Results of the Questionnaire Survey Freie Schule St. Michael Bad Überkingen – Germany February 2011

Aim of the Survey Aim of the survey was to determine the attitudes of parents of our students with regard to lifelong learning. We also wanted to know what types of learning are prefered by them.

Courses for Parents In our school there are several courses offered for the parents of our students: Language courses in English and Russian (the second language of our students) Literature courses Handcraftig courses Courses in public relations The courses are not created as vocational training but rather as general education and recreation.

Participants of the Courses The participants who received the questionnaires were between 35 and 47 years of age. 3/4 of them were women. Educational status: 40% were in vocational school, 40% in secondary school, 20% had a university degree.

Participants of the Courses 60% were parttime employed, 40% were stay-at- home-moms All of the participants come from rural area and small towns.

Reasons for Course Participation Generally, they were all interested in participation in courses of further education. The most named sector is languages, followed by psychological/philosophical courses. They all expected better employability after family break, combined with personal development and improved social skills. Meeting new people was also an important motivation.

Main Barriers for Adult Education Main barrier for adult education in our participants was a lack of time due to work at home and family commitments. Courses in handcrafting are during daytime, most of the other courses in the evenings. Money was not an obstacle at all, because all courses are offered free of charge.

Preferred Learning Method The participants prefer interactive learning in small groups, where active learning in Q&A- form, group and individual training is possible. Not very popular is learning by lectures without the possibility of interaction.

Gender All participants in the survey were women. Nevertheless: The gender of teacher or the other members of the learning group was not important to any participant. They felt comfortable with both groups of men or women, the same with teacher/trainer as well.

Effects on the Students All participants pointed out that the training was very useful to them and even had some positive influence on their mood.

Summary The participants of the questionnaire survey saw the offered adult education as useful in terms of general education, recreation and possibility to meet and communicate with other people. The results of the survey encourage us to maintain and broaden our offers regarding adult education.