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Abstract

The participation rate in adult education in Sweden by people with short previous formal education is not as high as desired. To better understand why this group of people does not par ticipate in adult studies one has to analyze their actual life situation, where the work role and the leisure role stand out as most important. The expectancy/valence theory was applied to the in terest in adult education by means of interviews with 1080 persons with nine or less years of for mal schooling. The results pointed to an integrated relationship between work and leisure. The interest in adult education for the present job was positively related to work satisfaction. The op posite relationship was found between interest in adult education for a new job and work satisfac tion. With respect to non-work-related adult education the educational interest exhibited a neutral relationship to work satisfaction. Educational interest was found to be a part of a leisure pattern already consisting of "cultural" activities and high organizational activity. The results in dicate that changes are necessary in working life in order to prepare people for a more enriching and stimulating leisure and that in order to reach new clients, programs must be based on values and attitudes of the potential participants.

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Interest in Education Among Adults With Short Previous Formal Schooling

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