PROJECT

DUE DATE COURSEJANUARY 16 2013 BEC910CE- ADULT EDUCATION

Barriers to Adult LearningBy: Patti Blight, Sarah Cancelliere, Danielle Gunton, Avril Reid, Kerry Weir

What are some common barriers experienced by adult learners when they choose to return to school or participate in workplace training?

ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS

YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG

NEW TRICKS…OR CAN YOU?

THE CASE

• Anita is over 50 • She has been in her job for 20 years•Her job is being outsourced• She can not afford to retire• She needs to develop new skills • She needs to go back to school

THE BARRIER

“Many adults have experienced so much criticism, failure, and

discouragement in their youth that their self-confidence and sense of

worth are damaged. In a new learning environment, adults often are anxious,

fear failure, and dread rejection by their peer group (Kennedy, 2003).”

ALLEVIATING THE FEARS

Provide a safe and welcoming environment

Have students interact and discuss prior experiences

Have students explain their goals

Provide students with detailed course outline and expectations

THE EDUCATOR

“Part of being an effective educator involves understanding how adults

learn best (Lieb,1991)”.

APPLYING KNOWLES

KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES

1. Adults are internally motivated and self-directed

EDUCATOR’S ROLEBe a facilitator:

Understand how adults learn and allow students to participate in the direction of the class

Recognize and accommodate different learning styles

APPLYING KNOWLES

KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES

2. Adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

Acknowledge value of previous experience

APPLYING KNOWLES

KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES

3. Adults are goal oriented

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

Show direct link between course material and student’s goals

Use real case studies to examine theory

APPLYING KNOWLES

KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES

4. Adults are relevancy oriented

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

Provide assignment options that reflect student interests

Provide students with reflective questions to assess connection to goals

APPLYING KNOWLES

KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES

5. Adults are practical

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

Encourage active participation allowing students to experiment and develop self efficacy

Provide feedback on a regular basis

APPLYING KNOWLES

KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES

6. Adult learners like to be respected

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

Acknowledge past experienceTreat adult learner as an equalPromote an environment for expression of ideas

TIMING AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS

Most adults have their hands full. Between work, family and home responsibilities, we can feel like we can go a little crazy.

Is there really enough time in the day and extra money to spend on growing ourselves intellectually?

•Sandra is 40 years oldShe’s a wife and mother of three childrenShe’s been a Medical Lab Assistant for 18 yearsShe feels she cannot progress further in her career

•She and her husband are worried about future tuition costs for their childrenShe needs to expand her career by developing new skillsShe wants to go back to school

THE CASE

THE BARRIER

“How will I juggle family, work and school?   There are only so many hours in a day… Women, by characteristic, experience a greater amount of guilt about her student role if she feels it interrupts her responsibility for maintaining her role within the family.  Consequently, if she feels too much strain during this time, she will ultimately give up school to make things easier.”  (Shields, 1994)

SANDRA’S

BARRIERS

Cost of course and materials

Time of

day not

suitable for

shift work

Lack of time to commit to course

Cost of extra child care during course hours

1. Discuss with her family how further education will improve her career and self.2. Ask her family to compromise. Example: Older children can help with lunch preparation and basic house keeping tasks Form a realistic household budget to accommodate the added costs of schooling.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS

Sandra Can...

4. Develop time management strategies. Organize with a point/task by point/task on a calendar to understand her own abilities and how to adjust her life to accommodate others.Example: Put on calendar dates of school, work, and family events. Put due dates for bills, school assignments, etc.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS

Sandra Can...

THE EDUCATOR

“Much of the excitement of learning is in the evolving, unpredictable and

unanticipated learning that inevitably occurs. Realizing that the richest resource in the classroom are the members present,

helped teachers of adults to relax and enjoy themselves too. Such congruence

between belief and practice enhanced all.” (Barer-Stein and Draper, 1993).

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow NeedEDUCATOR’S ROLE

1. Physiological Need. Refers to the basic bodily requirements needed to survive.

Ensure the classroom environment is comfortable, Equipment and resources must be in working orderOffer short breaks throughout the lesson.

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow Need

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

2.Safety Need. Refers to the

desire to be safe from physical or emotional injury.

Set clear expectations for the course. Provide a personal introduction to help students feel at ease.These strategies will help the educator seem more approachable when student issues arise.

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow Need

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

3. Social Need. Refers to the need for love, belonging, and acceptance from others.

Creating an “ice breaker” lesson: Form the students into small groups and allow them to introduce themselvesHave students talk about their strengths, weaknesses, and state their expectations for the course

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow Need

EDUCATOR’S ROLE

4. Esteem Need. Refers to the need to be seen by others, as well as themselves, as a person of worth and importance.

Constantly provide positive and negative feedback to students. (Also known as “Constructive Criticism”) Be flexible and understanding of the hectic schedules of studentsGuide them to success within the course

Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE5. Self-Actualization Need. Refers to the desire to reach one’s own potential and level of succession.

Provide consistent evaluations: Congratulate students on something they accomplished on a task or assignment Encourage students with specific guidelines on how to move beyond their comfort levels.

Helping Exceptional

students Overcome Barriers

THE CASE• Viktor is 28 years old•He has a central auditory processing (CAP) disorder•He has trouble distinguishing speech from background noise•He also has mild difficulties reading, writing, and spelling•He knows he n

THE BARRIERS