Insights for Teaching Adults

1. Adult’s personality and study habits are securely formed either for good or bad. This must be considered.

2. Adults have an emotional connection with words, situations, institutions, and people which may impede or enhance learning.

3. Many adults bring negative feelings with them to the learning situation because they may resent authority, or for a variety of other reasons.

4. Adults carry more of a burden of stereotypes along with an established personality and investment in beliefs. Children are in a more formative stage of development.

5. Adults may fear inadequacy and failure, or they can be encouraged to see learning as a new opportunity for hope.

6. Adults may subconsciously fear the change of life that comes with education, yet they may also yearn for that change.

7. Most adults need to see immediate relevance and applications for knowledge.

8. Groups of adults vary more in skills, interests, experience and education than groups of children; thus more flexible and varied of teaching strategies are necessary.

9. Learners often look at situations, not as they are, but as we perceive them to be. Subjective bias is a critical factor to consider.

10. Adults have varied motivations for entering learning environments which may include a desire for vocational skills, social status, or other factors.

11. Adults like participating in their learning, not being taught at. This can be improved by sitting beside the student rather than across from him or her.

12. Adults expect clear directions. If they don’t understand, assume that your explanation may be faulty, rather than blaming the student’s comprehension.

13. Adult behavior involves a whole spectrum of thinking, feeling and doing. These are connected.

14. Adults learn best to meet personal goals.

15. Adults need to feel comfortable within their learning group.

16. Adults often have barriers to learning which need be removed.