjustment during this period were due to an alarming rate of concern for communism post-World War II that contributed to the fear of social education that promoted education in the art, and humanities to the majority pro-democracy perspective (Grace 2012).
The increase of adult learners seeking higher education did have some drawbacks. In 1979 an increase from 36% of all workers over 18 completing at least one year of college while workers with a high school education only declined (Young 1981). The higher education growth began to impact the availability of positions in the more professionalized fields therefore resulting in individuals obtaining positions they were overqualified for (Young 1981). Even though adult education has seen an increase during the decade many adults struggled to describe what they believed the nature of adult education or how they could gain access to adult educational programs. Adult education did not have the notoriety of public education for children and youth. For the field of adult education to grow three things needed to happen. First communication by local and state agencies. Funding of programs that provide adult education and a flexible platform to deliver the educational resources. The issue in the past has been many of the individuals that highlighted the need for adult education have neglected to request financial assistance. During this period adult education struggled to identify itself. Federal legislation began to provide substance to adult education initiatives with the passing of the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964 focusing on adult basic education and adult literacy followed by the passing of the Adult Education Act of 1966. These major legislative acts provided the basis of government involvement in the adult education. In 1968 the government’s role in providing direction for adult education emphasized three programs. Education for government employees, both civilian and military, manpower development and training programs, and programs to develop literacy and basic skills (U S Department of Education 2013). These programs designed specifically for adult learners providing a more concentrated effort to extend adult education further than the typical night school setting. In 1978 amendments to the Adult Education Act of 1966 brought about a change to the direction of adult education. The amendment mandated states to perform outreach to citizens that were most in need of basic skills and aid with transportation, childcare, and flexible scheduling. The amendments also enlisted businesses, labor unions, public and private educational institutions to participate with implementation of the programs. The participation of these various businesses and institutions under the Adult Education Act increased enrollment from 37,991 in FY1965 to 2.2 million in FY2010(U.S. Department Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, n.d.; Dann-Messier, B.,2011).
Implications
The role of adult of adult education in society is continuously being debated. The influence of previous educational leaders continued to influence the scope of adult education for the future. One voice that became a fresh and inviting ideology was that of Malcom Knowles. In his papers titled “The Modern Practice Of Adult Education from Pedagogy to Andragogy (1970) he highlights specific ideas that became very impactful in addressing the direction of adult education for the future. Knowles made the distinction between Pedagogy or child education and Andragogy adult education. Knowles believed the most impactful approach to adult education was “teach adults how to learn” (Knowles, 1970). He emphasized the idea of the adult as a lifelong learner one of the primary principles for adult education. Government legislation provided the funding but the specifics of the needs of the adult learner continued to be debated. The idea of structuring curriculum specific to the needs of how adults learn provided the basis of many of the approaches to adult education today. Today’s learner must be given the tools and resources to maintain a competitive edge in todays changing technological times. The institutions and community agencies must continue to survey the public to determine the needs of those individuals seeking educational development and training. The development of adult education courses must incorporate the characteristic that engage the adult learner. The basis of this idea involves finding those topics that appeal to their experiences and providing a flexible platform to disseminate that information. An example of this progression in adult education is the increase of online educational opportunities. These courses provide flexibility and are formulated to provide training in specific areas of interest for the adult learner. The option of online course access has proven to best most beneficial for individuals in the healthcare industry. For example, nursing students with limited time due to work demands have been given an opportunity to complete course study online at their convenience. The online course options have expanded to other professions as well expanding the reach of adult education and professional certification today and in the future (Maloney 2013).
Areas Summary
Social background Vietnam War
Fear of Communism in society
Highlights Governmental role in Adult Education
Economic Opportunity Act in 1964
Adult Education Act of 1966
Influential factors Local Community Organizations
Institutions of Higher Learning
Private and Public Businesses
Implications Adult education for the adult learner
Increase of adult educational resources
Increase in adult learner participation
References
Grace, A.P. (2012). The decline of social education and the rise of instrumentalism in North American adult education (1947-1970). Studies in the Education of Adults, Vol. 44(issue 2), p225-244.20p.
Knowles, M.S. (1970). The modern practice of Adult Education: andragogy versus pedagogy. New York associated press.
Maloney, S., Chamberlain, M., Morrison S., Kotsanas, G. Keating J.L., Ilic, D. (2013). Health professional learner attitudes and use of digital learning resources. J med internet res 2013;15(1): e7 vol.15
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, An american heritage federal adult education: a legislative history 1964-2013, Washington, DC, 2013.
Young, A. M. (1981). Trends in Educational attainment among workers in the 1970s. special labor force report 240. Reprinted. Monthly labor review (1981).
It is interesting that adult educators started using the term andragogy during this time, especially as we consider how/whether that term is used today. It seems that folks use pedagogy as a catch-all term anymore. I am wondering if, based on your research for this paper and your own experience, you think that andragogy is a useful term.
ReplyDeleteIt was also interesting to see how the decade you wrote about leads into the 80s, which is the decade I wrote about. You wrote about how Knowles states that educators should be teaching adults how to learn. The major theorists in the 80s appeared to be confirming that notion and offering some other ideas about how to best support the adult learner.
Thank you for your research! I found it very interesting that women were pursuing post-secondary education while men stayed in the blue-collar job field. I wonder if this was the same post-war.
ReplyDeleteI also found similarities in many decades with the struggles to find appropriate funding and then ways to make sure adult learners know about the available programs. As you pointed out, they realize there is a need for adult education but do not provide funding for it. Thanks again!