Abstract
Over the past 25 years, there has been a dramatic increase of non-traditional adult learners in colleges/universities. These adult learners have unique needs in the classroom, and teachers must utilize a variety of teaching methods to ensure their learning experience is positive. This chapter identifies who adult learners are and how they learn differently from traditional students using the theoretical foundation of androgogy, the study of how adults learn. Then the researchers define active learning and describe how to design practices/teaching methods that will encourage and influence an entire range of institutions in their attempts in developing ways of meeting the educational needs of adult learners. Finally, examples of teaching tools and methods are presented.
TopAdult Learners
Adult learning literature supports the use of active-learning activities as a way to harness the rich life experiences that adult learners bring to the classroom. To be a successful educator of adult learners, one must understand their unique needs in the classroom. Knowles, Holton, and Swanson’s (2020) basic concepts of andragogy, the art and science of teaching adults, have been the foundation for the theory behind how adults learn and how to teach effectively to a classroom of adult students. Andragogy, as a theory of adult learning, is based on two premises: that adult learners have a clear perspective of their needs and that meaningful learning occurs maximally for adults only when their life experiences can be accommodated in the instruction they receive.
In contrast, pedagogy strictly denotes the art and science of teaching children. In practice, pedagogy has become synonymous with simply teaching with the age of the learners not being a factor. In the andragogy model, six specific learning principles provide a basis for understanding adult teaching and learning. Four were originally proposed, with the last two added at a later time. While the principles are consistently offered in an identical order, with one of the newer principles added to the beginning and one added to the end, no clear reason for the order has been published. It is believed that each of the principles have an internal integrity that suggests they could be presented in any order and not lose their connotation. Galbraith (1990) stated that learning should be an iterative process of change, through new activity, continual reflection, collaborative analysis, new activity, and so on. It is dependent on the self-efficacy of the learner to take responsibility for his or her own learning is summarized; however, a superior andragogical learning environment should motivate the learners to feel a need to learn.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Teaching Methods and Practices: Techniques that a teacher will use to support their pupils or students through the learning process.
Andragogy: The art and science of teaching adults ( Knowles, et al, 2020 ).
Active Learning: Any approach to instruction in which a greater degree of responsibility is placed on the learner to be engaged in the learning process.