Relationship between adults' reasons for participation in noncredit classes in community colleges in Texas and temporal orientation (time perspective)

Abstract

This study of adults in noncredit classes in community colleges examined the relationship between reasons for participation (Boshier, 1984) and temporal orientation (determined by the F-A-S-T scale of Settle, Alreck, and Glasheen, 1977) and selected demographics. The adult students were found to be predominantly motivated to participate by two of the six reasons for participation-- a desire for professional advancement and cognitive interests. They were found to be future oriented and tenacious. A canonical correlation of reasons for participation and temporal orientation was significant and showed that a Type 1 error is unlikely. Correlation showed temporal orientation and some demographics to be moderately related to reasons for participation. Multiple regression was performed to examine the predictive relationship of temporal orientation to reasons for participation. The findings were: 1. Social contact was most significantly related to future orientation, past orientation, activity, and age, and less so to structure, education, ethnicity, and school. However, prediction of social contact by temporal orientation was limited to future orientation and past orientation. 2. Social stimulation was most significantly related to future orientation, past orientation, activity, tenacity, age, education, occupation, and school, and less so to structure and marital status. However, prediction of social stimulation by temporal orientation was limited to past orientation. 3. Professional advancement was most significantly related to future orientation, occupation, and ethnicity. However, prediction was limited to future orientation. 4. Community service was most significantly related to future orientation and education, and less so to past orientation and ethnicity. However, prediction was limited to future orientation. 5. External expectations was most significantly related to future orientation, past orientation, activity, structure, age, and marital status, and less so to tenacity and ethnicity. However, prediction was limited to past orientation. 6. Cognitive interests could not be shown to be significantly related to any of the independent variables.