Basic Explorations in Adult Re-Education. A Terminal Report from the Adult Re-Education Project.

In this study designed to generate hypotheses concerning adult learning, cognitive processes, and the reeducation of disadvantaged adults, the phenomena of concept attainment, symbol manipulation, verbal behavior, differential instruction, and awareness levels were investigated. Attention focus (cognitive style) in the concept attainment process was not satisfactorily measured. The symbol manipulation process of literate and illiterate adults varied sufficiently to suggest further testing. The verbal behavior of lower class rural adult women was distinctly limited when compared with middle class rural women in the same community. This suggested that differentiated instructional programs should be examined. A design for manipulating the instructional variables was developed for possible use in dealing with variance in the "awareness stage" of learning. The present report summarizes conditions which suggested investigation, the objects for preliminary explorations, and resultant findings. (Twelve references, two tables, and a diagram are included.) (Author/LY)