What is an Adult Learner?

By Candi Taylor-Jeter

Andragogy Theory by Malcolm KnowlesAs a person matures:

1) Their desire to learn moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being,

2) They accumulate a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning,

3)The readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to the developmental tasks of his/her social roles, and

4) his/her time perspective changes from one of future application of knowledge to immediacy of application, and accordingly the adult’s orientation toward learning shifts from one of subject centeredness to one of problem centeredness.

Andragogy Continued…

5. Motivations are internal, rather than external.

6. Adult must know why is it important that they learn something.

What Motivates an Adult Learner?

Needs and interestsLife situations, not subjectsExperienceControl of learning, or self-directionNeed of tailoring due to increasing differences with age. (style, time, place and pace of learning)

Book Excerpt: Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. G., & Swanson, R. A.  (1998). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resources development. Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing Company.

Chapter 4, "A Theory of Adult Learning: Andragogy," pp. 35–72, (PDF format)Used by permission.

3 Types of Learners According to Cyril O. Houle

1) Goal-oriented learners: These learners did not start learning until their mid-twenties or later. They may want to learn something specific. These learners can be called your “how to” learners. They may want to know how to start a business or how to cook a meal in 10 minuets or less.

2) Activity-oriented learners: These learners participate primarily for the sake of the activity itself rather than to develop a skill or learn subject matter. Their learning is attached to “just keeping busy”. You may find this type of learning in a setting like a nursing home.

3) Learning-oriented learners: These learners pursue learning for the sake of learning. They love to read and are very curious and will get jobs such as researchers, professors.

The Roots of Andragogy

Scholars attempted to turn Andragogy into a theory as early as 1949- 1973 with books such as, The Mature Mind (Overstreet), Informal Adult Education (Knowles) and How Adults Learn (Kidd).

Europeans have claimed the roots of adult learning and saw it necessary to show the difference between how adults learn in contrast to how children learn (pedagogy)

Roots…

The term andragogy was first used in 1833, but Americans were not exposed to it until 1967.

Slavery and Adult learning

Although the theory and philosophy of Andragogy have been claimed by the Europeans, Andragogy is seen in it’s most concentrated form through the enslavement of Africans.

Freedom Road: Adult Education of African Americans by E.A.Peterson

According to this book, the fact that many Africans were deprived of learning in their early years they were forced to learn as adults.

Booker T. Washington

“Washington was also one of the first educators to advocate teaching the black masses outside of the classroom.”(pg.32)

Using Adult Learning Theory to help Adults Reach Their Goals

Life Coaching Life GuideLife Assistant

According to the link below life coachinghttp://www.findyourcoach.com/discover-coaching-lvl1.htm

Is “the only human improvement process that focuses completely on YOU! Life coaches are equal partners who assist you to improve and grow as a person as the means to achieve your goals. Life coaches assist you to become the World's Leading Expert on YOU! Coaches also assist you to execute the actions necessary to achieve your goals. You will have virtual control over the results you achieve through coaching, because you set the coaching goals, and the coaching process assures that you will achieve them.”

Gender in Adult Education Learning

According to Daloz in the book Mentor, men are often prompted to get further training to enhance their work worth.

While women are more likely to be influenced by home life circumstances, such as children.

Gender and Life Coaching

This is similar for life coaching as well.

For example, most women want coaching on relationships, while most men want coaching on how to make more money.

Differences in circumstances

Interests change drastically when a woman is single and needs to make a living for her children.

Then the women tend to be more likely to seek life guidance in career affairs as their male counterparts

Why would one what personal life coaching over institutional adult education?1. It is quicker and to the point.

2. It is completely directed at the coachee, rather than a class.

3. The skills in coaching are immediately applicable and does not require one to need a job to use those skills.

The positives of Life Coaching

The client and coach are in total control of how goals and objectives are reached.

Anything that the coach wants to suggest they can and anything the client wants to reject they can

No bureaucracies standing in the way of progress and procedure.

Negatives of Life Coaching

Not state or federally regulated

Still new and open to change and individual interpretation as to the results of life coaching.

Still needs more research to evaluate overall results of practice.

What are the major Adult Education Theories that drive Life Coaching?

Maslow’s Higher Hierarchy of NeedsKohlbergs Stages of Moral Development Knowel’s Theory of AndragogyCarl Rogers humanistic approachTransformational learningExperiential learningSelf directed learning

Life coaching and Adult education as growth

Adult education promotes continuous growth through all stages of adulthood.

Life coaching reinforces that growth through one on one techniques that may be needed for deeper understanding and immediate application.

Life Coaching vs. Adult Education

Adult Education:

1. How can we help you register for school?

2. How can we help you comprehend the material?

3. How can we help you become better equipped for employment?

Life Coaching vs. Adult Education

Life Coaching:

1. What career are you most suited for?

2. What is personally keeping you from finishing your education?

3. What are three things you want to accomplish in your life as a result of your education?

Blending of the two

Blending the two has taken adult education to another level and has allowed adults to see the benefits of learning as they get older.Teaching the adult outside of the walls of an institution could have a positive effect on the lives of many adults who may not get into the universities of their choice, which can help increase education and reduce anxiety.Or can help the adult cope with the demands or university and institutional requirements.

Blending…

If you were a life coach you would use adult education theories to help others reach their goals by:

1. Defining problems and patterns in their lives that are blocking them from reaching their goals.

2. Help with goal setting.3. Help with thinking outside the box.4. Help one discover their destiny.5. Increase inner knowing.

Conclusion

This concludes my slide show. Following this slideshow will be a group activity that will help you fully understand andragogy in action.

Click here to get your activity