Fashion education as a lifelong education program for adult learners

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify adult learners' decision making variables, satisfaction, and evaluation toward fashion education as a university lifelong education program. As decision making variables, this study included participation purpose, information source, and selection criteria for lifelong education center and program. Regarding satisfaction toward fashion education, this study included satisfaction toward program and satisfaction toward education condition and administrative services. Data were gathered by both questionnaires and focus group interview(FGI) with 12 adults who completed the program. While questionnaires were used for decision making variables and satisfaction, FGI was used for evaluation. Frequency was used to analyze the questionnaires and content analysis was used to analyze the results of FGI. The findings showed that respondents participated mostly because of hobby or interest and got information mostly from acquaintances. They regarded program contents as the selection criteria for lifelong education center. They also regarded lecturers' professionality as the selection criteria for the program and showed high satisfaction toward lecturers' passion. Regarding education condition and administrative services, they showed high satisfaction. FGI also showed the importance of individual competence, career development, a work-study program, a on-site study program, and lecturer. The results suggest methods to make university lifelong education programs more appealing to adults who want to attend universities for non-degree university programs.