Abstract
Adult learners are unique. Caught up in the social, economic, and political dynamics of a complex and fluid society, adults are highly diverse learners, and their motivations and needs are changeable, depending on their current life situation. Transformative and emancipatory learning is core to adult education. But to achieve this, educators must employ practices appropriate to the adult learners they teach. Educator practices are dictated by their dispositions. The authors suggest that dispositions are connected to underpinning teaching philosophies.
TopIntroduction
Adults, because of their rich life experiences, bring to the learning situation a store of prior experiences, and hold expectations and motivations different to those of young learners. Knowles (1980) in his theory of andragogy articulates very well how adult learners are different than child learners – adult learners have a developed a mature view of self-responsibility for their own learning; they yearn for learning that is meaningful, useful, or rewarding to them in their own life situation. Due to their many life experiences, adult learners are diverse, more so than younger learners. Furthermore, adult learners bring with them ‘habitual’ ways of thinking developed, over the course of their lives, through their interactions with others and with social norms (Mezirow, 1991). Transformative and emancipatory learning is central to adult education.
Adult learning is a unique and a complex process (Moore, 2010). The challenge for adult educators is to cater to the diverse and unique needs of adult learners, engaging adult learners in critical reflection. In adult education, the principles of andragogy and transformative learning are synergistic, providing guidance to adult educators to enable them to provide rich learning resources, supporting self-directedness and problem solving (Torrisi-Steele & Carim, 2019). For the adult educator to effectively implement transformative learning, they require more than knowledge of the principles of adult learning and transformative learning. Embedded in context, education practice is the result of interplay of situational factors, as well as factors intrinsic to learners and teachers. Factors intrinsic to learners include learner needs and preferences, expectations. Factors intrinsic to the teacher include teacher philosophy, beliefs, expectations, and preferences. Situational factors may include nature of the discipline, and even the attributes of the physical environment (e.g., availability of resources, institutional factors). All these factors invariably influence, either consciously or unconsciously, every practice decision made by the adult educator. In the present article, the authors argue that it is important for educators to be consciously aware of the factors which shape their practice. The authors also argue that these factors necessitate a contextual philosophy upon which practice is realized. Importantly, the contextual philosophy must be dynamic, and should change in consonance with variation in factors as learning situations change. The discussion begins with a consideration of adult learners, adult education, and education philosophies.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Transformation: It refers to the act, process, or instance of transforming or being transformed. Regarding transformative learning, Mezirow indicates learning occurs when there is a transformation in one of our beliefs or attitudes, or a change of our entire perspective.
Humanistic Education: This philosophy emphasizes freedom and autonomy, trust, active cooperation and participation, and self-directed learning. Humanistic educators include Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Erich Fromm, and Malcolm Knowles.
Progressive Education: This philosophy places emphasis on the relationship between education and society, experience-centered, vocational, and democratic education. One of the leading progressive educators is John Dewey.
Liberal Education: It can be defined as liberal learning, organized knowledge, and the development of the intellectual powers of the mind. It was first adopted and adapted in the Christian schools in early, medieval, and modern times. Liberal education is greatly reflected in K-12 education settings.
Radical or Critical Education: Radical or Critical educators propose education as a force for achieving radical social change. Education is connected with social, political, and economic understanding of cultures, and with the development of methods to bring people to an awareness of responsible social action. Education is used to combat social, political, and economic oppression within society.
Behaviorist Education: This philosophy emphasizes control, behavioral modification, learning through reinforcement, and management by objectives. Behaviorist leaders include Edward Thorndike, Ivan Pavlov, James Watson, and B. F. Skinner.
Emancipation: It literally refers to the act of freeing or state of being freed; liberation.