D’Andra Mull

Adult Learning

PID A26202115

Dr. J. Dirkx, Professor

December 11, 2002

Who Are Adult Learners?

Introduction

For the past fifteen weeks, the same question has plagued me: Who are adult learners? Why I know that the question is one that is very complex, I do feel that as the semester draws to a close, I am in a much better position to speak to the subject of who I feel an adult learner to be. The adult learner is I, at age twenty-three, just as well as the sixty-four year old who just recently graduated from college. It is the thirty-year old mother who has just decided to return to for further education; it is the forty-five year old father who is taking classes at the local community college. It is the fifty-five year old grandfather who is taking classes because he is now retired; it is the single parent hoping to give his or her children a better life. Even within my adult learning course, the variety in adult learners varied greatly across these lines. Thus, my experiences, coupled with all that I have learned throughout the course, leads me to one conclusion: An adult learner is not a person who is necessarily defined by age, but by the personal experiences that he or she has had in life, and further, by the motivating factors that he or she possesses that inspires the different facets of learning. An adult learner is a person who has a story to tell. The very notion of who adult learners are and how they learn constantly changes, and ultimately, leads me to believe that we will always be in pursuit of a complete answer to an ever-evolving question.

Who are adult learners?

When asked to assess exactly who adult learners are, Johnstone and Rivera’s (1926) definition comes to mind: “the adult education participant is just as often a woman as a man, has completed high school or more….and is found in all parts of the country” (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999, p. 47). Adult learners come in different colors, shapes, sexes, and sizes, and as noted, could be anyone, anywhere. Demographic studies define an adult as “anyone either age twenty-one or over, married, or the head of household” (M&C, 47), which accounts for a great part of the education seeking population. From the studies conducted, I have learned that adult learners are no longer those who are simply eighteen years of age, rather the bar has been raised in terms of age as a definitive of a person as an adult. As M. Knowles notes, “an adult learner accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, which is a rich resource for learning” He or she is further set apart from a traditional learner due to the fact that adult learners approach education with a different set of assumptions and experiences than traditional-age students, as life has taught them to do. As noted by Malcolm Knowles (1980) “adults tend to define themselves by their experiences” M&C, 222). Ultimately, an adult learner is one who ultimately has returned to the educational arena, whether formally or informally, to acquire more knowledge that will be of benefit to them as they continue about their lives. It is of great importance and value to our understanding of adult that we define exactly who an adult learner is, as it is only then that we can truly begin to provide them with the educational opportunities that are of the greatest benefit in their lives.

What do adult learners learn?

When analyzing what adults learn, it is wholly acknowledged that learning varies for each adult, thus providing each individual with a different experience. Adult learners learn how to advance within society, how to become more technologically advanced, and further, how to make use of their lives’ experiences, and add to them (M&C, 19). What adults learn is largely practical and skill oriented rather than academic (Merriam and Carafella p. 47), which is vastly different from those of a younger generation. Adult learners learn not only information of an academic nature, but also information that pertain to their lives outside of the classroom. As Merriam and Caffarella (1999) note “what one needs or wants to learn, the manner in which one learns-are all to a large extent determined by the society in which one lives” (p. 22), thus their inherent environment plays a large role in determining what exactly an adult learner learns. Indeed, “learning in adulthood is an intensely personal activity” (M&C, p. xi) and each adult learner derives his or her own lessons from what is being taught.

Why do adults participate in educational programs and what motivates them to learn?

There are many reasons why adults participate in educational programs and are motivated to learn. The most commonly cited reason is job related motives (M&C, 52), and/or advancement opportunities. Others have noted “vocational goals most frequently direct adults into continuing education” (M&C, p. 52) with personal development reasons (M&C, p. 52) also ranking high among motivators for learning. As expected, adults learn for different reasons. Some engage in learning activities in order to cope with life events and transitions, or even as simply a relief from their daily undertakings. As adults are constantly seeking fulfillment within their lives, they look for ways by which to boost their sense of self-worth and esteem, which is often found through educational pursuits. Adults are further motivated to learn as a means of social intervention that often starts with a perceived problem they feel needs to be resolved” (M&C, p. 74), as they believe that by seeking out knowledge, they will find a greater sense of stability. As the concept of andragogy (the art of helping adults learn) states, “adults are motivated to learn by internal factors rather than external ones” (Knowles and Associates, 1984, p. 272). Being that adults have already achieved and seen so much, they are most motivated to learn by what they feel from within, not simply by traditional learning methods. Moreover, as taken from researchers Morstain and Smart (1974) in Merriam and Caffarella (1999) adults participate in higher education, educational programs, and adult learning for the following motivational reasons:

