ERIC Number: EJ1022495
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1356-2517
EISSN: N/A
Teaching Nontraditional Adult Students: Adult Learning Theories in Practice
Chen, Joseph C.
Teaching in Higher Education, v19 n4 p406-418 2014
As the USA experiences rapid growth of nontraditional adult students in higher education, educators and institutions will increasingly need to look beyond the traditional youth-centric educational models to better address adult learning needs. To date, no research has been conducted examining the learning experiences of adult students enrolled in a disciplinary course that was built upon core principles of adult learning. Ten adult students (mean age = 45.4 years), enrolled in an American university with a college dedicated to adult students, were interviewed to assess their learning experiences and felt impact after completing a psychology course created upon adult learning principles. Findings revealed that students progressed through a five-themed model that challenged their pre-existing meaning structures, caused emotional and cognitive disequilibrium, and pushed them toward irrevocable change.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Adult Students, Nontraditional Students, Adult Learning, Psychology, Interviews, Transformative Learning, Critical Thinking, Prior Learning, Student Needs, Models, Instructional Design, Course Content, Learner Engagement, Reflection, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Independent Study, Behavior Change, Learning Theories, Phenomenology, Qualitative Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A