Adult Development Perspectives

1
Adult Development Perspectives

• Physical/Biological Aging external and internal
• Psychological Changes cognitive/personal
• Social and cultural factors changes in adulthood
  determined by sociocultural context
  (eg.characteristics of higher social status -
  employed, live longer, stable social class
  shapes choices and opportunities social roles
  determine learning needs)

2
Biological aging

• External noticeable (grey hairs, wringkles,
  changing body contour, gaining weight)
• Senses see, hear, feel
• Nervous system reaction time
• Intelligence fluid crystallized
• Memory short long term
• Disease related fatigue

3
Psychological development

• Intellectual development (stable until 60s,
  on-going research)
• Cognitive development (concern thinking pattern,
  dialectic vs relativistic)
• Personal development (sequential patterns, life
  events, transitions)

4
Adult Development -- Phasic

• Changes that occur during relatively fixed
  periods of life/age-related periods
• central preoccupations and focal tasks that frame
  ind. perspective shift with age
• educational opportunities perceived in light of
  developmental task to attain stability
• further research exploration of particular
  sub-groups, ed. roles in life structure

5
Adult Development -- Stage

• Focus on changes not correlated with age but
  biological development
• Physical/psychological/cognitive development
• implications matching instruction and curriculum
  to the different type of learners
• implications classroom process is jointly
  affected by the stage of teacher and learner

6
Adult Development Implication to learning

• Developmental tasks Havighurst
• Teachable Moments Havighurst
• Margin in life (P/L) McClusky
• Life Transitions

7
Skills for growth/development

• The ability to
• select learning activities
• plan learning activities
• execute learning activities
• evaluate learning activities
• The ability from both individual and social point
  of view (no self actualization without social
  acceptance and participation i.e. experiencing
  self fulfillment through achie- ment
  individually, socially and culturally.

8
Personality characteristics for growth and
development

• Self awareness
• interest in this world and hereafter
• interest in other people
• desire to achieve
• internalizing standards/criteria for making
  judgements

9
Learning Theory

• Learning process by which bahavioral cahnges
  take place through reacting with an encountered
  situation
• Theory an effort to summarize a large amount of
  knowledge concerning the laws of learning a way
  of analyzing, communi---cating and conducting
  research
• Use of Theory guidance/improvement

10
Research on Adult Learning

• Learning Orientation Research (pattern of
  participation of learning)
• Houles classification of adult learners
• goal oriented (to achieve clear cut objectives)
• activity oriented (participatrion vs learning)
• learning oriented (for learning sake)
• Riveras study
• more participation in sponsored programme
• 10 in independent study

11
Research on Adult Learning

• Learning Abilities and Styles
• Boscos study on ability through lifespan
• Fluid intelligence (perceiving abstracts, engage
  in short term memory, forming concepts) --
  declines from adolescence to adulthood
• Crystallized intelligence (reasoning,
  accumulation) -- increases from adolescence to
  adulthood
• Knoxs cognitive dimensions
• tolerence/intolerence reflectiveness/impulsivenes
  s focussing/scanning complexity/simplicity etc

12
Research on Adult Learning

• Kidd -- 8 concepts of adult learning
• changing condition throughout lifespan
• roles changes resulting from work, family etc.
• Differentiation of organs and funtions through
  maturation
• self-directing nature of adults
• physical/cultural/emotional meaning of time
• attitudes surrounding old and accepting death

13
Research on Adult Learning

• Gagnes cognitive learning explanation
• Learning and intellectual performance are
  modified by
• physical condition
• personal and social adjustment
• relevance to the individual speed/personal
  outlook
• personality characteristics

14
Research on Adult Learning

• Knowless Andargogy as a theory of adult learning
  -- matured with 4 key assumptions
• self concept moving from dependence toward self
  directed
• using experience as resource for learning
• readiness to learn becoming increasingly oriented
  to developmental task of social roles
• time perspective changing from delayed
  application to immediate application

15
AREAS OF RESEARCH ON ADULT LEARNING

• SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
• CRITICAL REFLECTION
• EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
• LEARNING TO LEARN
• DISTANCE LEARNING

16
Questions on self-directed learning

• What is involved when adults take control of
  their own learning?
• How do they set their learning goals?
• How they locate appropriate resources?
• How do they evaluate their learning?
• How deliberation and serendipity intersect?
• What about social and peer group supports?
• The influence of culture/SES on learning?

17
Questions on Critical Reflection

• How adults make sense or meaning from their
  experiences?
• What are the dynamic involved in modifying
  meanings?
• Why certain adults can be highly critical on
  issue related to ideologies but not on others?
• To what extent is critical reflection associated
  with personality characteristics?

18
Questions on Experiential Learning

• Is experiential learning a natural phenomena or
  shaped by culture?
• Is length of experiential learning connected to
  intensity of learning?
• Are there any difference in impact between adults
  and youngsters participating in experiential
  methods such as games, simulations, psychodrama,
  case-studies etc.

19
MODELS OF ADULT LEARNING

• COR Model -- (Patricia Cross)
• CAL Model -- (Patricia Cross)
• Proficiency Theory (Knox)
• The Theory of Margin (Howard McClusky)

20
Learning Theories - a framework for enhancing
learning

• Behaviorist -- learning occurs as a result of
  outside factors
• Cognitive -- learners psychological, physical
  and social fields are important consideration
• Humanist -- considers motivation, needs, interest
  as factors influencing learning
• HOW TO LEARN CAN BE LEARNED

21
Humanisthuman potential for growth

• Maslow - goal self-actualization
• Rogers - learner centered learning
• Freire - empowerment

22
Behavioristobservable behavior shaped by
external forces

• Thorndike law of effect, exercise, readiness
• Skinner reinforcement
• teacher centered learning

23
Cognitivistmental information processing

• Gestalt perception, insight, meaning
• Ausubel meaningful vs rote learning
• Piaget discovery learning

24
Social Learninglearn in social setting by
observing others

• Bandura observational learning
• Rotter learning through social interaction
• Daloz mentoring

25
Assumption about Adult Learners

• They are diverse, bringing wealth of life
  experiences. Active learning connects content to
  learners meaning structures
• Diverse in ages, abilities, job experiences,
  cultural background, personal goals
• Range in education 0 many years
• Personal experiences and learning resources

26
Assumption about Adult Learners

• They want to relate content to specific contexts
  in lives. Thus they are
• Pragmatic learners
• They want to improve performance
• Expect class time to be well spent
• Hope that courses will solve problems

27
Assumption about Adult Learners

• They prefer to have some degree of control over
  their learning. They
• Tend to be voluntary learners
• Believe the decision to go to school is an
  important one
• Believe education will be helpful

28
Assumption about Adult Learners

• Their sense of self has a significant influence
  on the meaning of the learning situation. They
  may
• Feel embarrassed on returning to school
• Feel embarrassed joining classes with younsters
• Hold negative impressions of their abilities
• Hold negative impressions of school and teacher