Those who could most benefit from adult education are the least likely to participate in it, according to data from a 1991 large-scale, nationally representative field test of the educational activities of adults in the United States. The National Household Education Survey data showed that 38 percent of adults age 17 or older participated in some educational activity in 1990-91. Those more likely to participate in adult education are in the following groups: (1) people in professional, technical, support, service, finance, insurance, or real estate occupations, elementary and secondary teachers, and public administrators; (2) people with some college; (3) people in households with incomes above $30,000; (4) whites; (5) adults between 35 and 44; (6) married or single (never married) adults; and (7) adults with children under 16 compared to those with no children. Adults with a 12th-grade education or less, who were not employed, or whose households were at the lowest income levels seemed less likely to participate in some part-time educational activity. (NLA)