The Adult Learner
Who is the Adult Learner?
Practical/Focused
Adults participate in learning and literacy programs for a number of reasons, not just to soak up knowledge. Their focus is on the practical – “How can I use this to build a better life? How will it help me today?...tomorrow?” Adults often arrive focused on a specific goal. They want to be sure that each thing they are learning will help them achieve that goal.
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“I want to be treated as a student who’s willing to learn and to come here and get what I came for and when I get that – when I get a good paying job, I can come back and thank that teacher or teachers that helped me to achieve what I came to get.” |
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“Going back to school after 12 yrs is a big obstacle. You have a lot of adjustments to make. Having to do homework at 28, you know you sitting there at one o’clock in the morning doing algebra, and you think, what am I doing this for? I could be asleep. But you do it and do the best you can. I was more interested in it. It meant something to me. Whereas, in ninth grade, it was just something you had to do. Get up and go to school. But when I went back, I actually tried to make good grades. I cared about whether I passed. I cared about whether I got the information that I needed. It’s different.” |
Take a moment to consider the implications adult learners’ practical needs and focus can have for adult literacy instruction.
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On your worksheet, record your initial thoughts about the practicality and focus of adult learners. Note any insights or ideas you may have at this point. |
Motivation to learn is enhanced when students see that things happening in class are connected to the reasons they want to learn. If students don’t care about a topic, they are less likely to stick with it and continue to learn. Information must be relevant to their current wants and needs - it must be useful. Adult learners may feel they “don’t have time to waste.” They want to learn what will make a difference now. Making learning relevant to the needs and desires of the student is a key factor in effective literacy instruction. Both the skill to be learned and the methods used to develop the skill can contribute to a learner’s perceptions about a learning activity’s relevance.
Below is a real-life adult education scenario. While you are reading, put yourself in the place of both the student and the instructor. What are the student’s concerns? How might the instructor adapt his instruction?
Real-Life Scenario—Bob and Mark:
Mark pumps gasoline at a local garage. Bob tutors Mark, who wants to improve his reading and math skills to enroll in an automotive training program. Mark has recently started missing tutoring sessions. When Bob called to see why Mark was absent, Mark complained that the sessions were boring. “I hate the stuff we read – why can’t we read more interesting stuff, like on cars or movies?”
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On your worksheet, record your thoughts on the student’s frustrations. Then record any ideas you have for the instructor. What might he do to make the reading sessions more interesting? |
Click the + sign in the box to the right to see ideas from other Adult Education Instructors. | [?] |
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I try to bring real-life information, "authentic materials," into the lessons as much as possible. If a person is interested in auto mechanics, we might use the manual that comes with a car and "how to" materials on auto maintenance. That makes learning more applicable, thus making it easier to remember.
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I have found that adult learners want a reason for learning everything. “What good will it do me to learn that?” is a common question. I try to make sure that I know what their interests are and that I have a good answer to the question, with examples of when they will need reading comprehension or decimals, for instance, in their work.
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I try to use several kinds of materials with my students, rather than just one core text, to meet their expressed needs. I often go to the internet to find readings on topics that are specific to their interests, and on their reading level.
In reviewing these ideas, did you find any similar to your own? Did any of them strike you as particularly interesting? Did they provide any new insights for your instruction of adult literacy learners?
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On your worksheet, make note of any tips, insights, or new ideas gained from the instructors’ suggestions. |
In Summary:
- One of the most important issues from the adult learner’s perspective is: “How do the things I am learning make a difference in my life?” Adults learn best when they can see a connection between what they are learning and what they need/want to do in the real world.
- The adult student is investing a lot (time, risk of failure, hours away from home/family, etc.) and wants to see a return on this investment. If the return is evident, motivation to continue learning increases.
- Meaningful content and relevance are essential to supporting adult literacy learners.
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On your worksheet, record any final notes or thoughts, specific ideas you want to remember, plans for further study, etc. |
Click "Next" below or a specific topic on the outline to the left to continue.
