Administrative Human Resources Fundamentals

with Catherine Mattice

Adult Learning Principles

In the early 1970s, the adult educator Malcolm Knowles began to theorize about how adults learn, and he
came up with several ideas to ensure adults are self-directed in their learning. Today, these principles are
still widely accepted and used in the fields of training and development and education.

Always keep in mind that learning has to be a cooperative experience facilitated by the learner and the
teacher. Adult learners have to be a part of crafting their learning experience.

The adult learning principles:

• Adults learn best when they are convinced they need the information. A teacher must help learners
see the value in gaining the knowledge they will have at the end of the learning event.

• Adults have a ton of knowledge and experience to bring to a learning event, so they must feel they
are heard and their opinion is respected. This also means they may have biases or experiences that
inhibit their learning, so a teacher must be aware of those preconceptions, openly discuss them,
and know how to overcome them.

• Adults need to feel self-directed. They enter a learning event with a goal already in mind for what
they will do with the knowledge they obtain. Teachers therefore have to encourage the learners to
be independent, but reinforce the process of learning.

• Adults have to be able to apply what they have learned immediately after learning it, whether by
proving they have learned it through role play or demonstration, or by applying it on the job.

• Adults have preferences for learning, called learning styles. The three most common learning styles
are visual, a need to see what is being learned; auditory, a need to hear what is being learned; and
kinesthetic, a need to move or be hands on. A good teacher will offer activities and discussions that
meet different learning styles throughout the learning event.

• Adults have many responsibilities that must be balanced against learning (e.g., lack of time, lack of
motivation, or organizational red tape,). A teacher must learn how to overcome these barriers so
that the learner is convinced the time and effort to learn has a positive outcome or payoff.

Keep these principles in mind as you craft your training and learning opportunities for your employees!

Administrative Human Resources Fundamentals with Catherine Mattice