Principles of Adult Education

DCE 5011
Adult Development
Social and Psychological Factors
Affecting Learning
Adult Learning Process
 Understanding the nature of
adult learning
Look around you -- Are all your
classmates adults?
What are the categories of adults in the
class?
Do all of them learn at the same rate?

What are reasons for this variations?

 Adult Development
Perspectives
Physical/Biological Aging: external and
internal
Psychological Changes: cognitive/personal
Social and cultural factors: changes in
adulthood determined by sociocultural context
(eg.characteristics of higher social status - social
class shapes choices and opportunities;
employment and opportunities -- social roles
determine learning needs)
 Biological aging
External noticeable (grey hairs, wringkles,
changing body contour, gaining weight)
Senses: see, hear, feel
Nervous system: reaction time
Intelligence : fluid & crystallized
Memory : short & long term
Disease related & fatigue
 Psychological development

Intellectual development (stable until

60s, on-going research)
Cognitive development (concern
thinking pattern, dialectic vs relativistic)
Personal development (sequential
patterns, life events, transitions)
 Adult Development -- Phasic
Changes that occur during relatively fixed
periods of life/age-related periods
central preoccupations and focal tasks
that frame ind. perspective shift with age
educational opportunities perceived in light
of developmental task to attain stability
further research: exploration of particular
sub-groups, ed. roles in life structure
 Adult Development -- Stage
Focus on changes not correlated with age
but biological development
Physical/psychological/cognitive developnt
implications: matching instruction and
curriculum to the different type of learners
implications: classroom process is jointly
affected by the stage of teacher and learner
 Adult Development
Implication to learning

Developmental tasks Havighurst

Teachable Moments Havighurst
Margin in life (P/L) McClusky
Life Transitions
Skills for growth/development
The ability to:
select learning activities
plan learning activities
execute learning activities
evaluate learning activities
The ability from both individual and social
point of view (no self actualization without
social acceptance and participation; i.e.
experiencing self fulfillment through achie-
ment individually, socially and culturally.
 Personality characteristics for
growth and development
Self awareness
interest in this world and hereafter
interest in other people
desire to achieve
internalizing standards/criteria for making
judgements
 Learning & Theory
Learning: process by which behavioral
changes take place through reacting with
an encountered situation
Theory: an effort to summarize a large
amount of knowledge concerning the laws
of learning; a way of analyzing, communi---
cating and conducting research
Use of Theory: guidance/improvement
 Research on Adult Learning
Learning Orientation Research (pattern
of participation of learning)
Houles classification of adult learners:
goal oriented (to achieve clear cut objectives)
activity oriented (participatrion vs learning)
learning oriented (for learning sake)
Riveras study
more participation in sponsored programme
10% in independent study
 Research on Adult Learning
Learning Abilities and Styles
Boscos study on ability through lifespan:
Fluid intelligence (perceiving abstracts, engage in
short term memory, forming concepts) -- declines
from adolescence to adulthood
Crystallized intelligence (reasoning, accumulation)
-- increases from adolescence to adulthood
Knoxs cognitive dimensions
tolerence/intolerence;
reflectiveness/impulsiveness; focussing/scanning;
complexity/simplicity; etc
 Research on Adult Learning
Kidd -- 8 concepts of adult learning
changing condition throughout lifespan
roles changes resulting from work, family etc.
Differentiation of organs and funtions through
maturation
self-directing nature of adults
physical/cultural/emotional meaning of time
attitudes surrounding old and accepting death
 Research on Adult Learning
Gagnes cognitive learning explanation
Learning and intellectual performance are
modified by:
physical condition
personal and social adjustment
relevance to the individual speed/personal outlook
personality characteristics
 Research on Adult Learning
Knowless Andargogy as a theory of adult
learning -- matured with 4 key
assumptions:
self concept moving from dependence toward
self directed
using experience as resource for learning
readiness to learn becoming increasingly
oriented to developmental task of social roles
time perspective changing from delayed
application to immediate application
 MODELS OF ADULT LEARNING

