| Abstract: | The establishment of two Senior Colleges in Western Australia in 1983 provided adult students with an alternative route to conventional schooling for completing matriculation requirements for entry to higher education. An evaluation of the Colleges involved large samples of students and staff and the triangulation of information obtained by different researchers working independently and using a variety of methods (interview, questionnaires, nominal groups, classroom and school climate assessments). The study attested to the success of the Senior Colleges in creating a positive ethos suited to its adult students and in allowing previously unqualified people to enter higher education and succeed. |
