• Which Adults Increased Their Participation in Adult Education Between 1991 and 1999?
• Did the Patterns of Participation in Adult Education Among Various Groups of Adults Change Between 1991 and 1999?
• In Which Types of Adult Education Did Adults Increase Their Participation Between 1995 and 1999?
• What Are the Patterns of Participation in 1999 for Each Type of Adult Education Activity?
• What Accounts for the 1999 Participation Patterns in the Two Most Popular Adult Education Activities, Work-Related Courses and Non-Work-Related Courses?
• Summary

The data for this report come from the 1991, 1995, and 1999 Adult Education Surveys of the National Household Education Surveys Program (AE-NHES:1991/1995/1999), conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In these surveys, adults were defined as all civilian, noninstitutionalized individuals age 16 or older who were not in elementary or secondary education at the time of the survey. Adult education activities included adult basic education and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, apprenticeship programs, some programs leading to a formal (typically college) credential, courses taken for work-related reasons, and courses taken for reasons other than work (non-work-related courses). Since the continuous pursuit of formal education is typically not considered adult education, in this report full-time participation in postsecondary credential programs by those ages 16-24 is not counted as an adult education activity.

The report examines trends and patterns of participation among the groups of adults listed in table A. Participation trends in adult education overall are examined from 1991 to 1999, and changes in participation in specific types of adult education are examined from 1995 to 1999. Patterns of participation in adult education among different groups of adults are also compared in 1991 and 1999. Finally, the report also uses multivariate statistical analyses to examine the determinants of participation for work-related courses and for non-work-related courses in 1999. Some of the key questions addressed by this report are summarized below, along with the report’s findings concerning each question.

The overall increase in participation in adult education between 1991 and 1999 was widespread, occurring among virtually every group of adults examined in this report. Specifically, participation rates increased among the following: all age groups except those ages 35-44, both men and women, all racial/ethnic groups, all education levels, all labor force groups, and all occupation groups except those in professional or managerial positions (table A). The groups that did not increase their participation rates had some of the highest initial participation rates in 1991 and constant rates of participation thereafter.

Many participation patterns were the same in 1991 and 1999. In both years, adults with higher levels of education participated at higher rates than adults with lower levels of education; retired adults participated at a lower rate than those in all other labor force groups; and those in higher status occupations participated at higher rates than those in lower status occupations.

Changes in participation that did occur over time generally ameliorated differences among groups of adults. In 1991, younger and older adults participated at a lower rate than mid-aged adults, but in 1999 only older adults participated at a lower rate than those in other age groups (table A). In 1991, non-Hispanic Blacks participated at a lower rate than non-Hispanic Whites, but in 1999, all minority groups participated at the same rate as non-Hispanic Whites. In 1991, full-time workers participated at a higher rate than all other adults, but in 1999, part-time and unemployed workers participated at the same rate as full-time workers; only those not in the labor force participated at a lower rate than full-time workers. There was only one situation in which participation rates became more disparate over time: In 1991, there was no difference in participation rates by sex, but in 1999, women participated at a higher rate than men.

Table A.—Summary of changes in participation patterns between 1991 and 1999, and 1999 patterns of participation in adult education

Participation rates in specific types of adult education could not be examined for 1991, because the 1991 Adult Education Survey does not provide a comparable classification of education activities. Over the shorter time period between 1995 and 1999, participation rates increased overall and for all types of adult education except ESL programs and work-related courses, for which participation rates remained roughly level.

Participation patterns vary, often in expected ways, among the four most common types of adult education (work-related courses, non-work-related courses, adult basic education, and credential programs). Participation rates in adult basic education programs, for example, are highest among the youngest adults, those with the lowest levels of education, minorities, and those in nonprofessional and nonmanagerial occupations. Participation rates in credential programs, in contrast, tend to be higher among those with more education (up to “some college”), those in the labor force, those in professional or managerial occupations, and those with continuing education requirements.

Participation rates in the two most common learning activities (work-related courses and non-work-related courses) are lower for the oldest adults, for Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Whites, and for those with (rather than without) continuing education requirements. Participation also increases with education level and occupational status (with the lowest participation rate for those in the trades; a higher rate for those in sales, service, or support occupations; and the highest rate for those in professional or managerial occupations). But participation in work-related courses also is lower for the youngest adults compared to mid-aged adults, and is higher for those employed full time compared to all other labor force groups. In comparison, participation rates in non-work-related courses are higher among women than men and among those employed part time rather than full time.

