Adult Learning in Relation To Prior Adult Education Participation

Abstract

Two hundred eight adult subjects participated in two learning experiments in which prior participation in an educational activity was an independent variable. Analyses of variance and covariance were conducted on the criterion which tested achievement on topics presented in programed learning texts. The analysis of variance controlled for the effects of age, socio-economic status, and sex. The analysis of covariance also controlled for prior topic knowledge and intelligence. The findings from both experiments suggested that recency of participation is related to higher learn ing performance. The advantage of the recent participant over the nonrecent participant was interpreted to be a function of both the recent participant's broader background knowledge and his "knowing how to learn."