Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement

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Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement

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Eric M. Larson Introduction to Adult Learning HRDO 561 May 10, 2002

Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement “I don’t think you believe that human beings are fundamentally good, but I think you treat them that way.” Ruth Larson, describing Eric Larson This single statement captures the tension within me between my Christian worldview that human nature is inherently sinful and my belief that human beings have tremendous potential for growth and development. I think this seeming contradiction reflects R. W. K. Patterson’s notion that “adult educational values are, in fact, nothing but our religious, moral, social, and other general values restated within the adult education setting.” (Patterson, 1964). My wife’s astute perception of me, quoted above, is not limited to my beliefs about adult learning; it is a perception about my basic nature that happens to inform and affect my beliefs about adult learning. But the question remains: How do I balance my views of human nature with my views of human potential? I believe that people view the world subjectively; that they do not experience reality from an impartial, objective, neutral perspective, but instead see things “colored” by their own experiences and beliefs. Therefore, adult learners must be guided in ways that feed their interests and address issues from a perspective that is compatible with

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theirs. Along that path, an instructor can question and challenge the assumptions that underlie a learner’s perspective, and help the learner to look beyond their subjective view and achieve a more encompassing understanding of the world. Without that questioning and challenging from an instructor, adult learners will approach life from whatever “default understanding” they already have. But such challenges must come after the point where an instructor has met, acknowledged and understood the learner’s viewpoint; beginning a teaching with “you are looking at things the wrong way” is profoundly ineffective. So humans view life subjectively, and this subjectivism, if left unchecked, can turn into selfishness. This selfishness is termed “sin” when measured against the infinite justice, goodness and mercy of God. But compared to each other and the evil that humanity is capable of, most people are not terribly bad. In day-to-day living (and learning), people are “good” in that they are eager to learn and willing to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of knowledge. To live is to learn, and most human beings have a love of learning – a fact that is easy to see, as long as we acknowledge that the subjects of “learning” can range from Chesterton to carburetors to client sales records to crafts to cooking to Carnie Wilson talk show subjects. In addition, people want to apply what they learn to make their lives better (whether or not we agree about their opinion of “better”). I believe that education always acts as a means to some end – some greater “good” – that is important in the life of the adult learner. Therefore, any adult education needs to “hook into” whatever motivates particular adult learners. If, as an adult educator, you are incapable of answering a learner’s question of, “Why should I care

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about this?” then there is no reason to expect the learner to be motivated to learn. (And, of course, it is very difficult to cram knowledge into the heads of those who do not want it.) From the opposite perspective, I believe that every adult learner has some sort of motivation (often subconscious) to learn that which they are investigating. Their motivation may be as direct as “I need to know this to keep my job” or as vague and simple as “I find this entertaining,” but when we see people learning we know that something is driving them to learn, and that “something” is important to them at that time. Put more simply, I do not believe that an instructor can question a learner’s fundamental motivations until he or she has accepted those motivations. “Acceptance” does not necessarily mean “agreement”, but conveys an understanding of what the learner needs and wants from life. A learner will not be receptive to learning until he or she sees a teaching’s value from his or her own perspective. If the job of a particular teaching is to challenge the learner’s perspective, that teaching must be delivered in a way that is relevant to the perspective itself. Put even more simply: “Meet people where they’re at.” After fleshing out by basic beliefs, I decided to take the Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory to see how the inventory aligned with the “gut feel” of my thinking. By completing the PAEI I found that I have an identically strong leaning toward Progressive and Humanistic Adult Education. These two areas (described in brief as education for “practical problem-solving” and “self-actualization”, respectively) closely mirror the beliefs I already identified: adult education is to help make individuals become “better people” in ways that they, themselves, can see and understand.

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In conclusion, I believe that adult learning is integrated (in various degrees) into the lives of all adults. Adults pursue learning, whether formal or informal, because they “get something” from it. Appropriate instruction and facilitation will tie to these learners’ motivations, and will work with those motivations to draw the learner toward improvements in his or her life. While we adults are not inherently “righteous” and view life from a subjectivism that borders on (or extends into) selfishness, we can all identify with the notion of higher “goods” that we actively seek and pursue. “Adult learning” is a formal term for that pursuit of “goodness” and, the more we learn, the happier and more fulfilled we become. Effective teachings must relate to the particular motivations (the “goods” pursued) of particular leaders – even those teachings that attempt to instruct about the goods and motivations themselves.

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References Paterson, R. W. K. (1964). Values in adult education. Rewley House Papers (pp. 48-51). Oxford, England: Oxford University

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