To answer this question, logistic regression equations were performed, predicting participation from adults’ demographic, education, and labor force characteristics. These analyses reveal the relationship of each of these adult characteristics to participation independently of other adult characteristics.

The finding that the youngest adults (ages 16-24) participate in work-related courses at a lower rate than mid-aged adults (ages 35-44) does not appear to be due to age differences in the employment characteristics of adults, as the participation difference remains when these characteristics are taken into account. It may be that employers are less likely to provide formal training to young workers compared to mid-aged workers, or that young adults have more current skills and thus less need to participate in work-related education. In contrast, adults ages 55-64 are less likely than mid-aged adults to participate in work-related education primarily because these older adults are less likely to be employed. It is less clear why adults age 65 or older participate in work-related courses at a relatively low rate. In accordance with human capital theory, these older adults may have less to gain from an investment in work-related education; however, among employed adults with the same level of income, adults age 65 or older participate in work-related education at the same rate as mid-aged adults, suggesting that differences in income and employment status also play a role. The lower participation rate of older adults (ages 55 or older) in non-work-related courses does not appear to be due to education, labor force, or income differences, and may have more to do with the interests of older adults or the targeting of course offerings.

Women’s higher participation rate in non-work-related courses is not due to women having more time for these activities by virtue of working part time or not at all; even after accounting for labor force status, women participate in these courses at a higher rate than men. When women and men with the same labor force status are compared, women also participate in work-related courses at a higher rate than men. Hypothetically, this sex difference in participation in both work-related courses and non-work-related courses could result from women having a greater propensity to seek formal instruction or from a targeting of course offerings to women.

Hispanics’ lower participation rate in work-related courses is not entirely due to their education level, labor force status, occupation group, or income level; this difference remains even after accounting for these factors. Language barriers or specific occupational patterns that could not be detected in this study may account for this difference in participation rates. Hispanics’ lower participation rate in non-work-related courses appears to be related to their lower average education level; when education level is accounted for, Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites participate in non-work-related courses at the same rate.

Full-time workers participate in work-related courses at a higher rate than other adults regardless of age, sex, occupation group, income level, or continuing education status (i.e., whether or not the adult has continuing education requirements). This higher participation rate is probably motivated by labor market incentives that make work-related courses most available to and valuable for those employed full time. Participation rates in non-work-related courses are higher not only among part-time workers (compared to full-time workers), but also—after accounting for other factors—among those who are retired or otherwise not in the labor force (compared to those who are employed). This difference in participation rates may arise from the greater amount of free time available to those who are employed part time or who are not in the labor force compared to those who are employed full time.

Participation in work-related courses is highest among those in professional and managerial occupations, even after accounting for education level and other factors; this may reflect a tendency by employers to provide more training to workers in these positions. Occupational differences in participation in non-work-related courses are related to education level; after accounting for education level, those in professional and managerial jobs participate in non-work-related courses at the same rate as other employed adults.

After accounting for other factors, those with higher levels of education and those with continuing education requirements participate in both work-related and non-work-related courses at a higher rate than do (respectively) those with lower education levels and those who do not have continuing education requirements. A common motivation may underlie these findings; those who enjoy learning of all types may be more likely to continue their formal education, enter occupations that have continuing education requirements, and participate in non-work-related courses. On the other hand, taking courses in one’s post-high school years, either to continue one’s formal education or to meet continuing education requirements, may help foster an interest in other types of adult education.

The increase in participation in adult education found in this report is not new. What is new is evidence of the breadth of this increase. Virtually every group of adults examined increased their participation in adult education between 1991 and 1999, often in ways that reduced disparities in participation that had existed in 1991. But a closer look at participation in specific activities reveals some troubling signs of groups being left behind—especially Hispanics, those with lower levels of education, those with lower status jobs, and those who are employed part time. Even after accounting for other factors, all of these groups have relatively low rates of participation in work-related courses, an adult education activity that is likely to have economic payoffs. Adults with lower levels of education also are less likely than those with higher levels of education to participate in non-work-related courses, after accounting for other factors. Thus, although the widespread increase in participation in adult education has been accompanied by an elimination of some inequities, in many cases the highly educated and high status groups that have been the traditional beneficiaries of adult education remain the main beneficiaries today.