Adult learners are older individuals having different socio-cultural and educational backgrounds along with diverse experiences and family responsibilities. Mostly, adult learners do not continue their education in a regular school after completing their high school; instead, they return to school after acquiring work experience for some years. In other words, their necessity to enroll in a study program is driven by their need to remain competitive and a desire to develop their career. Adult learners usually continue their higher education through part-time programs while continuing to work and take care of their families. More often, adult learners take up e-learning programs or certificate programs that help them to sharpen their workplace skills. The factors that distinguish adult learners from child learners include maturity, purpose-orientation and ability to think pragmatically (Pappas, 2013).
Mostly, child learners lack self-motivation to learn since they cannot foresee how what they study today is going to influence their life in future. In other words, child learners do not have future goals and are satisfied with doing what gives them pleasure now. This explains why children are more prone to indulge in activities that entertain them in the present moment. On the other hand, adult learners can clearly see where a new education program they have enrolled in would take them in a few years from now. Thus adult learners are more practical, craving information that can be readily applied to their profession towards improving their effectiveness. Unlike children who do not have much experience in life, adult learners, who have seen life and undergone many experiences, have a basic inclination to link their past life and skills to a new knowledge they acquire through a new education program to grow more professionally.
As adult learners are likely to have diverse life experiences their learning and cognitive abilities are influenced by their life and work experiences. A practical approach to learn new skills would motivate them to actively participate in the classroom rather than sitting passively like a child learner. Unlike child learners, adult learn best in an environment that makes them feel welcomed and respected. Also, they always seek practical guidance to face situations in life rather than learning theories that do not have any practical implications in their professional life.
Most adult learning theories emphasize the importance of changing one’s behavior through acquiring new knowledge through adult education. Adults are more likely to interpret differently the meaning of what they learn (Taylor, 2008). The transformative learning theory suggests that adult learning involves emotions. For instance, an adult learner with rich experience both in personal and professional life would forthrightly reject certain concepts that are not acceptable to him. Similarly, an adult dismisses any idea that does not correspond to his personal values and concepts. Adults are more likely to follow transformative learning by discussing with their peers and critically evaluating the perspectives of others.
As propounded by Knowles, adult learners are driven by a high self-concept, readiness and orientation towards learning more things and a sincere motivation to learn and grow (Knowles, 1984). The basic principles of Knowles’ learning theory Andragogy suggest that adult learners are guided by life experiences, including mistakes, that inspire them to learn further, and they show interest in learning certain subjects that can be readily applied in their daily life. Thus adult learning is strictly demand-driven and centered on fulfilling certain objectives in the life of the learners.
In conclusion, adult learning which is always purpose-driven is seen as something meant for making a sea change in one’s life even as child learning may not have a definite purpose from the perspective of the learner. Similarly, adults have the freedom to choose what to study to make a difference in life while child learners do not have the freedom to choose what to study at least during the initial school years.
References
Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pappas, C. (2013). 8 important characteristics of adult learners. Retrieved form https:// elearningindustry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners
Taylor, E.W. (2008). Transformative learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Jossey-Bass. pp. 5–15.
