Teachers as Adult Learners: Their need to Transform
Published:
Jun 30, 2023
Keywords:
Teacher learning Adult learning theories Dialogue
Abstract
In today's school, it is no longer the abundance of knowledge that matters, but the methods of acquiring it, the cultivation of skills, and the preparation of students to become active citizens and not just observers. The rapidly changing social environment and lately the Pandemic, have further elevated the role of education by introducing, if not "mandating", lifelong learning for the overwhelmed teachers. Considering the importance and criticality of the school's mission, the importance of the teacher's duties and the challenge in the implementation of their work can easily be seen. In this article, we will briefly explore three of the most basic theories of adult education and significant aspects of constructivism, whose tenets also undergird, teachers’ continuous and imperative need of adults’ lifelong learning. The theories discussed are the Andragogy of Knowles, Freire’s educational Social Change, and Mezirow’s Transformation Theory, as a resource for deepening our understanding of the critical matters affecting the need for new ways for teachers to approach their learning and teaching.
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
Papathanasiou, M. (2023). Teachers as Adult Learners: Their need to Transform. Adult Education Critical Issues, 3(1), 26–38. https://doi.org/10.12681/haea.32495
- Section
- Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Argyris, C. & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective. Reading, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
Argyris, C. & Schön, D. (1996). Organizational learning II: Theory, method, and practice, Reading. Addison Wesley.
Brookfield, S.D. (1985). Analyzing A Critical Paradigm of Self-Directed Learning: A Response. Adult Education Quarterly, 36(1), 60-64.
Brookfield, S.D. (1986). Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning. Open University Press.
Brookfield, S.D. (2005). Learning Democratic Reason: The adult education Project of J. Habermas. Teachers College Record, 107(6), 1127-1168.
Bryk S.A. & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform. Russell Sage Foundation.
Candy, P. (1991). What is Self-Directed Learning? Self-direction for Lifelong Learning. Jossey-Bass.
Connolly, B. (2005). Learning from the Women’s Community Education Movement in Ireland. In J., Crowther, V., Galloway & L. Mastin (eds), Popular Education Engaging the Academy: International Perspectives. MACE.
Cranton, P. (2016). Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning: A Guide to Theory and Practice. 3rd Ed. Stylus Publishing.
Darder, A. (2017). Reinventing Paulo Freire: A Pedagogy of Love. Routledge.
Dewey, J. (1926). Το σχολείο και το παιδί. Αθηνά.
Dewey, J. (1933). How we Think. A restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. MA: Health & Co.
Dewey, J. (1956). The child and the Curriculum and the school and the society. University of Chicago Press.
Dewey, J. (1969). Experience and Education. Free Press.
Dirkx, J. (1998). Transformative Learning Theory in the Practice of Adult Education: An Overview. PAACE Journal of Lifelong Learning, 7, 1-14.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Seabury Press.
Freire, P. (1972). Cultural Action for Freedom. Penguin.
Freire, P. (1973). Education: The Practice of Freedom. Writers and Readers.
Freire, P. (1974). Education: the practice of freedom. Writers & Readers Publishing Cooperative.
Freire, P. (1976). Education, the practice of freedom. Writers and Readers Publishing Cooperative.
Freire, P. (1977). Πολιτισμική Δράση για την Κατάκτηση της Ελευθερίας (μτφ.) Σ. Τσάμης. Καστανιώτη.
Freire, P. (1984). Education in progress path. (Ahmad Birshak, Trans.) Kharazmi Publications.
Freire, P. (1985). The politics of education: Culture, power, and liberation. Seabury Press.
Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage (Clarke, P., Trans.). Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
Freire Institute. (2022). Paulo Freire: An incredible conversation. https://www.freire.org/paulo-freire
Galbraith, W.M. (2004). Adult Learning Methods: A Guide for Effective Instruction (3rd.ed.). Krieger Publishing Company.
Guadiano, E. & de Alba, A. (1994). Freire - Present and Future Possibilities. In P. McLaren & C. Lankshear (Eds.), Politics of Liberation: Paths from Freire (pp. 123-141). Routledge.
Goleman, D. (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.
Habermas, J. (1990). ΚΕΙΜΕΝΑ ΓΝΩΣΙΟΘΕΩΡΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗΣ ΚΡΙΤΙΚΗΣ. ΠΛΕΘΡΟΝ
Henderson, T. A. & Mapp, L. K. (2002). A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement (Annual Synthesis 2002). National Center of Family and Community Connections with Schools, SEDL, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
Kalfas, Β. (2015). Η Φιλοσοφία του Αριστοτέλη. www.kallipos.gr
Kim, H., & Graham K. M. (2022). CLIL Teachers’ Needs and Professional Development: A Systematic Review. Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning, 15(1), e1515. https://doi.org/10.5294/laclil.2022.15.1
Knowles, M.S. (1973). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species. Gulf.
