Perspectives of Adult Education Group Work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Education in 1940’s America

Christi Martzall

Ball State University

EDAC 631 Adult and Community Education

February 14, 2021

 

	Commented On
Christi Martzall	Taylor Glaser, group 4

 

 

Introduction/Social Background

The social, economic, and political climate changed December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. And while World War II would dominate America’s attention until mid-decade, adult education experienced both crisis and transformation during this time. Crisis exposed problems within the American education system, and transformation was necessary in order to address those problems.

Adult education was first struck with a demand for skilled workers. Because of the war, shortages of skilled workers were prevalent, and this triggered a demand for all types of training. Adult education was put under further stress when teachers left the profession for better pay in the military or defense industry. Desperate education committees hired poor-quality teachers to fill the gaps” (“1940s Education: Overview, n.d.”). Furthermore, quality of the American education system became a serious issue as “the army rejected five million recruits, some because of poor health, but many because they could not read and write” (“1940s Education: Overview:,” n.d.). Educators realized that where the army recruits grew up in the country determined their ability to read, write, and do math.

Also, it is historically important to note that during this period, education operated under the “Jim Crow” laws. Jim Crow required the separation of white people and people of color on all forms of public transportation and in schools. These laws were in place to maintain racial segregation after the Civil War ended. “Even though adult education did not receive national attention for such practices, a preponderance of the evidence drawn from a historical study of African American adult education during the 1930s and 1940s suggests otherwise. Adult education was found to be just as guilty as K-12 and higher education of perpetuating Jim Crow racism” (New Prairie Press at Kansas State University, n.d.).

WWII ended in 1945 and troops flooded back to the states. This influx of unemployed adults stimulated much activity. Veterans were eager to use their G.I. Bill benefits and two-year schools grew dramatically during the 1940s. They married young and started families causing a baby boom. The baby boom resulted in a need for more schools and teachers.

Despite the challenges during this era, adult education saw more advantages during this decade than K-12. First of all, war-related research boosted university revenues as they formed partnerships with the federal government that continue to this day. At all levels it became better organized, better funded, and more standardized across the country. Universities were modernized. In subjects such as literature, history, and the arts, the college curriculum was made more professional and was more carefully thought out (“1940s Education: Overview:,” n.d.)

Highlights

Education was put on hold for the first part for the decade as schools had been urged to change their curriculum to war time needs. As the war came to an end, it became crucial to examine the role of colleges and universities in America. During this time, the success of higher education was built on three established patterns and beliefs: vocationalism, public higher education, and multiple sectors of postsecondary schooling (Lazerson, 1998). A need was identified for vocational training programs, as well as a strong need for higher level math and science education.

In the United States, World War II, like the Great Depression, had devastating implications on education due to military enrollment. Moreover, after World War II, returning soldiers were required to pass a test before being given their high school equivalency certificates. In response, the U.S. Armed Forces Institute examination staff first constructed the GED test in 1942. In 1945 ACE established the Veterans' Testing Service (VTS), and beginning in 1947 tests were distributed to civilian institutions where veterans were applying for employment or college admission (General Education Development Test, 2021).

INFLUENTIAL FACTORS

This decade’s biggest influencer was Malcolm Knowles. Dr. Knowles was widely acknowledged as a founder of adult education as a separate discipline. His own exposure to the special needs of young adults past freshman age and older people seeking to broaden their horizons began in the 1940's. Dr. Knowles contended that the education of adults should address the specific needs and approaches to learning of more mature and experienced students. He called this concept andragogy, introducing it in the late 1960's and inspiring a new line of research and literature in the field. In essence, Dr. Knowles worked from the notion that adult students -- whether they seek a degree they had missed, wish to enhance their professional skills and standing or merely want to satisfy their curiosities -- are a wholly different breed. Typically, they are members of the work force, spouses or parents and must be taught in their own social context (“Father Malcolm Knowles”, n.d.). He first built a comprehensive education program for adults at the central Y.M.C.A. in Chicago, where he worked from 1946 to 1951 (“adult learning theory – Andragogy – of Malcolm Knowles – eLearning industry”, 2020).

