The authors explore the usefulness of orientation programs for students aged 27 and older who delayed entry to graduate school and whether differences in personal importance of orientation programs, willingness to participate in them, and preferences in matters of scheduling and topics. The results indicated that several demographic variables affected the interest level in some topics, suggesting that a cafeteria-workshop style format, which would allow students to select just those sessions that were of interest to them, may be the best for this group.

This review addresses significant events that have influenced research in family and consumer sciences education, major publication outlets, leading researchers, problems studied, methodologies used, and a summary of thesis and dissertation research completed from 1985 to 1999. Nearly three fourths of the 237 research articles reviewed were published in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Research topics focused primarily on professional roles and characteristics of family and consumer sciences educators, program evaluation, and priority issues including the need for family and consumer sciences teachers. Collaborative research efforts, focus on critical issues in family and consumer sciences education, use of interpretive frameworks and qualitative methods, and progress in using theory are cited as strengths. Challenges for future research include avoiding overreliance on empirical and survey methods, strengthening interaction between research and theory, increasing the number of individuals engaged in research on a continuing basis, and strengthening graduate student research.

The authors explore the usefulness of orientation prog~ams for students aged 27 and older who delayed enty to graduate school and whether difnences in personal, financial, and academic background afect the perceived importance of orientation p~og~ams, willingness to participate in them, and preferences in matters of scheduling and topics. The results indicated that seve~al demographic variables affected the interest level in some topics, suggesting that a cafeteria-workshop style format, which would allow students to select just those sessions that were of interest to them, maybe the best for this group.As increasing numbers of older students take advantage of higher education opportunities throughout the United States, the composition of college and universi~student poptiations is undergoing a stift (Exter, 1990). The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that the en-rollment{: of college students 25 years of age and older increased 34Y0,

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