Knowles, M.S. (1989). The Making of an Adult Educator. Jossey-Bass.
Knowles, M.S. (1998). The Adult Learner. Gulf Publishing Company.
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F. & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner (6 ed). Elsevier.
Kokkos, Α. (2005), Εκπαίδευση Ενηλίκων: Ανιχνεύοντας το πεδίο. Μεταίχμιο.
Kokkos, Α. (2010). Κριτικός Στοχασμός: Ένα κρίσιμο ζήτημα. Στο Δ. Βεργίδης και Α. Κόκκος (Eds.). Εκπαίδευση Ενηλίκων: Διεθνείς Προσεγγίσεις και Ελληνικές Διαδρομές. Μεταίχμιο.
Κokkos, Α. και συνεργάτες. (2019). Διευρύνοντας τη Θεωρία Μετασχηματισμού: Η συμβολή δέκα σημαντικών στοχαστών (2η Εκδ.). Μεταίχμιο.
McLaren, P. (2003). Life in schools (4th ed). New York: Allyn and Bacon.
Marsick, J.V. (1998). Transformative learning from experience in the knowledge era. Daedalus, 127(4), 119+. Gale Academic OneFile. link.gale.com/apps/doc/A21262648/AONE?u=new30429&sid=AONE&xid=e40c8f9f
Merriam, B.S., Caffarella, S.R. & Baumgartner, M.L. (2006/7). Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide, (3rd.ed). John Wiley & Sons: Inc.
Merriam, B.S. & Baumgartner, M.L. (2020). Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide, (4th.ed). John Wiley & Sons: Inc.
Mezirow, J. (1989). Transformation theory and social action: A response to Collard and Law. Adult Education Quarterly, 39(3), 169-175. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001848189039003005
Mezirow, J. (1990). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice. In P. Cranton (Eds.). Transformative Learning in Action: Insights from Practice (pp. 5-12). New Direction for Adult and Continuing Education, No 74. Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning to think like an Adult. In J. Mezirow & Associates (Eds.), Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress (pp.3-33). Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (2003). Issues in Transformative Learning. In T. Hagstrom (Ed.). Stockholm Lectures in Educology- Adult Development in Post-Industrial Society and Working Life (pp. 49-65). The University of Stockholm.
Mezirow, J. (2007). Update on Transformative Learning. In B. Connolly, T. Fleming, D. McCormack & A. Ryan, (Eds.). Radical Learning for Liberation (p. 19-24). MACE.
Mezirow, J. (2009). An overview of transformative learning. In K. Illeris (eds.), Contemporary Theories of Learning: Learning Theorists: In Their Own Words. Routledge.
Morrow, A.R. & Torres, C. A. (2002). Reading Freire and Habermas: critical pedagogy and transformative social change. Teachers College Press.
Naz, M. & Muhammad, Y. & Mahmood, A. (2022). Stress and Burnout: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Elite School Teachers' Beliefs and Experiences. 10.31703/gsr.2022(VII-II).13
Perry, H.P. (2000). A Composition of Consciousness: Roads of Reflection from Freire to Elbow. Peter Lang Publications.
Rogers, R.R. (2001). Reflection in Higher Education: A Concept Analysis. Innovative Higher Education, 26, 37–57. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010986404527
Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical teaching for social change. University of Chicago Press.
Taylor, W.E. & Cranton, P. (2012). The Handbook of Transformative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Tough, A.M. (1971). The Adult’s Learning Projects. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
Tough, A. M. (1982). Intentional changes: a fresh approach to helping people change. Follett.
Watkins, K.E. (2005). What Would Be Different if Higher Educational Institutions Were Learning Organizations? Advances in Developing Human Resources, 7(3), 414-421 https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422305277179
Watkins, K.E. & Marsick, V.J. (1993). Sculpting the learning organization. Jossey-Bass.
Watkins, K.E. & Marsick, J.V. (1998). Dimensions of the learning organization questionnaire. Warwick, RI: Partners for the Learning Organization.
Watkins, K.E. & Marsick, J.V. (1999). Sculpting the Learning Community: New Forms of Working and Organizing. NASSP Bulletin, 83, 78-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/019263659908360410
Watkins, K. & Marsick, V. & Faller, P. (2012). Transformative Learning in the Workplace Leading Learning for Self and Organizational Change. In E.W., Taylor & P., Cranton (Eds). The Handbook of Transformative Learning. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
