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Students over thirty: Need their classes be different?

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Abstract

In a study at a commuter, upper-division, state university, researchers interviewed 199 randomly selected undergraduates concerning their perceptions of their classroom experiences. The students were divided into four age groups—20–29, 30–37, 38–45, and 46–55—with males and females in each group. Results showed that neither age nor sex could be used to predict student satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their adacemic experience and instruction. If these results are not idiosyncratic, it may be concluded that colleges seeking to recruit mature students for credit-bearing courses need not provide special courses or faculty for them; rather, mature students can be integrated into regular courses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the University of Texas, Dallas

    Joan M. Chandler & Carolyn Galerstein

Authors
  1. Joan M. Chandler
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  2. Carolyn Galerstein
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Additional information

The authors are indebted to Ms. Pamela Seay for her excellent interviewing, and to UTD students for their willingness to be interviewed.

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Chandler, J.M., Galerstein, C. Students over thirty: Need their classes be different?. Alternative Higher Education 7, 44–51 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01080809

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01080809

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