One of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced by the federal government is the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. The act paid college tuition for soldiers reentering civilian life after the war. Those who wished to continue their education in college or vocation school could do so tuition-free up to $500 while also receiving a cost of living stipend. As a result, almost 49 percent of college admissions in 1947 were veterans” (History.com, Editors, 2010). This act is now commonly referred to as, The GI Bill packed college classrooms with 7.8 million veterans (US Census Bureau, 2006). Many of these students were the first members of their families to graduate from college” (VA.gov, Veteran’s affairs, n.d.).

IMPLICATIONS

In the 1940s, few industries grew as fast or affected the lives of so many or gained as much prestige as higher education. Higher education built upon prewar trends to do what almost no one would have predicted: it achieved a virtual monopoly on middle-class status. It became the licensing agency for Americans who wanted to enter the professions. Every occupation seeking to increase its prestige and income made going to college and beyond the requirement for entry. For countless Americans, college became the way upward. People expected their governments to help facilitate this opportunity, through grants, student loans, and by establishing branch campuses of state universities and local community colleges (Lazerson, 1998).

Following WWII, as the number of students increased, the demand for facilities and teachers also increased. Schools were built to contain large numbers of students and small schools joined together to form districts in order to bear the burden of increased costs and administration. The one-room schoolhouse disappeared because it was cheaper to build bigger schools and bus children to central locations. As the need for teachers increased, teacher certification requirements were lowered and in some cases almost eliminated to the point where little or no professional training was needed to teach (Education during and after world war II, 2014).

Because of Dr. Knowles, the GI Bill, and a new desire for the “American Dream”, higher education was transformed in the 1940s. At all levels it became better organized, better funded, and more standardized across the country. Universities were modernized. The college curriculum was made more professional and was more carefully thought out (Lazerson, 1998).

 

 

 

 

Table 1   Summary of Adult Education in 1940s America
Area	Summary
Social Background	WWII 1939-1945, teacher shortage, quality of American education, “Jim Crow” laws, baby boom starts, training programs/community colleges see growth, war related research in education
Highlights	Education put on hold first part of decade, role of high education in post-war America examined, GED established
Influential factors	Dr. Malcom Knowles, GI Bill,
Implications	Higher education boom, (educational) facilities and teacher shortage, higher education transformed

 

 

References

Education during and after the world war 2. (2014, March 11). farzanasite. https://farzanasite.wordpress.com/edu-555/education-during-and-after-the-world-war-2/

Father Malcolm Knowles. (n.d.). Andragogy. https://andragogy.tripod.com/ahe/id4.html

General educational development test. (2021). Education Encyclopedia - StateUniversity.com - StateUniversity. https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2005/General-Educational-Development-Test.html

History.com Editors. (2010, May 27). G.I. Bill. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/gi-bill

Lazerson, M. (1998). The Disappointments of Success: Higher Education after World War II. The

               Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 559, 64-76. Retrieved

               February 10, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1049607

New Prairie Press (NPP) at Kansas State University (K-State). https://newprairiepress.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2710&context=aerc

The 1940s education: Overview. (n.d.). Encyclopedia.com | Free Online Encyclopedia. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/culture-magazines/1940s-education-overview

The adult learning theory - Andragogy - of Malcolm Knowles - eLearning industry. (2020, April 15). eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles

Uncovering the devastating impact of World War II on American education. (2020, May 9). The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/uncovering-devastating-impact-world-war-ii-american-education

US Census Bureau. (2006, April 6). Historical statistics on educational attainment, 1940 to 2000. The United States Census Bureau.

VA.gov, Veterans affairs. (n.d.). History and Timeline. 

               https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/history.asp