Adults Learning Challenges

Teacher’s Diary

The topic being a very hot one, there is absolute need to dive further on it again.

It is given that adult learning can be very difficult for many reasons viz: lack of time. Greenhorns who are adults often have full-time jobs, and sometimes children or other dependents that are relying on them. This, obviously will impact on their timing, as finding the time to continue learning very challenging.

I did settle into my studies and it no longer felt like a punishment when on lecture day two our lecturer took us all on the journey to ‘soul-search’ why all of us age 45 upwards, were sat there at the University of Greenwich to discover the theoretical basis for and acquire the theoretical skills to mentor pre-registration students. In lecture one, 95 per cent of the class confessed that they were not keen to have returned to academic study. Reasons churned out for this include all manner of mid-life characteristics and challenges which include, child-care issues, forgetfulness, fatigue and tiredness loss of interest in strictly academic vigour, loss of source income within the period of study ends an unwelcomed reopening of a phase of human development (academic study) that most people felt that they were done with for good.

And so this day in lecture 2, encouraged each other, associate student began to churn out why they were in study albeit unenthusiastically. By the end of the lesson, we had unveiled every reason that an adult learner would have, before they can enthuse about whatever you want to teach them. The knowledge of the following Andragogical bedrocks may help you to effectively teach your staff new vigorous skills especially ones that may task them, take up their time, engage their interest, cause them to make uncomfortable changes to their social life and home front, and could inadequately cause a loss of some income for them. Remember always that all adult learners:

· Need to have some control over their learning. As adults your learners are already handling responsibilities and making decision in their lives. Make your lessons enable them to learn what is important for them to know and beneficial to their living,

· Your lessons or instructions must improve the skills they already know, make their work easier or doable, open them to better opportunities, be individualized in a way that is of practical benefits and bring results to them.

· Your adult learner needs to know why they are learning new ideas, concepts, methods, and see the link between what they already know and the new.

· Allow a robust learning time-span for your tutelage. Adults learn less quickly even though they learn more deeply.

· If possible form a class of two or more people with similar life experiences to create an atmosphere for discussion, sharing, interaction and solidarity. This way you will have more validation of your concepts with tried and trusted quality life experiences.

· Ensure that your lesson would improve their job skills or help achieve your adult student to achieve their professional growth.

· Remember that your adult learner is encumbered with personal obligations and responsibilities to friends, work and community. Create a flexible schedule of learning, be accommodating of busy work-type.

· Project the value of your lesson to your adult learner very quickly. Point out how it could help the secure learner very quickly. Point out how it could help them secure a better job, get a promotion, start a new career, improve a life-skill.

· Absolute need for student persistence in regularly attending courses cum classes and completing a course of study is a critical factor for most adult education programmes. Lack of such persistence appears to be a characteristic of the system that is unaffected by attempts to remedy it.

Omoru is a freelance writer, education, health and social care advocate