Date Approved

5-23-2009

Embargo Period

3-16-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Higher Education Administration

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Sisco, Burton

Subject(s)

Adult education; Motivation in adult education

Disciplines

Higher Education Administration

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to research (a) the participation patterns of selected predominately African American adults in a religious-based educational program (n=225), (b) determine relative motivational patterns, (c) to compare the 'most' and 'least' of importance of motivations, and to identify if the samples' demographics are related to these motivations. This study was administered in a selected church in Deptford, New Jersey in March 2009. The African American adult population with an average age of 42 demonstrated similarities of participation to a previous study. To measure motivations to participate and patterns of participation in African American adults, data were collected by survey and analyzed through SPSS computer software. Sunday Service at 9:30 am was identified as taken most often by the study subjects. The top motivational item was "I attend to learn more about God." This study supported the research of Isaac-Savage (1999) in eight of the top 10 motivations. African American adults at Victory In Christ Christian Church (VICCC) are motivated to participate in religious based adult education. Based on the statistical data, VICCC's African American adults take courses to learn about their relationship with God. There was no significant relationship between the demographic household income and motivational patterns.

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