Adult Learners’ Motivations and Critical Thinking
Recruitment Simulation
Working with others in a small group, imagine you are tasked with recruiting adult learners. As you reflect on recruitment, please think about the following questions:
How Adults Value Their Center
More than 9 in 10 adult learners:
· would recommend their adult education center to other adults who need skills (97%),
· could count on their teacher for support with learning problems (94%),
· believe their ideas and contributions matter to their teachers (92%), and
· feel motivated to learn knowing their teacher was there for them (95%)
However, 17% of young adult learners (24 years and under) are neutral about their contributions mattering and 12% neutral or disagree about feeling motivated (see Figure 3).
5. What does this good news indicate about how adults value their adult education center?
6. How could you reach out to any young adult learners who may think their contributions don’t matter or aren’t motivated by their teacher being there for them?
How Involved Adults Feel in Their Center
More than 6 in 7 adult learners:
· feel truly involved in their adult education center (89%),
· are determined to finish (91%),
· agree it is important to them to contribute to their center (96%), and
· agree if their program ended tomorrow, it would be a real loss (87%)
However, sizable proportions of adult learners who finished grades 9-11, are native speakers of English, are men, are young adults, and are at or near the end of their program do not agree or are neutral about feeling truly involved in their center (see Figure 4). Of young adult learners, 12% are neutral about the importance of contributing to the center, and 22% of young adult learners do not agree or are neutral about the program ending would be a loss.
7. Given the exceptions in Figure 4 and in the paragraph above, which groups may feel less involved than others in your center? How could you change that perception?
8. The perception that adult learners are less involved in the adult education program the longer they are there hints at a limited window of opportunity to engage adult learners fully in the center. What are some activities you could consider from the beginning to boost involvement?