COMPARISON OF STUDY HABITS AND ATTITUDES OF SAMPLES OF ADULT AND TRADITIONAL STUDENTS AT AN URBAN LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY

The study problem was: (1) to contrast the study habits and attitudes of samples of adult and traditional undergraduate students at the University of the District of Columbia as assessed through the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes; (2) to determine the extent to which each of five status characteristics, sex, marital status, work status, student status and college status accounted for the variance in study habits and attitude scores of adult and traditional students. Differences between adult and traditional students were tested using one-way analysis of variance. Relationships between the status characteristics and study habits and attitudes were examined using stepwise multiple regression analyses. Two instruments were used to elicit study data, the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes and the Status Characteristics Inventory. They were properly completed by 242 students (107 adult and 135 traditional students) enrolled in randomly selected first-year, non-remedial English courses in the University College and the Division of Continuing Education during the 1981 Summer Session. The study sample was representative racially of the predominantly black student body of the University of the District of Columbia. Five status characteristics did not account for a significant proportion of the variance in the study habits and study attitudes scores of adult and traditional students. Significant differences were found in both the study habits scores and study attitudes scores of adult and traditional students, with traditional students being significantly higher in both areas, indicating better study habits and attitudes. Two implications may be drawn from the findings: (1) it is important to look beyond the obvious differences between adult and traditional students to ascertain what factors are significantly related to study habits and attitudes; and (2) University of the District of Columbia administrators must customize existing academic support and counseling programs to meet the diverse needs of adult students in terms of offering specialized remedial offerings, speed reading, study skills reinforcement and test-taking skills.