Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement 1

Eric M. Larson
Introduction to Adult Learning
HRDO 561
May 10, 2002

Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement

“I don’t think you believe that human beings are

fundamentally good, but I think you treat them that way.”
Ruth Larson, describing Eric Larson

This single statement captures the tension within me between my Christian

worldview that human nature is inherently sinful and my belief that human beings have

tremendous potential for growth and development. I think this seeming contradiction

reflects R. W. K. Patterson’s notion that “adult educational values are, in fact, nothing but

our religious, moral, social, and other general values restated within the adult education

setting.” (Patterson, 1964). My wife’s astute perception of me, quoted above, is not

limited to my beliefs about adult learning; it is a perception about my basic nature that

happens to inform and affect my beliefs about adult learning. But the question remains:

How do I balance my views of human nature with my views of human potential?

I believe that people view the world subjectively; that they do not experience

reality from an impartial, objective, neutral perspective, but instead see things “colored”

by their own experiences and beliefs. Therefore, adult learners must be guided in ways

that feed their interests and address issues from a perspective that is compatible with
 Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement 2

theirs. Along that path, an instructor can question and challenge the assumptions that

underlie a learner’s perspective, and help the learner to look beyond their subjective view

and achieve a more encompassing understanding of the world. Without that questioning

and challenging from an instructor, adult learners will approach life from whatever

“default understanding” they already have. But such challenges must come after the

point where an instructor has met, acknowledged and understood the learner’s viewpoint;

beginning a teaching with “you are looking at things the wrong way” is profoundly

ineffective.

So humans view life subjectively, and this subjectivism, if left unchecked, can

turn into selfishness. This selfishness is termed “sin” when measured against the infinite

justice, goodness and mercy of God. But compared to each other and the evil that

humanity is capable of, most people are not terribly bad. In day-to-day living (and

learning), people are “good” in that they are eager to learn and willing to dedicate

themselves to the pursuit of knowledge. To live is to learn, and most human beings have

a love of learning – a fact that is easy to see, as long as we acknowledge that the subjects

of “learning” can range from Chesterton to carburetors to client sales records to crafts to

cooking to Carnie Wilson talk show subjects. In addition, people want to apply what

they learn to make their lives better (whether or not we agree about their opinion of

“better”).

I believe that education always acts as a means to some end – some greater

“good” – that is important in the life of the adult learner. Therefore, any adult education

needs to “hook into” whatever motivates particular adult learners. If, as an adult

educator, you are incapable of answering a learner’s question of, “Why should I care
 Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement 3

about this?” then there is no reason to expect the learner to be motivated to learn. (And,

of course, it is very difficult to cram knowledge into the heads of those who do not want

it.) From the opposite perspective, I believe that every adult learner has some sort of

motivation (often subconscious) to learn that which they are investigating. Their

motivation may be as direct as “I need to know this to keep my job” or as vague and

simple as “I find this entertaining,” but when we see people learning we know that

something is driving them to learn, and that “something” is important to them at that

time.

Put more simply, I do not believe that an instructor can question a learner’s

fundamental motivations until he or she has accepted those motivations. “Acceptance”

does not necessarily mean “agreement”, but conveys an understanding of what the learner

needs and wants from life. A learner will not be receptive to learning until he or she sees

a teaching’s value from his or her own perspective. If the job of a particular teaching is

to challenge the learner’s perspective, that teaching must be delivered in a way that is

relevant to the perspective itself. Put even more simply: “Meet people where they’re at.”

After fleshing out by basic beliefs, I decided to take the Philosophy of Adult

Education Inventory to see how the inventory aligned with the “gut feel” of my thinking.

By completing the PAEI I found that I have an identically strong leaning toward

Progressive and Humanistic Adult Education. These two areas (described in brief as

education for “practical problem-solving” and “self-actualization”, respectively) closely

mirror the beliefs I already identified: adult education is to help make individuals become

“better people” in ways that they, themselves, can see and understand.
 Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement 4

In conclusion, I believe that adult learning is integrated (in various degrees) into

the lives of all adults. Adults pursue learning, whether formal or informal, because they

“get something” from it. Appropriate instruction and facilitation will tie to these

learners’ motivations, and will work with those motivations to draw the learner toward

improvements in his or her life. While we adults are not inherently “righteous” and view

life from a subjectivism that borders on (or extends into) selfishness, we can all identify

with the notion of higher “goods” that we actively seek and pursue. “Adult learning” is a

formal term for that pursuit of “goodness” and, the more we learn, the happier and more

fulfilled we become. Effective teachings must relate to the particular motivations (the

“goods” pursued) of particular leaders – even those teachings that attempt to instruct

about the goods and motivations themselves.

 Philosophy of Adult Learning Statement 5

References

Paterson, R. W. K. (1964). Values in adult education. Rewley House Papers (pp. 48-51).

Oxford, England: Oxford University