Through classroom observation and examination of literature on adult learning, second language teachers can learn to adapt teaching styles to adult needs. Research on maturation suggests that in course planning and teaching, adults should be included in formulating learning objectives and designing learning experiences, taught to exploit their own…

The stress felt by older students in higher education should be addressed by educators and members of the helping professions. The word stress is related to "distress" and perhaps best describes what substantial numbers of adult learners experience when returning to school. For instance, researchers have found graduate students to be particularly…

After recapitulating certain problems with current conceptions of the profession of adult education and stating a design problem for the reinvention of the field, this paper argues that adult education can best be seen as "self-education." A beginning definition and concept of that term is described, along with a model and supporting guides for…

There is a need for instructional models in English as a second language (ESL) and adult basic education (ABE). However, before adequate models can be built, a unifying theory of learning for this unique instructional category must be advanced. Existing learning theories, particularly for adult learners, are helpful but need to be refined to fit…

This volume of the International Year-book of Adult Education concentrates on interrelated aspects of university education, research, and adult education. Nine articles, accompanied by abstracts in German, English, and French, deal with adult education research in modern Yougoslavia (since 1950); adult education as a field of study within the…

The psychological and educational needs of the growing population of adult students are considered, as well as the availability of necessary library services and materials for this group. The concept of andragogy (i.e., the teaching of adults), is discussed, the literature is reviewed, and a philosophical base is established. (Author/EM)

The author argues that most work environments still conform to a hierarchical, bureaucratic pattern--an outdated system. She urges a move to a more andragogical model. The author discusses bureaucratic structure, organizational culture, the influence of leadership, the quality of learning at the workplace, and the employer-employee relationship.…

This study used the Delphi research method to develop the Online Adult Learning Inventory, an instrument to apply the principles of adult learning to Web-based instruction. Twelve experts in the fields of adult learning and online course development working with the researchers constructed the instrument and validated its content. (Contains 1…

This paper describes a process by which developing or established teams can create a clear and common understanding of issues concerning team purpose, team approach, performance goals, role clarity, and mutual accountability. The major components of this process--Purpose, Approach, Goals, and Everyone mutually accountable--form the acronym…

This paper explores a common assumption: that education must be made an open, interconnected chain of learning opportunities, available to people from cradle to grave, i.e., a "learning society." Learning is examined in the following three distinct, but interrelated, domains: the domain of work; the domain of the community; and the…

Asserts that, because the needs and learning strategies of nontraditional students differ from those of younger students, more effective teaching practices must be implemented. Reports that students over 25 make up more than half of college attendees. Presents citations of recent ERIC literature designed to promote teaching practices for adult…

An experiential approach to environmental studies courses in institutions of higher education would better prepare students to address the environmental problems of the new millennium. Research shows that adults prefer experiential and task-centered learning. Experiential learners are more efficient workers, achieve higher grades, are more…

As increasing numbers of mature students enter schools of social work, it is a challenge and an obligation for field instructors to discover ways to recruit and sustain them in the educational endeavor. Building upon three theoretical perspectives--Freire's pedagogy of the oppressed, Knowles's andragogy, and Schon's reflective learning and…

Conceptions of learning and preferred learning approaches have been suggested to vary cross-culturally. The extent to which learning is "student-centred" or "teacher-centred" also appears subject to cultural variation. This has led some to conclude that particular cultures exhibit learning preferences more suited to distance…

The Commission on International Adult Education (CIAE) of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE) provides a forum for the discussion of international issues related to adult education in general, as well as adult education in various countries around the globe. The following purposes summarize the work of the…