A review of research shows that while some studies support (1) the necessity of developing logical (operational) thought, (2) the maintenance of this cognitive level, and (3) the finality of the formal operational stage, the bulk of research challenges these three aspects of traditional Piagetian theory. (LRA)

Compares and synthesizes past decade of research into facets of wisdom, searching for a unified definition. Concludes that factors relating to wisdom (age, experience, intelligence, knowledge, intuition, common sense, and personality) can be unified theoretically if wisdom is viewed as the recognition of and response to human limitation.…

Malcolm Knowles laments the paucity of "thinking, investigating, and writing about adult learning" in the opening sentence of his theoretical framework of "Andragogy" (1998, p. 35). Knowles' central argument is that we learn differently as adults from how we learn as children, so we should tailor adult education accordingly. Knowles highlighted…

Defends the claims made in an earlier publication by the authors that inservice programs should be more experiential because the cognitive development of adults is less uniformly advanced than previously supposed and because experiential learning is more effective. Cites additional supportive research. (PGD)

Reviews concepts of meaning making in classical and contemporary writing. Examines models of cognitive and ego development linked with meaning making and draws a model of the relationship of meaning making to adult learning and development. (SK)

A review is presented of major theories on the characteristics of adult cognition. The roles of social and cultural backgrounds, education, mental ability, and experience as they pertain to cognition are discussed. (JD)

A study determined the learning (achievement) of 151 participants in the 1992-93 Ohio pesticide applicator training (PAT) program. It assessed the intended level of cognition of instruction and the actual cognition level achieved by the participants. All participants were pre- and posttested using questions adapted from Hall and Prochaska (1991),…

The convergence of several lines of psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic research suggests possible explanations for age-related influences on language acquisition. These factors, which include cognitive development, sociocultural context, affective factors, and language input, can be helpful to language educators. By being alert to the cognitive…

Examines the relationship between learning and development in the most general terms, discusses the developmental distinction between concrete and formal operational thought as manifested in adult behavior, and considers the implications of the concrete-formal dichotomy for the design and use of job aids. Notes and a bibliography are provided.…

The purpose of this paper is to review the relevant evidence concerning the relationship between knowledge and its effect on learning, with an end to answering the questions: (1) How important is knowledge to learning? and (2) How does the relative importance of knowledge change with development? The paper is divided into three main sections:…

Intended for adult educators, this book is a comprehensive overview and synthesis of what is known about adult learning. Part 1 describes the context of learning. Chapters 1-4 describe the following: the sociocultural context; the range of settings and ways they influence learners and the learning process; literature on who participates in formal…

The socially constructed beliefs that teachers hold about knowing, teaching, learning, and praxis are likely to have a profound influence on their practice. Too often teachers serve to reproduce traditional authoritarian and didactic patterns of instruction in schools, apparently because they themselves have never been given the opportunity to…

The recent phenomenon of the "returning adult" to colleges has raised concern regarding two implications: age decline in intellectual ability and loss due to lack of practice. Literature indicates slight impairment of the problem-solving function until the years of advanced age. The degree of impairment is related to factors of educational…

In this updated landmark book, the authors have gathered the seminal work and most current thinking on adult learning into one volume. This book addresses a wide range of topics including: Who are adult learners? How do adults learn? Why are adults involved in learning activities? How does the social context shape the learning that adults are…