Principles
of Adult Education E-2
An experienced person
does the best work.
Adult learners
are normally considered to be those who have completed their schooling
(at least temporarily) and desire to learn something outside the
school system. Adult learners fit more into nonformal education
than formal education (see modules E-1 and E-3). While college
students are adults, they are part of the formal education system.
Traditionally, therefore, they are considered a part of formal
education rather than nonformal education.
How do adults learn?
What does this mean for educators? Below is a list of principles
of adult education. After each principle the implications for
the learners and for the educators are noted.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this
module you should be able to:
1. Describe adult learners
in terms of learning style preferences.
2. Tell how adult learners are similar and different than students
in school classrooms.
EIGHT
PRINCIPLES
1. The teaching/learning
process is dynamic, interactive, and cooperative. A two-way
interaction between learner and educator is necessary. The educator
does not simply "fill up" the passive learner with "education."
Both the learner and the educator must accept responsibility for
the learning. The learner must participate actively and willingly.
The educator must also be a learner. Sometimes the learner, due
to previous experience, teaches the educator. The adult educator
is responsible for teaching the learner how to learn. Sometimes
this is more important that what to learn. The learner has a right
to know what is expected by the educator who must make this very
clear to the learner. In addition to using strong skills in verbal
communication, the educator must be an effective listener. The
educator must provide facts and resources that are relevant to
the learner. The learner must relate these facts and resources
to previous experience in such a way that meaningful learning
occurs.
2. Persons are more
important than the subject being taught or the teaching/learning
technique being used. Factual information is useless unless
it is of value to the learner. When the learner decides to accept
the learning that means a lifestyle change. The key to learning
is what happens to the learner. This means that the educator must
know the learner. Likewise the learner just open up to the educator
and help that educator to know the learner. The educator must
strive to make the learning relevant to the learner. The learner
must accept equal responsibility with the teacher in making the
learning relevant. The educator must be patient. The pace of the
teaching depends on the pace of the learner. The learner must
make an effort to learn; must try to stay with the educator and
must signal the educator when the pace is too fast or too slow.
The educator must begin where the learner is ready to begin and
must strive to create maturity in the learner. Maturity is the
ability and willingness to take responsibility for the learning.
The learner must accept the need to mature. Both educator and
learner must be flexible for this relationship to be effective.
3. Responsibility
for teaching and learning is shared by both the educator and
the learner. Both the educator and learner must b-e cooperative
and helpful. Although learning is an individual decision by the
learner to change his/her lifestyle, learning often occurs in
social settings where others can assist in the learning. The educator
never does anything for the learner that the learner can do. The
learner does not depend on the educator unless absolutely necessary.
The educator must be sensitive to learner readiness. Some motivation
may be necessary. The learner accepts some of the responsibility
for readiness and self-motivation. The learner must make decisions
about the learning and not leave these decisions to others. The
educator must assist the learner in making decisions and avoid
making decisions for the learner. The educator must not ask the
learner to do anything that s/he, the educator, would not do.
4. The procedures
used for teaching/learning must be determined by the learner's
goals. The educator must involve the learner in setting goals
for the learning. Then the educator must help make to learner
aware of learning resources to meet those goals. The learner must
learn how to select resources and take responsibility to use those
resources to meet the goals that have been set.
5. Ideally learning
involves not just information but also skills and attitudes.
Learning implies change. Sometimes change means recognizing attitudes
that inhibit learning. The educator must help the learner to identify
attitudes that need to be changed. The learner must recognize
that changes of attitudes can be beneficial. Both must move from
the cognitive (informational) aspects of learning to emphasize
skills and attitudes. They must identify skills and attitudes
that are important and work together to learn these. All information
should be judged by the criteria, "what will the learner
do with this information that has been learned... what difference
will it make to the learner's lifestyle?"
6. Both learners
and educators must be willing to progress from a supportive climate
to a climate of direct challenge. Both educators and learners
must recognize that the adult learner has had many experiences
which have formed a body of knowledge, strong feelings, prejudices,
and probably some misconceptions. Both must create an open supportive
environment where the learners accept themselves and understand
why they behave as they do. Then they must challenge those experiences
and beliefs to move beyond those that no longer serve ones lifestyle.
This process must be gradual with great sensitivity on both sides.
An abrupt challenge to an insecure adult may end the learning
process and even ruin the relationship. The educator must try
to never put the learner on the defensive. The learner must recognize
when s/he is defensive. Both must interact openly, in good faith,
and creatively resolve any conflict which arises. Both learner
and educator must view the educator as a guide. At times the learner
may reject the guidance and this position may be positive. The
educator must be sensitive to the learner's needs and readiness
to accept guidance. Both must build strong rapport based on honesty
and empathy. Then both must be open to challenge, by the other
person, in order to consider new ideas, new options, and new relationships.
7. Evaluation should
take place continuously in the teaching/learning process.
An evaluative climate in which both the educator and the learner
are receptive to new perspectives on themselves and willing to
evaluate themselves, is important. The learner needs feedback
from the educator in order to make progress. Both need to evaluate
the learning climate as well as learning outcomes. Both must be
flexible and cooperative in making adjustments to the learning
climate whether it deals with information, skills, attitudes,
or a combination of these three aspects.
8. Learning takes
place when learners interact positively with each other. When
learners create a positive learning climate in a group of learners,
progress can be more rapid and more significant. Trust, security,
and mutual confidence must exist to support learning in groups.
Competitive aspects of learning (getting the highest grade) should
be eliminated. The same relationships between educator and learner,
discussed above, must be developed among the learners in the learning
group.
QUESTIONS
FOR DISCUSSION
1. How is an adult
learner different from a student in primary school? From a student
in high school? From a university student?
2. How are they similar
(in each case)?
EXERCISE:
Look (again) at
a community group that you wish to teach. If possible use a group
of adults. Write down a list of guidelines to help you use principles
of adult education with this group. For example, "I will
take more time at the beginning to get to know each member of
the group that I am teaching." Share your list of guidelines
with a partner or with the members of your learning group to get
their response. Discuss how you are going to put these guidelines
into practice. Incorporate your guidelines into your lesson plan
(if you are not familiar with lesson plans, look a modules C-8
on using teaching/learning techniques or module LT-1 on organizing
workshops.)
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