A Developmental Approach To Research and Practice In Adult And Continuing Education

Abstract

The issue of applicability of research and theory to the practice of adult and continuing education is addressed. Particular attention is given to what researchers can do to improve the applicability of their research. Three basic areas are discussed: variables and the role of practitioner-nominated alterable variables, external validity and the role of site-specific data collection, and general conceptualizations of the research process. The idea of methodological pragmatism is introduced and critically applied to theory-focused and practice problem-focused research approaches. A third approach, a developmental model, is introduced. A case example of its use is provided through a discussion of the Participation Reasons Scale. Its practical utility is discussed and demonstrated with data collected from a multi-week residential executive development program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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