  • Social Relationships – the need for participation and friendship with others
  • External Expectations – ability to comply with directives of authority figure
  • Social Welfare – altruism or service to community
  • Professional Advancement – to obtain a job or better job
  • Escape/Stimulation – to alleviate boredom or work routine
  • Cognitive Interest – to learn for the sake of learning

Each of these factors have beennoted as proven reasons why adults participate in education programs and are motivated to learn. As “adults are autonomous and self directed” (Knowles, 1980), they often motivate themselves by seeking out various educational initiatives, which in turn, gives them a greater sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, “the need to make sense out of one’s life experiences is often an incentive for engaging in a learning experience in the first place” (M&C, 390), which is a great factor in adult educational motivation and their reason for participation in educational programs.

How do adults learn?

Just as there is great variety in what adult learners learn, there is also a great multiplicity in how they learn. Researchers (Boud & Miller, 1996b and Usher, Bryant and Johnston, 1997) acknowledge that “experience is foundational to adult learning” (Merriam et al., 1999, p. 222), and duly, it plays a multifaceted role in how adults learn. Adults, having acquired a vast amount of knowledge, ““connect what they have learned from current experiences to those in the past as well as see possible future implications” (Merriam, et al., p. 223, 1999). In the adult stage, learning is executed mainly by application, not only to what is currently being learned, but also to the past. Thus, adults continue to learn based largely upon what they already know or have experienced, which in turn, continues to “shape what and how people develop their distinctive ways of knowing and learning” (Goldberger, Tarule, Clinchy, and Belenky, 1996; Reybold, 1997 as cited in Merriam&Caffarella, 1999, p. 160). Throughout the entire course of learning, adults continue to rely on internal factors as the primary manner in which they learn, truly relying on the long-held notion that experience is the best teacher. Finally, it is important to note “learning in adulthood is an intensely personal activity” (M&C, xi), as the manner (how) in which each adult learns is ultimately derived from his own personal experience and reasons for learning.

Major lessons learned and key scholars

In analyzing what I feel to be the major lessons learned from the research literature, I feel one to be that of experience as it relates to the learning process of adults. As key scholars Boud and Miller (1996b) and Usher, Bryant, and Johnston (1997) contributed ”experience is foundational to adult learning” (M&C, p 222), which is truly a pristine statement in relation to what I have learned. While it is wholly acknowledges that not all experiences are of an educational nature (Dewey,1938, in M&C, p. 223) experience still goes a long way in the education of adult learners. Each individual adult learner, whether twenty-five or fifty, has been through experiences that have had an everlasting impact them as they go about their lives, and further, as they seek out more education, whether formally or informally. Their experiences have helped them to grow intellectually and mentally, and have aided them in their quest for more knowledge. Their experiences have served as guidance for them in the manner in which they learn, and moreover, their past provides them with a sense of knowledge of how to use the lessons learn as they proceed in the various areas of their daily lives.

Another major lesson that I have truly learned and acknowledged is that the motivations of adult learners differ greatly from those of traditional learners, as adults seek to learn for more personal gain than do younger students. The needs, desires, and responsibilities of each group differ greatly. “As Merriam and Caffarella (1999) note, “just being an adult is thus a crucial factor in distinguishing between learning in adulthood and learning in childhood” (392). While I originally viewed learned mainly as academic, the study of adult learning has taught me that a great amount of learning if often achieved outside of academia; moreover, through life itself. As scholar P. Jarvis (1985) contributes “learning is about the continuing process of making sense of everyday experience” (M&C, pp.393-394). Therefore, adults have a lot more everyday experience than do children, which greatly expands how they are able to apply what they have learned to the various aspects of their lives.

