HRawlins, SPrince, Assignment 5

Hayden Rawlins & Sherry Prince

Perspectives of Adult Education

Interview Analysis

March 5, 2023

Dr. Bo Chang – EDAC 631

Group Members	Roles	Commented On
Hayden Rawlins		TBA
Sherry Prince		TBA

Introduction – The Interviews

According to Dr. Sharan Merriam, there are many perspectives in adult education. Each perspective depends on the lens through which one views the world, our passions, and where our values lie as practitioners. For example, professionals in museums will see adult education as more cultural whereas an educator may see adult education as more as developing a person in the skills, they need to be successful in the developing world. Perhaps practitioners need to work out of a particular specialty or discipline. The common denominator however is that they all involve around learning. In every field in every society, you will find adult education.

When it comes to money, supporting adult education is prioritized in a way that supports the country directly and prepares learners for success in society most directly – vocations, trades, and military, for example. Dr. John Boulmetis claims you will not see money go into community development or social justice because there is no pay off to the federal government. One could argue investing into community education, development, social justices, and personal gains ultimately benefit society more so than efforts which support the country directly and immediately, such as adult education for sociological issues like children and families. 

Federal support for education in 1980s, according to the third interview with Dr. R in 12 Trends of Federal Support, began to decrease in adult education. According to the interview, the federal government wants to see a return on the investment particular in the employment sector in order to create a stronger economy. I would argue this is potentially dangerous and lends itself to the status quo and maintaining a submissive society. Private organizations have their own agendas and as with any private company, should be weary of the motives behind private funding for adult education programs. Adult education itself comes in many forms including terms like “work force development” and “military trainings”, all to further the goals of each agency who provide such education. Private organizations have their own agendas and the federal government has its own idea of what is important in the field of adult education as well, and in what forms it comes in. 

Leadership is also an important factor that contributes to the development of adult education according the interview with Carol E. Kasworm. According to her, there are countless organizations that work with adults in learning environments. The country has changed in how the population expects society to come to work force prepared. Degrees for example, have create a new generation of adult learners who face obstacles in lack of formal, higher education. If the government wants to improve employment and have a payoff in its investment in adult education, one could think investments in higher education would be a direct benefit. 

Kasworm also states that the world has gotten more differentiated. Many people now see human development and adult education much more fluid and exists in every domain. Adult education is seen now as much more common place and not so specialized as a profession on its own, but can be used as a way to enhance one’s repertoire of skills in environments where adults are learning. 

Discussion

Although adult education exists everywhere, it still takes a professional who is well-versed in the area of adult education and learning theory to understand how to best organize and develop programs that work out of multiple disciplines. It is reminiscent of what one of the interviewees who said: like parents who think they can just take their kids out of school and homeschool as if anybody can do it. I feel parents are definitely a child’s first teacher and they can certainly create space for education and inquiry, but it does take a practitioner of education with a background and expertise in education foundations, scientific approaches to reading, teaching, and learning, and the ability to think critically about curriculum and learning theories to be an effective teacher. Likewise, adult educators require space to study and research the foundations of adult education which can then be applied to a variety of disciplines and domains and issues within the field. 

In a 2019 article highlighting the importance of theory for adult education, the author mentions how educators working from a social justice perspective, theory itself serves as an important lens through which to view counter arguments and encourage students to find those injustices through a critical lens (Gouthro, 2019). The point the author was trying to make in this article is that understanding the complexities of power and how power is responsible for each of our social and educational experiences is important to developing a literate and engaged citizen. For this reason, there is value in investing into the social growth of society, beginning in elementary school and well into adulthood as a means to develop citizens who think critically about power structures and citizenry. This leads into another point of interest: lack of government funding to adult education initiatives. 

Government funding to adult education initiatives that do not support the country directly has become more commonplace in the field of adult education. According the interview with Dr. R, the government essentially wants to make sure their investment on adult education pays off and returns in the form of skilled workers, higher employment, and ultimately a stronger economy. Though important to the development and growth of our nation, one could argue that investments in social/emotional programs, family and community development, and social justice would also be of great benefit to the country though maybe not as immediate nor direct. 

