Examines the place of caring, constructivist learning, and community in teachers' professional development. Professional-learning communities provide a conversational space for connecting teachers' personal, practical knowledge in the classroom with the larger professional-knowledge landscape. Profiles two professional-development initiatives that…

Observations and interviews of 20 parishioners in Catholic rural parishes led by female lay pastors in the absence of priests elicited themes about informal and incidental learning: learning content included understanding the Eucharist, the Church, and pastoral leadership; and barriers to learning included priest intervention, history of parish…

Extends the literature on learning processes by identifying the motives and learning strategies of Master's- and Doctoral-level students. Finds that some graduate students seem more like undergraduate students in terms of their motives and learning strategies. Students' academic competency cannot be assumed simply as a result of their progression…

Presents a professional-development template to help increase teachers' growth, satisfaction, and motivation. Programs should offer small, significant doses of user-friendly, high- challenge, low-threat, and hands-on activities that encourage teachers to construct their own knowledge, reflect on their practices, and try new approaches. (MLH)

Top-ranked competencies for graduate education in human resources development (HRD) identified by 55 (of 195) HRD practitioners were adult learning, presentation, facilitation, needs assessment, and human relations. Seven of the top 10 were allied with adult education graduate program content. (SK)

A study of 24 Open University students found that adult distance learners approach learning either as reformulation of, or challenge to, texts. Those who reformulate may display surface knowledge but little engagement with issues. Those who challenge may create their own knowledge but fail in terms of instructors' expectations. (SK)

Physicians, physician educators, and nonphysician educators attended a workshop on learning style and personality type inventories. One month later participants were interviewed regarding their reactions to the inventories. Physicians found the inventories interesting and fun to take and thought the styles and types of information were applicable…

A student-centered and transformative perspective on learning acknowledges different forms of knowledge and methods of knowledge construction. It is incompatible with competency-based models such as the New Zealand Qualifications framework, which has a narrow utilitarian view, ignores connections between knowledge and power, and obscures…

With the Labour Government's second term imminent, 11 Britons involved in adult education each provide three recommendations for what the government should do for adult learners. (SK)

Research shows that adults respond primarily to positive reinforcement, want to be involved, and prefer to operate in a collegial environment. Traditional teacher evaluation violates many of these understandings. Fortunately, schools are beginning to experiment with observations and mentoring for beginning teachers and long-term…

This article presents principles for effective adult learning applicable in child care settings. These principles include the need for motivation to learn, the view that learning is an active process, the benefits from guidance, the importance of appropriate materials and activities for sequential learning, the need for reinforcement and varied…

Multiple collaborative inquiry groups were established in a K-12 rural school for teacher professional development and school improvement. Outcomes included individual teacher renewal, creation of a network for teacher interaction, change in teachers' classroom behavior, and structural and cultural change in the school. (SK)

Analysis of over 450 contributions to electronic discussions by 52 adult learners showed the learning processes used were engaging, developing conceptual relationships, drawing conclusions, and reflecting. Learning progressed to a high analytical level and was facilitated by group process development. Faculty supported discussion by synthesizing…

Explores the problematic relationship between public education and adult education in the United States and Canada since World War II, the shift in understanding of adult education as social education, and the rise of cultural politics in lifelong learning in postindustrial society. (SK)

Problems in research on participation in adult education include the following: (1) treatment of participants as voluntary, which ignores the growth of compulsory training in the workplace; (2) lack of knowledge about the choice to be a nonlearner; (3) individualistic focus; and (4) inadequate investigation of informal learning. (SK)