Foundations of Adult Education - Assignment Example

Education for Adults Reading no What are the Foundations of Adult Education The foundation of adult education lies in its practice. All theories that have been formed by people such a lindeman have been based on what he had practiced in the 1920's, 30's, 40's etc. Another approach to understand what the foundation of adult education is to look at other disciplines such as history, sociology, philosophy and psychology to better understand the purpose and the importance of adult education. Another approach towards the foundation is to understand it as a part of the broader study of education and as a social science. By this approach we are less concerned with its origin and focus more towards its place in understanding of general education, social science and social theory. All these approaches are not mutually exclusive, two or more of these could be working together at thee same time. Andragogy Andragogy is the process described by Malcolm Knowles, that makes adults take part in the learning experience. He basically developed the study of adult education. Knowles wanted to make a clear distinction between Andragogy and Pedagogy (school based training). He saw adults as more self directed, more mature and experienced therefore he said that their learning was more problem centered rather than subject centered, their readiness to learn is linked to what they need to know and their motivation toward learning is more internal. Knowles popularized the term "Andragogy", although he was not the first to one use the term. Andragogy first appeared in the writings of a German teacher named Alexander Kapp. Knowles was not the first one to identify the difference between child and adult learning but he was the first one to argue that Andragogy should be distinguished from pedagogy. The acceptance of his ideas may be due to desire at that time in the United States to highlight the growing practice of adult training. it also help differentiating between school teachers and adult teachers. Now the question is whether Adult education should be termed Andragogy and be treated different from pedagogy or not. In some places like Europe Andragogy is considered to be a part of Pedagogy. Knowles now says that both pedagogy and andragogy are not two opposed models but work parallel. Some people say however that Knowles concept completely ignores the social aspect of the theory. it misses out on the understanding of adult education as a distinctive social activity. (About, 1999) Reading no.2: The Field of Adult Education When we look at the field of andragogy and its purpose we tend to ask questions such as: is learning good Is the experience unproblematic What kind of adult education should be promoted in liberal democracy The difference between informal and formal education etc. all these are answered through: Experiential Learning Experiential learning focuses on the learning of an individual through his or her experiences. It is a process that cannot be tailored and occurs naturally. However experiential learning is not unproblematic. It can be difficult because people might have to unlearn things that they have known since their existence, things like racism or their own nature. Experiences are constantly interpreted by individuals differently. That means what one experience means a certain individual might mean completely different for another. This kind of learning is seen by many as the essence of adult learning. (Wagner, 2008) Social Support All kinds of education including adult education reflect the norms, values and political economy of the society for example, if there is need for more skilled workers in the labor force then the level of education will increase throughout. This interpretation does not apply universally. For example the Scandinavian support for this perspective could emphasize the extent of the power of organized labor and social democracy within countries. Balance of class favors support system. Formal, Non-formal, and Informal Education Formal education is what is known as post-secondary education that follows a curriculum and is usually done through an educational institution. Non-Formal education is generally organized by institutions that do not carry any credits. It is generally part time or weekend activity that caters to the recreational or social activities of people. Informal learning is what happens in daily life. you are learning informally all the time individually or in groups, for example group activities such as organizing a meeting etc. Non-formal education is considered adult education in the traditional sense. Adult Education as a Movement Basically this area covers the question: to what extent can we consider adult education as a movement Adult education in the 1919 report was reviewed as a field of practice and a movement. It argued that the core of adult education was an education for life and not just livelihood. Thus adult education, although diverse and competitive could be depicted as a movement. In today's world however it is not a considered a movement but a process which can aid other social movements. This is because adult education now covers all aspects such as vocational and workplace learning, credentialized and non-credentialized, post secondary provision etc. it is very obvious that today's philosophies of education do not fit well with the old beliefs. Reading no.3: Historical examples of Canadian Education Another way of learning about the aim of adult education is through actual experience. To see how actual experience works we can look at the historical examples of Canadian adult education from the collection of "knowledge for the people" edited by Welton (1987). Here the example of Mechanics institution, women's institution, Frontier College and the Antigonish movement has been given. Mechanics' Institution It was an institution developed in Britain to provide scientific and technical information for workers, especially the skilled workers or mechanics. According to welton's study these people or workers had the knowledge about their business but did not have the technical expertise. In 