March 09, 2023

CHILD, ADOLESCENT,
AND ADULT LEARNING
By:
Jamaica Abat & Rea Bandalis
Child, Adolescent, and Adult Learning

• Learning is a process that occurs

throughout the lifespan, but the nature of
learning can differ for children,
adolescents, and adults. While learning
is a lifelong process, the nature of
learning can differ depending on the
developmental stage of the learner.
Understanding these differences can
help educators and trainers create
effective learning experiences that meet
the needs and motivations of different
learners.
Intended Learning Outcome

Intended Learning
Outcome
Compare Child, Adolescent, and Adult Learning
Principles of Cognitive
Development
1.Development in an orderly predictable pattern-
Development occurs through developmental milestone,
defined as the appearance of developmentally more advanced
behavior, which appear in a predictable manner.
2.There are periods of rapid growth spurts in between
periods of slower growth- It means development is not
constant.
3.Different individuals develop at different rates
4.Development is continually affected by both nature
(heredity) and nurture environment.
 Young Learners
(Children)
Following are the characteristics of young learners
1. They can learn through talking about
themselves, families, and their lives.
2. They are curious to learn and discover new
concepts on their own.
3. They like to use their imagination and discover
things.
4. They naturally need to touch, see, hear and
interact to learn.
5. Their attention span is very short, thus they need
engaging and entertaining activity so as not to lose
their interest.
6. They like to cooperate and work in groups.
7. They need support and encouragement while
learning.
8. They need to work with their students
individually because they need to be guided
 Adolescent Learning
Following are the characteristics of adolescent learners.
1.They are in search for personal identity.
2. They are in need of activities that meet their needs
and learning expectations.
3. They become disruptive when they lost interest in
the lesson or if they feel bored.
4 They need help and support from the teacher and to
be provided with constructive feedback.
5. They can draw upon a variety of resources in the learning
environment including is lesson personal experience, the
local community, and the internet.
6. They need the teachers to build bridges between the
syllabus and their world of interests and experiences.
7. They can learn abstract issues and do challenging
activities.
8. Their personal initiative and energy are moved into action
through meaningful involvement with relevant and current
content.
 Adult Learning
Malcolm Knowles is a theorist on adult learning and
who popularized the concept of andragogy.
1. Self-concept- Adults move from dependency to increasing self-directedness as
they mature. They can direct their own learning, meaning they can initiate their
learning even without the help of others in planning, carrying out, and evaluating
their learning activities.
2. Adult learner experience- They draw on their accumulated experiences as their
resource for learning.
3. Readiness to learn- They are ready to learn when they assume new social or life
roles.
4. Orientation to learning- They are problem-centered and they want to apply new
learnings immediately. They are interested in subjects that have immediate relevance
and impact into their job or personal life.
5. Motivation to learn- They are motivated to learn by internal rather than external
factors.
What makes adult learners different from adolescent and young learners?
1. Adults are more disciplined than adolescents.
2. They have a clear understanding of their learning
objectives.
3. They need to be involved in choosing what and how
to learn.
4. They prefer to rely on themselves and work on their
own pace
5. They come to the classroom with a wide range of knowledge,
expectations, and experiences.

6. They are able to do a wide range of activities.

7. Adults learn at various rates and in different ways according to their

intellectual ability educational level, personality and cognitive learning
styles.

8. They come into the classroom with diverse experiences, opinions,

thoughts, and belies which need to be respected.
 The following table shows the differences between adult and
adolescent learning terms of characteristics of the learning
experiences:
Pedagogy (Adolescent) Andragogy (Adult)
Teacher-structured Learner-structure Minimal control by the teacher

Minimal control by the learner Minimal control by the teacher

Focus on training for events to come
Encourages convergent thinking
Focus on memory
Content supplied by teacher/class materials
Focus on assimilation of learning from past
experiences
Encourages divergent thinking
Focus on thinking/doing
Content supplied partially by students

Based on specified content standards Outcomes evolve as learning progresses

 Educational
Implications for
Teaching Adult
Learners
On the basis of the characteristics of adults, following are some
implications for teaching this group of learners, and suggestions given by
Malcolm Knowles.

A. Set a cooperative climate for learning in the classroom.

B. Assess the learner's specific needs and interests because these are
the more important things he wants to learn.

C. Develop learning objectives based on the learners' needs,

interests and skill levels.

D. Design sequential activities to achieve the objectives.

E. Work collaboratively with the learner to select methods, materials
and resources for instruction.

F. Evaluate the quality of the learning experience and make adjustments

as needed, while assessing needs for further learning.

G. The experiences provided them should be problem-centered rather

than content oriented (Kearsley, 2010; Knowles, n. d.).

H. They have to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their

instruction.
References:

("Differences of Young, Adolescent and Adult Learners," 2018).

("Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy, 2011).