Philosophies of Adult Education
By Helen Dyrkacz, CMA
Adult education is a process in which individuals develop their knowledge, skills and abilities to facilitate a change in their personal and professional lives. The role of an instructor is to bring about this change.
The purpose of this article is to discuss my assumptions about human nature and society, about learning and learners, and my philosophies in delivering training.
My assumption about human nature and society is that most people are curious by nature and want to learn. People come to a class, either formal, informal or non-formal to improve their current situation or to be exposed to a new area. For example, my formal education and experience is in accounting. While I have knowledge in this area, I was uncomfortable with teaching this expertise to others. As a result, I came to the CACE program to better understand how adults learn and to develop some new skills, such as writing an educational program. This will improve my capacity to instruct, and I will be more effective at having a positive progressive influence in the educational community.
In order for a society to be progressive, its members must continually be learning, growing and developing. People in society must have the opportunity to take training as they need it, or as society requires it. In some functional communities, because of the aging demographics and retirements, there will be a major shift in the workforce in the next 2 to 4 years. Many senior positions will be vacated and existing middle managers will move into senior positions. There will also be a need to recruit new employees for entry level positions. Therefore, an excellarated development program will be needed, to ensure staff have the competencies for the needed skills.
My assumption about learning and learners is that most learners are self directed over a life time. They prefer to identify their own learning needs, determine where these needs can be obtained, be educated and evaluate the results. The individuals who come into our programs are at entry and middle levels. Everyone is in need of continuous professional development to keep up with the trends and advances in the field. Even some Senior Managers come to the evaluation sessions to be kept up to date and to demonstrate their leadership skills, while refreshing their competencies and observing new techniques in action.
It is my opinion that Instructors need to have a basket of skills when it comes to delivering adult education. My personal philosophy is that I need to be aware of my preferences and make adjustments according to the needs of the learners and objectives of the program plan. This will ensure that I use the proper approach while dealing with the participants. In my case it is a blended approach of humanism, behaviourism and transformational learning.
The balance of this paper will discuss the benefits and downsides of the different approaches and how I use them in my interaction with adult learners. I was a Dale Carnegie instructor for eight years and one of the principles I used in the program is that adults learned best through sharing stories of successes and failures. There was a lot of group work and individual presentations. I later learned that this is a constructivism approach. Many students loved this approach and remembered the stories and lessons from the class for many years. They learned from the lessons and were able to adapt them to their own decision making processes. The downside of this approach is that some individuals felt that sharing of the stories was too personal. Others thought that the deeper the story, the better the lesson. Together they solved complex problems with concrete action plans. In my presentations, I consistently ask probing questions of the class members which relate the material to their professional experiences. This results in openly discussing their experiences and stating their opinions on the topic. It is amazing how much they learn from each other. Networking and sharing of best practices also evolve.
I also take a humanist approach in delivering presentations. At one point, I was more concerned about myself than the participants! I worried about what I looked like, how I sounded, and if the group liked me. This approach made me a nervous wreck as I focussed all of my attention on myself and not on the learners. When I learned to focus on the needs of the learner, my approach completely changed. I started by learning about the audience; What are their needs? What are they looking for? What kind of experience do they have? Why are they there? I learned to show empathy, as I have a better understanding of them and what is motivating them. I also try to have conversations with their Managers, if possible, to confirm the learning objectives. I also make the effort to personally meet and greet and learn their names, as they join the group. I find that it makes them feel more comfortable, even before the session begins. Right at the beginning of the class, they introduce themselves and state their objectives. Again, I am looking for their needs, interests and self motivation.
The radical and critical theory also comes into play in my classes. In the case of Managers who are required to take mandatory training, they are influenced by policy that is forcing them to be in training. This will likely have an impact on their attitude and behaviour in class. Having an understanding of their background, experience, culture, and expectations from the course will provide me with essential details to adjust the program plan.
Transformational learning is also relevant. A regional Manager has local rules and policies to follow. On the other side of the spectrum are national laws, regulations and policy. How a Manager makes decisions and states their opinions is based on a filter of due diligence and values/ethics. This filter will shape his/her perception of themselves, others and the environment.
In conclusion, an effective adult education instructor needs a variety of approaches to serve the needs of their class. They must have a good understanding of the requirements of the group and be able to adjust accordingly. When this is successfully done, the learner will take the knowledge and apply the skills to make an impact in their life and make a change for the better.
Leadership and Beyond
63 Kendale Drive
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 5M6
Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3T 5M6
Canada
204-269-2311
