INTRODUCTION

Who says learning shouldn’t continue into adulthood? Adult education gives mature
learners the chance to increase their knowledge, develop new skills and gain helpful
qualifications and credentials. The importance of adult education is difficult to overstate.
Adult education plays an important role in helping mature aged learners develop new
skills and improve the career prospects available to them.

Adult education is education aimed at mature students that have already taken part in
the workforce. Learning as a mature student gives individuals the chance to gain new
skills and expand their knowledge.

Our online learning courses are aligned to the National Standards to comply with
Functional Skills for Adults. From literacy to numeracy, learning online with our
programmes gives adults a chance to expand their knowledge and skillsets.

Adult education can take many forms and cover many different subjects. As well as
literacy and numeracy, many mature aged students study languages, sciences and a
range of other important subjects.

1. SIGNIFICANCE OF TEACHING ADULT EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

So often at school age, people aren’t sure what they want to do or how they plan to get
there. For many people, making such a large decision at a young age is simply out of
the question. This is why it is important that adult education courses are readily
available once people are ready to make that choice. If you are on the fence about re-
entering education

Further education sets a good example for future generations

So often, children in the NIGERIA see education as a finite chore which ends the minute
they graduate. However if children were to witness their parents, guardians or role
models embarking on continued educational journeys, they would likely begin to see
learning as a constant part of life. Widely available adult education could work to
provide young people with a more positive attitude towards learning, helping them to

1
view it as an exciting privilege rather than a necessity. In addition to this, a more
educated and motivated adult population is likely to pass on better values, sturdier
morals and a stronger work ethic to future generations.

Adult education gives people a second chance

For one reason or another many people did not manage to finish their school or college
education to the standard that they may have wished. Choosing to start a family,
coping with illness, or managing finances can all get in the way of a person’s
educational goals. However, just because certain people have had to put their
education on hold, it doesn’t mean they are not entitled to it. At Stonebridge we want
to make re-entering education possible for anyone who wants to, regardless of their
financial or emotional constraints. Our distance learning courses are suitable for those
who have been out of education for some years and have no time to physically attend
classes.

Adult education helps us keep up with the changes in ourselves

Throughout our lives our minds, bodies and circumstances are constantly changing. For
some people this means their interests and passions many alter; for some it may mean
that their financial situation takes a turn; and for other people, it may mean an injury or
a change in health. In any case, as things move on, it is good to be ahead of the curve.
Someone who started their career in one field may long for a change, while another,
who grew up with plenty of money, may find that they are in need of extra income.
Adult learning courses make all of this possible. The availability of such education
makes it much easier for us to follow our minds and achieve our potential.

Learning keeps the mind active

Numerous studies have proven that maintaining an active mind can actually benefit
your health. Those who put their brain to use on a regular basis often find themselves
benefiting from better memory, sharper reactions and greater attention spans in old
age. Keeping the mind active doesn’t have to be difficult either. Learning a new

2
language, mastering a new skill or even something as simple as filling in a crossword
can have countless mental benefits. Exercising the mind is just as important as
exercising the body. This is why at Stonebridge we believe that adult education should
be taken seriously.

Learning keeps you busy socially, too.

People who open themselves up to new learning experiences often find themselves
involved in more social experiences and at Stonebridge, we believe that it is really
important to maintain a healthy social calendar. Developing new skills also adds a new
level of interest to a person’s life. People with strong interests and passions are likely
to gravitate towards others with similar interests and create healthy, nourishing
friendships. These people, who are surrounded with friends and interests, are also likely
to benefit from feeling more

QUESTION 2: PROBLEMS FACED IN TEACHING ADULT EDUCATION IN

NIGERIA

Teachers assume that teaching adults will be easy because, well, they’re adults. They’re
capable of reasoning and rational thinking. There won’t be any discipline problems.
They already know how to learn a language.

Unfortunately, teaching adults is not always the happy experience you think it will be.

Common scenarios you might encounter while teaching adult learners

They know everything

Of course they don’t, but they like to think they do. After all, they’ve had at least ten
years of education so they should know everything, right? Pointing out to your adult
students that there is a reason they are in the classroom (i.e. they don’t know
everything) is not likely to score you any brownie points.

3
Instead, you need to allow them to figure out what they don’t know and tell you what
they want to know. This way you’re not pointing out their weaknesses to them, but
you’re letting them find them for themselves.

