The relationship of preference for educational structure to age and years of education among practising nurses
Title:
The relationship of preference for educational structure to age and years of education among practising nurses
Author:
Russell, Jan M. Krantz, Steven R.
Appeared in:
International journal of lifelong education
Paging:
Volume 13 (1994) nr. 3 pages 239-245
Year:
1994-05
Contents:
Research in adult and lifelong education has included an expanding interest in the characteristics of adult learners, including an exploration of their preference for independence in the teaching/learning situation. Limited research, however, has focused upon this facet of adult education. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of age and years of education to preference for educational structure. The question which directed this study was: 'What are the individual and combined contributions of age and postsecondary educational experience to preference for educational structure among practising nurses?' This study employed both difference and correlational inferential statistics in the conduct of a secondary analysis of data from a larger descriptive, correlational study. The sample for this study was 429 female practising nurses in one mid-western state within the USA. The primary results were: (a) significant differences in preference for educational structure exist among practising nurses; (b) the contribution of age to the ability to predict preference for educational structure is minimal or non-existent; and (c) significant differences exist among nurses grouped by educational experiences, with practising nurses having more educational experience preferring lower levels of structure than their counterparts with less experience in postsecondary education. Within the adult education literature, it is assumed that as an individual becomes older the need for independence in learning becomes greater. The findings of this study suggest that educational experience, not age, is the better predictor of preference for structure in an educational setting. Additional research is needed to validate this outcome and to clarify the potential value of the finding. However, the preliminary implication for educational designs seems clear. Adult education for individuals within a bachelor's degree programme may prefer more structure than individuals within a master's degree programme or higher. Planners of adult continuing education programmes may also use these findings to design programmes taking the educational level of the participants into account.
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