The face of universities is changing. Typically, undergraduates are comprised of adults who recently left high school and are attending college to get degrees to enter the job market. However, recent trends have indicated the increasing presence of older adults, those aged 25 and above who are either attending college for the first time or are returning students. These adults are described as nontraditional students. College students between the ages of 18 and 24 are referred to as traditional students. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (2005) report indicated "by 2015, undergraduates of age 25 and older will be the growing population for higher education, with a related numeric decline in 18-21 year old undergraduate enrollment" (p. 9).
AbstractThis article examines the role of intrinsic motivation in the academic pursuits of nontraditional students. The Academic Motivational Scale (AMS) was administered to 35 undergraduate students, 6 males and 29 females, aged 25 to 49 to explore their motivational orientations in choosing to attend college. The results of the study show that respondents endorsed more items of intrinsic motivation than extrinsic motivation or amotivation. Hence, the desire to demonstrate competence, a need for a sense of self determination, and the pleasure and satisfaction derived from the college experience played a greater role in nontraditional students' academic pursuits than the external rewards such as career advancement. This information is important for college administrators in developing programs that cater to the needs of nontraditional students and facilitate degree attainment.
The extent of preservice teachers' knowledge of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and their self efficacy were examined in this research. The participants included a convenience sample of 230 (184 females, 46 males) undergraduate general education and special education preservice teachers enrolled in Fall 2011 teacher education classes in a mid-sized Midwestern university, located in a mid-sized city. The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 51 with a mean age of 23.37 years (SD= 6.8 years). The Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) (long form) and Knowledge of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders questionnaire were administered to the sample. The participants had an overall high sense of efficacy but had higher efficacy in instructional strategies than in classroom management, student engagement, and instructional abilities. Participants demonstrated some knowledge of EBD. There was no significant association between field experience, additional coursework, and familiarity with a child with EBD and the preservice teachers' knowledge of EBD or self efficacy. It is recommended that teacher education program coordinators place more emphasis on providing teacher candidates with information regarding successfully identifying, engaging, and motivating students with EBD. Additionally, preservice teachers' field experiences should include more authentic experiences with students with EBD to enhance preservice teachers' self efficacy for successfully working with students with EBD in their diverse classrooms. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I-INTRODUCTION
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