They are shy

Remarkably, even adults can be shy in the classroom. Bear in mind that even outgoing
personalities may be hesitant to speak out in a foreign language in front of a room full
of strangers. They may get embarrassed when they don’t know how to say what they
want to say or if they make mistakes.

To encourage your adult learners to speak, the first step is to make sure they know
each other. Help your students become familiar with each other and they will feel more
comfortable speaking with their classmates. Also, remind them that making mistakes is
how they will learn.

They don’t want to use coursebooks

Many adults feel that using a coursebook in the classroom is for younger learners. Many
adults have bad memories of being in school and they have a block when it comes to
doing language exercises and activities.

One way around this is to only use a coursebook for the bare essentials. Rather
use authentic materials. Use newspapers, magazines, podcasts and TED talks to convey
language. Use their life experience and knowledge to get them talking.

They don’t have time

Adult learners have lives and responsibilities outside the classroom. They may not be
able to prioritise language learning as much as they would like to. As a result, they may
be absent from class more than other students, or they may not do their homework.

There is nothing you can in this situation, so there’s no point getting upset about it.
Encourage your students to come to class as often as possible but be understanding

4
when they can’t. Give them homework which they will enjoy doing and which fits into
their lifestyles.

Teaching adults can be very rewarding. For all their challenges and difficulties, adults
are able to contribute a wealth of knowledge to your lessons, which makes them
engaging and interesting for both students and teacher.

QUESTION 3: SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF TEAHCING ADULT LEARNERS

1. Integration of Computer skills: Digital Skills 4 All has attempted to be a building

block in the steps to tackling this challenge by providing free access to high-quality
education in the use of digital skills for adult educators.

To do this the E-Learning platform was developed to provide education on these

four modules:

 Managing information and communication through technology

 Problem-solving and privacy setting

 Creating and sharing online document and presentations

 Different ways of learning

This provides help and support to turn what is an everyday challenge for adult
educators into an everyday opportunity.

2. Provision of guidance and training for adult educators across in Nigeria digital
methods to better deliver basic skills within adult education. This has been done
through an integrative approach in collecting, sharing and disseminating innovative
and inclusive teaching and learning practices using ICT tools and digital methods.
3. Adults also have a vast library of relatable material to hand with provides a huge
opportunity to connect what you are teaching, not only to real-life but to their own
unique experiences. Norma and Schmidt (1992) created a three-step procedure to
explain how the connections made between new and old information can lead to
learning and improved memory retention:

5
  Elaboration — we find the links between new information and previous
knowledge.
 Refinement — we go through the information to retain the things that we
understand and which we think are important.
 Restructuring — new schemata (knowledge maps which help us interpret
information in our environment) are formed which subsequently allow us to
learn.

Conclusion

It is well known that we live in an age where a significant number of adults exist who
had little to no access to quality education as children. It is also quite evident that a
large representative of them were provided education in both an out-dated manner and
in areas somewhat irrelevant to the present day. In a rapidly changing world, the art of
establishing the role of education in order to have a developed society is as relevant as
ever. The concept of education and lifelong learning as an integral part of society must
be present in the minds of all citizens; no matter their age. A good education starts with
a better perspective on previous education as well as rethinking the role of adults in
order to respond to the educational challenge of an ageing population in Nigeria. The
fact of the matter is that adults are not only supervisors, but they are also educators
whose actions have historic consequences for the education system and for the future
decisions on lifelong learning activities. These are the ideas that are active in Nigeriaan
policy and strategic documents. 

REFERENCE

Cross, K.P (1992). Adults as learners: Increasing Participation and Facilitating Learning.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 9780783725079.
Phipps, S. T. A.; Prieto, L. C.; Ndinguri, E. N. (2013). "Teaching an old dog new tricks:
Investigating how age, ability and self-efficacy influence intentions to learn and
learning among participants in adult education". Academy of Educational
Leadership Journal. 17 (1): 13–25.
Spencer, Bruce (2006). The purposes of adult education : a short introduction (2nd
ed.). Toronto: Thompson Educational Pub. pp. 101–103. ISBN 9781550771619.

6
Lieb, Stephen (Fall 1991). "Principles of adult learning: Adults as learners". Vision.
"Massachusetts Adult Basic Education, Curriculum Framework for English for Speakers
of Other Languages (ESOL)" (PDF). Massachusetts Department of Education,
Adult and Community Learning Services: 9. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
Kunga, K., & Machtmes, K. (2009). Lifelong learning: Looking at triggers for adult
learning. The International Journal of Learning, 16(7), 501-511.