The literature reviewed fell into three categories: (a) some of the general adult education literature related to the topics; (b) adult basic education survey literature which mentions participation and attrition in passing and; (c) adult basic education research studies specifically related to the topics.

GENERAL ADULT EDUCATION STUDIES

Studies on participation in adult education have tended to focus either on motivational aspects and typologies of learners (Bushier, 1971; Bushier and Collins, 1985; Houle, 1961) or on the deterrents (or barriers) to participation (CAAE ICEA, 1982; Confederation College, 1989; Cross, 1981; Darkenwald and Valentine, 1985).

Houle (1961) produced a parsimonious typology of adult learners: the goal-oriented; the learning-oriented; and, the activity-oriented. Those learners who were goal-oriented pursued education in order to accomplish a clear-cut objective. 'nose learners who were learning-oriented pursued knowledge for its own sake. Those learners who were activity-oriented pursued learning with no necessary connection to the stated purpose of the activity. A large-scale empirical test of Houle's typology by Boshier and Collins (1985) found that Houle's goal-oriented and Learning-oriented categories were reasonably clear, but that the activity-oriented category was more complex. It was a forced aggregate of four clusters of motivations subsumed under the headings social stimulation, social contact, external expectations, and community service. An understanding of participation behaviour is related to the desire of adult education practitioners to tailor programs to the needs and interests of learners. The extension of findings from the general adult education field to the field of adult basic education, however, would ignore very important differences in population.