1827 an institute was established in Toronto. In the 1800s the mechanics' institutes in Ontario, Qubec and Nova Scotia provided information and learning opportunities to workers. The following more institutes opened. The most advanced and developed institute was in Ontario. (Canadian Encyclopedia, 2008) Women's Institute (WI) The Women's Institute is another Canadian contribution to adult education. The Women's Institute was founded in 1897, in Stony Creek, Ontario by Adelaide Hoodless. It was originally formed as a method of educating rural women with the purpose of improving their lives through studying domestic science and all other activities necessary for their survival as a separate entity. In an early speech, Mrs. Hoodless suggested that "a better understanding of the economic and hygienic value of food and a more scientific care of children with a view to raising the general standard of life of farm people is needed". Education and community has always been the main purpose of this institute. (Dirksen, 2005) Frontier College In 1899 Frontier College was established by Alfred Fitzpatrick to give learning opportunities to those people (mostly men) who lived and worked in remote and far reaching societies and communities in areas of work such as logging, mining and in railway camps. After some time, the Frontier College extended educational services to people in prisons, factories and farm kitchens, and to fishermen, rural people and immigrants. The frontier college created labourer-teacher who would stay and work with the students, this gained approval in the development programs. (Canadian Encyclopedia, 2008) The Antigonish Movement It is the most significant Canadian adult education movement. The Anitgonish Movement happened when the maritime was facing along series of recession. as a result the people wanted to know more about alternative ways to work. The leaders of the movement believed in a university for people where knowledge and training were available to ordinary men and women. The most significant development of the movement was the organization of fisherman in 1929 by Moses Coady. Coady preached the fishermen the values of co-operation. Meetings were held at St Xavier's college and clubs were made. Conclusion The history of Canadian movements shows the wide range of areas that were covered by the adult education, such as social change, technical knowledge, education for transformation etc. these are the example of formal and non-formal education in contrast to just education for adults. Reading no. 4: Philosophies of Adult Education There are six basic philosophies of adult education: Liberal: To develop intellectual powers of the mind; to make a person literate in the all areas, intellectually, morally, and spiritually. Progressive: To transmit culture and societal structure to promote social and intellectual change; to give the person practical knowledge and problem-solving skills in order to reform society. Behavioral: To bring about behavior that will ensure survival of human beings, societies, and individuals, groups; to promote behavioral change. Humanistic: To develop people open to change and continued learning; to enhance personal and intellectual growth and development; to facilitate self-actualization in order to reform society. Radical: To bring about fundamental, social, political, economic changes in society through education; to change culture and its structure. Analytical: To use education to develop the individual and its utility to the individual rather than in terms of its social implication. These six philosophies have been widely used and refined by others. (FSU, 1990) 5 Emphases drawn from the differing aims of adult education The cultivation of the intellect is an objective that conceives adult education as a curriculum emphasizing liberal studies and a traditional view of teacher-student interaction. Personal development draws from the humanistic and existential orientations. Adult education is seen concerned primarily with promoting individual growth and development. the by-product of this emphasis will benefit the society. Here group interaction is favored. Progressive view of adult development is followed by many American educational philosophers. here the aim is both personal development and social up gradation. Radical social change is a view that completely opposes neutral knowledge. Education is seen as value based and never neutral. Here the teacher is also a learner. The methodology here is reflective thought and action Organizational effectiveness is the aim of a large portion of American adult education. Here education refers to business learning such as training employees and uses instructional methodologies. "An alternative way to categorize adult education is to see it as "Liberal adult education", as it is seen in Britain. it means: liberal humane studies, particularly social studies, education for reflective purposes and a special focus on servicing the working class". This perspective includes both the traditional education and radical aspect. It combines social action, community education and social purpose education. Its use has been challenged by North American scholars who are more conservative in their views but it is still a viable perspective or study of liberal adult education in Britain. Works Cited 1. About (1999). Dr. Malcolm Shepherd Knowles, 1913 - 1997. Retrieved on March 6, 2008 from http://adulted.about.com/od/adultedhistory/l/aa080899.htm 2. C. M. Dirksen (2005). Women's Institute. Encyclopedia of Canadian Adult Education. Retrieved on March 6, 2008 from http://www.ucfv.ca/aded/encyclopedia/Institution/WomensInstitute1.htm 3. FSU (1990). Philosophies of Adult Education. Florida State University. Retrieved on March 6, 2008 from http://www.fsu.edu/adult-ed/jenny/philosophy.html 4. The Canadian Encyclopedia (2008).Adult Education. Retrieved on March 6, 2008 from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfmPgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC815627 5. Wagner College (2008). Experiential Learning. Retrieved on March 6, 2008 from www.wagner.edu/experiential_learning Read More