COR Model -- Chain-of-Response model

pertains to adults participation in learning is
motivated by personality types, self-actualization
and expectations (Patricia Cross)
CAL Model Characteristics of adult learners
model describe the differences between adults and
children so that alternative teaching strategies
could be developed (Patricia Cross)
Personal characteristics: include Physiological/Aging,
Sociocultural/Life Phases, and Psychological; thus call for
Part-Time Learning Versus Full-Time Learning and
Voluntary Learning Versus Compulsory Learning
 MORE AREAS OF RESEARCH
ON ADULT LEARNING
SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
CRITICAL REFLECTION
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
LEARNING TO LEARN
CROSS CULTURAL LEARNING
PRATICAL THEORIZING
DISTANCE LEARNING
Questions on self-directed learning
What is involved when adults take control of
their own learning?
How do they set their learning goals?
How they locate appropriate resources?
How do they evaluate their learning?
How deliberation and serendipity intersect?
What about social and peer group supports?
The influence of culture/SES on learning?
 Questions on Critical Reflection
How adults make sense or meaning from
their experiences?
What are the dynamic involved in modifying
meanings?
Why certain adults can be highly critical on
issue related to ideologies but not on
others?
To what extent is critical reflection
associated with personality characteristics?
Questions on Experiential Learning
Is experiential learning a natural
phenomena or shaped by culture?
Is length of experiential learning
connected to intensity of learning?
Are there any difference in impact
between adults and youngsters
participating in experiential methods such
as games, simulations, psychodrama,
case-studies etc.
 Classical Learning Theories - a
framework for enhancing learning
Behaviorist -- learning occurs as a result
of outside factors
Cognitive -- learners psychological,
physical and social fields are important
consideration
Humanist -- considers motivation, needs,
interest as factors influencing learning
Social Learning
learn in social setting by observing others
 Humanist
human potential for growth

Maslow - goal: self-actualization

Rogers - learner centered learning
Freire - empowerment
 Behaviorist
observable behavior shaped by external forces

Thorndike law of effect, exercise,

readiness
Skinner reinforcement
teacher centered learning
 Cognitivist
mental information processing

Gestalt perception, insight, meaning

Ausubel meaningful vs rote learning
Piaget discovery learning
 Social Learning
learn in social setting by observing others

Bandura observational learning

Rotter learning through social interaction
Daloz mentoring
 Assumption about Adult
Learners
They are diverse, bringing wealth of life
experiences. Active learning connects
content to learners meaning structures:
Diverse in ages, abilities, job experiences,
cultural background, personal goals
Range in education 0 many years
Personal experiences and learning resources
 Assumption about Adult
Learners
They want to relate content to specific
contexts in lives. Thus they are:
Pragmatic learners
They want to improve performance
Expect class time to be well spent
Hope that courses will solve problems
 Assumption about Adult
Learners
They prefer to have some degree of
control over their learning. They:
Tend to be voluntary learners
Believe the decision to go to school is an
important one
Believe education will be helpful
 Assumption about Adult
Learners
Their sense of self has a significant
influence on the meaning of the learning
situation. They may:
Feel embarrassed on returning to school
Feel embarrassed joining classes with
younsters
Hold negative impressions of their abilities
Hold negative impressions of school and
teacher
 Another look at Adult Learner
Is self-directed learning a characteristic of,
or goal of adult education?
What are cultural differences regarding
self direction
Some societies value individualism/independence
Others may value group dependence
Should programmes be organized around
life application, problem, competency
development?
Going fro productivity, personal development or social
change
How about on the notion of lifelong learning for love of
learning
 How one learn remain except for
Change due to education
Change to lifestyle
Change to significant influence
 Questions to ask to understand
how ones learn
Environment
Quiet vs noisy environment
Part of day for efficient learning
Learning independently vs with others
How can parents, friends help in learning
How can I work in a team
 What enhances learning
When the objectives are clear
When there is reinforcement
When there is transfer of learning
When there is feedback
When there is acceptance
 Learner learns effectively when
They have inner motivation
When the lessons are relevant
When the lessons have immediate effect
When learning materials fit with what they
already known
When their works are recognized
When the challenge are clearly defined
When teaching styles match learning style
 Learning Styles
Auditory lerners
Learn by hearing key points
Learning reinforce through spoken feedback
Recall best what they hearned
Visual Learners
Learn thro seeing key words in written form
Recall best when they read or seen
Interested in actual work, role play
 Learning Styles
Hands-on-learner
Learn thro actual practice
Respond well thro gp discussions
Learn better with first hand experience
Mixture learning style
Best way to capture all audience
 Adults learn best when
Lessons are meaningful
Objectives are challenging and
achieveable
Learn better through social interaction
Need feedback to learn
When having successful strategies
When having positive emotional climate
Learning is the result of stimulating
of senses through
Motivation
Reinforcement
Retention
transference
 Learning System

INPUTS BLACK BOX OUTPUTS

1. Clear Objectives

1. Conducive 2. Re- enforcement

environment 3. Learning Transfer Behavioral
4. social interaction Changes
2. Expertise as Results
5. Positive feedback
3. Resources 6. Successful of Learning
strategies
4. Info and 7. Conducive climate
infrastructure
 Assignment 2 Section 2
Elaborate on the profile of the adults who
are directly affected by the issue. What
are some of the different learning
approaches employed by the affected
adults in trying to resolve the issue
individually. From your understanding of
the characteristics of adult learners and
adult learning theories, critic he learning
approaches adopted by the learners.