One example from the perspective of establishing public funding for adult education is the evidence that shows how learning disabilities continue into adulthood. During this stage of development, autonomy and self-determination are fundamental to a higher quality of life (Gerber, 2012). The author continues to assert that adults with learning disabilities require support in the areas of employment, family, social and emotional health, routines, community, and recreation, and leisure. These qualities of living do not stop after high school but certainly persist throughout adulthood especially in those with learning disabilities. Though investments in this type of adult education may not be academic nor directly equated to an obligation back to the nation, adults with learning disabilities being given education in the above areas are crucial to a healthy, independent, and developed citizen which contributes to a healthier society overall.

It is difficult to discuss adult education perspectives without also acknowledging the ways in which adults (and learners as a whole) absorb information. In the last interview, the interviewee mentioned that many people now see human development and adult education much more fluid and exists in every domain. Perhaps her intention was to show how not just anybody can claim themselves to be an adult educator because they work with adults in an education setting, but it did spark another area of interest that concerns itself with how pop culture intersects with adult education as information is received and translated. 

In a 2009 study, authors found that adult educators are investigating pop culture’s connection with adult education and learning with special attention to how adults are learning from popular culture. One common way in which popular culture is being used to enhance adult learning is through media and how portrayals can lend itself to important discussions among adults surrounding diversity and critical examination of media (Wright & Sandlin, 2009). In keeping with developing a society of critically engaged citizens, being able to analyze and interpret what, how, and why messages are received through media is critical to being an educated and informed citizen. Through this perspective of adult education, media literacy and understanding of how race, gender, class, and sexual orientation are portrayed in media is a hallmark to being a critically engaged citizen. 

Implications

As practitioners in caring fields such as education and social service, each of our perspectives tends to align more with a humanistic perspective where people come first. There is a sense that the field of adult education requires a revival of sorts and an advocacy for the field. Despite the fact that adults are being educated in multiple settings, having the theoretical foundation for understanding how to confront problems in adult education is critical to the integrity of professionals and leaders in the field. According to Catherine A. Hansman, leaders in adult education can encourage empowerment while creating supportive work and learning cultures and contexts (Hansman, 2020). As both individuals who work in positions of leadership, it is vital that we as adult educators consider the context through which adults are being educated and how doing so can help us make ethical decisions surrounding the best interest of others. One way to accomplish this is through mentoring relationships. Mentoring relationships allow mentors and mentees to interact, develop skills and competencies, and expand their personal or professional lives (Hansman, 2020). As someone who has experienced learning under the direction of an experienced mentor, I can say that the safety in knowing someone had my back was crucial to learning what approaches in my career work for me and which do not. Mentorships allow for risk taking and foster deeper learning and development for all involved. 

Finally, as educators, it is important to understand that learning is not always linear and can be messy – maybe even should be messy. Tara Fenwick of University of Stirling, Scotland states that learning is not a single object but acts as multiple objects with different logics of study and practice (Fenwick, 2010). This idea is reinforced in a 2022 study involving the advancement of leadership education and development. In this article, the authors state that many practitioners in education still over-rely on cognitive training approaches to teaching such as lectures being the primary form of education thus neglecting other comprehensive tools (Allen, Rosch, & Riggio, 2022). When working with learners, we must understand that one size does not fit all and educators should incorporate many approaches to teaching curricula. Approaching education with a flexible mind and a deep understanding that our learners will be from diverse backgrounds is helpful in developing our expertise as adult education while navigating the countless perspectives that exist within the field. 

References

Allen, S. J., Rosch, D. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2022). Advancing leadership education and development: Integrating adult learning theory. Journal of Management Education, 46(2), 252-283.

Fenwick, T. (2010). Workplace 'learning' and adult education. European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults, 1(1-2), 79–95. 

Gerber P. J. (2012). The impact of learning disabilities on adulthood: a review of the evidenced-based literature for research and practice in adult education. Journal of learning disabilities, 45(1), 31–46.

Gouthro, P. A. (2019). Taking time to learn: The importance of theory for adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 69(1), 60-76.

Hansman, C. A. (2020). Mentor concepts to further leadership development in adult education contexts. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2020(167-168), 9-20.

Wright, R. R. & Sandlin, J. A. (2009). Cult TV, hip hop, shape-shifters, and Vampire Slayers. Adult Education Quarterly, 59(2), 118–141.