The key concept in who adult learners are and what they learn is that of being a self-directed human being (Knowles, in M&C, p. 272) as I truly feel that as a person matures, life, not academia, determines what they learn. I truly feel that an adult learner is an autonomous individual, as he or she is now in a position where they choose the knowledge that they obtain, unlike the days of being a youth. As M. Knowles (1984) notes, “an adult learner accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, which is a rich resource for learning” (M&C, p. 272). Within my practice context, this notion is of great benefit to me as I attempt to find ways by which to reach adult learners. Ultimately, I believe that the way in which to do so is to show them the applicability of what is being taught to what they have gone through or will experience.

“The readiness of an adult to learn is closely related to the developmental tasks of his or her social role” (Knowles and Associates 1984, in M&C, p. 272). This notion presents itself as a key concept in why adults participate in educational programs, what motivates them, and how they learn. When adults feel as though they have a need to learn new information as it pertains to his or her position, a greater level of motivation to get involved in an educational program exists. Adult learners, who are in search of more knowledge, recognize the benefits that come from a more diverse educational experience thus, seek out opportunities to expand their knowledge. Further, “in order for adults to feel accepted, respected, and supported” (Knowles, in M&C, p. 273) they must feel as though they have the proper credentials, and are therefore motivated to learn as a means of feeling accomplished.

Important questions for further research/Importance to our understanding of adult learning

One question that I believe will need to continuously be presented to the world is: Who are adult learners? It is a question that will always linger as the needs of adult learners, and adult learners themselves, continue to change. I believe that this question will remain of the utmost importance as the world technology, cultures, and the world in which we live continue to change. Also: What motivates adult to learn? This question will also needs to be further researched if we want to increase the number of adults seeking more education, whether formally or informally. There are several factors that we have yet to begin to address in the world of adult learning, yet I know that further research we bring us closer to answering whatever may arise in the world of adult learning. We have to find ways in which to motivate them if we truly want to meet their educational needs, which may be unbeknownst to even the adult learners themselves. Both questions, along with a number of others are of great importance to our understanding of adult learning, as we must first identify who adult learners are if we want to motivate them to learn. Ultimately, they will serves as an important means by which to increase our understanding of adult learning.

What I have learned about who adult learners are

As previously stated: The adult learner is I, at age twenty-three, just as well as the sixty-four year old who just recently graduated from college. It is the thirty-year old mother who has just decided to return to for further education; it is the forty-five year old father who is taking classes at the local community college. It is the fifty-five year old grandfather who is taking classes because he is now retired; it is the single parent hoping to give his or her children a better life. Throughout the course of adult learning, that is ultimately what I learned. This was noted in the course composition, through a field experience at the local community college, and through my family members, many of who truly classify as adult learners. The adult learner, as I see it, is one who is defined by experience, not by age, who has chosen to seek out further knowledge, whether formally or informally. He or she participates in educational programs as a means by which to grow, and learns in a manner that he or she can accept and grasp. He or she is motivated by the belief that knowledge is endless, as are life’s experiences. Ultimately, the adult learner is a person who knows that the greatest education comes from what you are willing to learn, in whatever way works for you; that is a true adult learner.

REFERENCES:

Boud and Miller (eds) (1996b) in Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Dewey, J. (1933) in Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Goldberger. Tarule. Clinchy. Belenky. (1996) Reybold. (1997) in Merriam&Caffarella.

(Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Jarvis, P. (1985) in Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Knowles and Associates. (1984) In Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in

Adulthood. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Knowles, M. S. (1980) In Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Labouvie-Vief. Goldberger. In Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Usher, Bryant, and Johnston (1996). In Merriam&Caffarella. (Eds.) (1999) Learning in Adulthood.San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Vella, Jane. (2002). Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach: The Power of Dialogue In

Educating Adults. (Revised Ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Morstain and Smart. (1974) As quoted in Sharan B. Merriam Learning in Adulthood. (2nd Ed.) San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (1999)