ERIC Number: ED190195
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1980-Apr-11
Pages: 18
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
The Adult Minority Women in the Community College.
Wagner, Mary Lou
Interviews were conducted with 15 Black and 15 Puerto Rican women students from Brookdale Community College, New Jersey, and with 15 Black and 15 Puerto Rican women not attending college in order to determine: (1) if adult, minority women enrolled in college were more self-directed than those who had not sought further education; (2) the differences that existed between the students and non-students with regard to motivation, personal interests, and aspirations; and (3) the obstacles perceived by both groups as hindering their chances for further education. Characteristics such as age, marital status, number of children, financial responsibility, employment status, educational levels, reasons for seeking further education, and educational interests were determined during the interviews and the Rotter Scale of Internal Reinforcement was used to assess the women's internal/external locus of control. Selected findings reveal that the majority of all respondents were externally oriented, thus casting in doubt the hypothesis that those seeking further education operate from an internal locus of control. More significant differences were revealed between the two minority populations than between the college and non-college groups. The major obstacles to further education recognized by the Black and Puerto Rican college and non-college groups centered around finances and home responsibility. (JP)
Descriptors: Access to Education, Adult Students, Blacks, Community Colleges, Comparative Analysis, Family Financial Resources, Females, Feminism, Individual Characteristics, Locus of Control, Nontraditional Students, Puerto Ricans, Student Attitudes, Student Educational Objectives, Student Motivation, Two Year Colleges
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A