This article raises questions about the universal valuing of behaviorism in workplace learning based on a review of trends in organizations in the postindustrial era and analyses of theorists within and outside the field who emphasize the importance of reflectivity and critical reflectivity in learning. (Author)

Suggestions are made for adult educators working with public officials: know your public officials, know your subject, know the procedures. Barriers peculiar to adult education programs are also examined: programs are varied and widely dispersed; adult learners' needs are varied; and programs that are offered are not understood by policymakers.…

Houle hypothesized three models of professional continuing learning: (1) inquiry, (2) instruction, and (3) performance. A study tested this typology with a population of staff nurses in a community hospital. A revised typology is proposed consisting of (1) inquiry, (2) performance, (3) group instruction, and (4) self-instruction. (Author/CH)

Describes the elements of an on-site, international program for adult learners, including (1) structured group activities; (2) time for reflection and introspection, (3) unstructured free time, and (4) addressing expectations of adult learners. (CH)

A conceptual basis for understanding the organization of continuing professional education across profession and type of parent institution is portrayed via three case studies of continuing professional education centers. The case studies reflect three orientations for organizing continuing professional education: a service orientation, an…

Characteristics of self-directed adult learners are contrasted with those resulting from the teacher-directed approaches found in many college classrooms. The self-directed learning potential of adults requires new approaches to teaching. (MT)

Compares a conventional method of basic mathematics instruction (mastery learning) with a structuralist approach using analogical reasoning. Pretest posttest results from three adult education classes show that analogical teaching is more effective in developing ability to think numerically. (SK)

This article is an introduction to how the Finnish Labor Administration has tried to minimize unemployment in Finland by vocational training, mainly in vocational course centers. (CT)

Examines various approaches that have been taken to promote literacy and makes a plea for more research to clarify issues that will permit more useful definitions of literacy and more productive approaches to developing and enhancing literacy among youth and adults. (HOD)

This article provides a synthesis of viewpoints expressed in the preceding articles, with particular regard for the three principal uses of the personal computer in continuing education. The author looks at concepts of teaching and learning, learner autonomy, and the diverse opportunities the personal computer provides for continuing education.…

Contrasts and compares the theory and practice of adult education as it relates to the issue of right brain/left brain learning. The author stresses the need for a whole-brain approach to teaching and suggests that adult educators, given their philosophical directions, are the perfect potential users of this integrated system. (Editor/CT)

The need to adapt a course in writing skills for proposal preparation to the different needs and characteristics of adult students is discussed, focusing on factors such as employer pressure as well as more general adult learner problems. Compensating strategies and course and materials design for teachers to use to increase student success are…

A qualitative analysis of interviews of 78 adults with less than high school completion who were currently engaged in a learning project supported the hypothesis that self-directed learners, rather than preplanning their projects, tend to derive their structure and direction from resources available in the environment--the organizing circumstance.…

Provides a report of the obstacles faced by adult basic education students, and describes educators' lack of concrete knowledge about adult learning processes and appropriate instructional programs. (Author/KS)

School administrators fill a crucial need in education, but all too often their social and emotional worlds turn upside-down when they make this momentous career move. This second edition provides an insightful look at the unwritten and unspoken rules of school administration, helping new and sitting administrators work through the initial…