EFFECTIVE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF TEACHING THE ADULT

LEARNER
 Principle 1: encourages the teacher to set clear goals and intellectual challenges for
student learning
 Principle 2: employing appropriate teaching methods and strategies that actively involve
learners
 Principle 3: Communicate and interact effectively with students.
 Principle 5: Respect diverse talents and learning styles of students.
 Principle 6: Incorporate learning beyond the classroom

LEARNING STYLES FOUND IN THE ADULT CLASSROOM

 The study discovered that adults retain 50 percent of what they see and hear, 30 percent
of what they see alone, 90 percent of what they do, and 20 percent of what they hear
alone. Mihall and Belletti (1999)

 Concrete sequential individuals learn best when instruction is grounded in the material,
hands-on world. Such learners think methodically, orderly, sequentially, and predictably
(Gregorc, 1982).

 Thanks to Thompson, Orr, Thompson, and Part (2002), we have research that explored
the characteristics of the adult learner, factors that contribute to maximum retention in
adult learners, and the most effective adult training methods (using the Gregorc model).
Table 1 illustrates the most prominent learning styles for adult learners in the academic
areas of trade and industry (T&I), business education, adult education, and health
occupations. Other adults in the study reflected preferences in academic and related areas.
TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODOLOGIES APPROPRIATE FOR THE ADULT
LEARNER

METHODOLOGIES FOR DESIGNING INSTRUCTION FOR THE ADULT LEARNER

The Backward Design Model offered five stages for designing adult instruction,
examining the more natural flow of lesson development for the adult learner by creating lessons
first by considering the desired results, then creating the learning experiences and instruction.

Stage 1. Identify Desired Results.

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence of Learning.
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
One of the most important contributions to course design offered by Wiggins and
McTighe is their “W.H.E.R.E.T.O.” questions that serve to guide the lesson designer who
are encouraged to consider each of the following questions (Brown, 2008).
• Does the designer recognize where is the learner headed and how the lesson will
facilitate that journey?
• How can the lesson designer hook learners and make them want to succeed?
• How can the lesson designer ensure that the learner is properly equipped to experience
and explore key ideas of the lesson?
• Has the designer built in ample opportunities for the learner to rethink, rehearse,
refine and revise their understanding of the lesson?
• How will lesson designer evaluate the student’s work?
• How can the designer tailor the lesson to the needs, interests, and learning styles of the
adult learner?
• How can 5the designer organize the lesson for peak effectiveness?
Stage 4: Create Resources to Engage the Learner.
Stage 5: Revise and Refine the Lesson.