Education is different in terms of adult learning since adults are self-motivated. They have developed an understanding of the value of education and have set goals that allow them to study harder than children learning. Many adult learning theories influence the path adults take in search of knowledge. Adult learning occurs when adults pursue higher education, apprenticeship, and trade schools. Adults join schools to acquire or learn more about critical skills. Adult learning is, also referred to as andragogy, stands for any form of education that adults adopt. The three adult learning theories include Bandura, Maslow, and Bloom. The theories help the adult to make better decisions on the development, design, and delivery of education.
Bandura’s theory is one of the theories that influence learning. The idea was created by Albert Bandura, where Bandura argued the incompleteness of learning through behavior and cognitive models. The Bandura theory considered the effect of the social environment on a person’s behavior. The Social Learning Theory understood people as learning new things by observing other people’s behavior and adopting rational mental behaviors (Allen et al., 2021). In adult learning, observation is vital since it influences the activities of adults in their education. The three central concepts of the theory are observation, modeling, and imitation, which involve learning different behaviors. Bandura performed experiments and concluded that the approach consists of the mediation process of people’s behavior through their environment.
Models are the individuals observed in society, and adults have models that steer the educational thirst encouraging further research and concentration in their studies even with all their responsibilities (Miller et al., 2018). Bandura’s theory allows adult learners to effectively engage with their studies and quickly adapt to their learning surroundings. Since adult learning comprises a few sessions between the learners and the trainers, the facilitators plan to use the Bandura theory to allow the learners to observe the environment (Okojie, 2020). Other learners’ experiences enable the learners to gather the information that makes the learning process easier. The approach encourages discussions that allow learners to watch and learn from each other (Miller et al., 2018). Therefore, adults use this theory to imitate behavior and avoid behaviors based on past experiences. The approach encourages the teaching of different behaviors through the use of rewards.
Facilitators use the theory by changing the classroom learning model where facilitators introduce new learning methods such as watching videos that provide instructions. The adult learns to interpret their understanding and applier what they have understood. The learners observe and apply their findings to their learning activities during the learning activities. The model efficiently encourages teachers to answer learners’ questions (Miller et al., 2018). Facilitators also use gamification, which turns learning experiences into interactive sessions that allow facilitators to reward and improve learners’ interests in education (Ramjaun & Naro, 2020). Gamification connects with the Bandura theory by enabling students to have actual observations that emulate their behavior.
Adults between 23-70 years develop an interest in learning and therefore go back to school to invest in their careers and learn new skills. Adults pursue further education to advance their knowledge, improve their chances of getting job opportunities, and satisfy their essential needs. Abraham Maslow invented the Maslow theory in the 1960s that helped explain human motivation. Abraham Maslow concentrated on the psychological needs of an individual (Schulte, 2018). Maslow developed a hierarchy that helped explain human satisfaction. According to the theory, the five needs include the physiological needs that human beings must satisfy before the next level. The needs have the basic needs such as food, water, rest, health, and proper clothing. The following need is safety needs that protect violent activities and financial security.
Belongingness includes making friendships where people overcome feelings of loneliness and is a product of satisfying physiological and safety needs. Love is given to a person when they receive affection from their surroundings. Social needs also encourage communal living and engagements such as sports and religious activities (Schulte, 2018). The esteem needs are fourth in the hierarchy and are classified into internal and external esteem needs. Internal esteem needs include respect, confidence, freedom, and competence, while esteemed exterior needs include status, admiration, and attraction. People work towards achieving their respected needs. The last need is self-actualization which involves what one wants to be and exploring their potential capabilities (Schulte, 2018). It includes growth through learning to get more knowledge and increasing creativity. Although the needs are never satiable, individuals take opportunities that empower them to grow and leave their comfort zone.
Facilitators use this theory to address all the needs of learners where everyone has their desires to actualize their desires. The facilitators apply the approach by helping learners deal with their highs and lows, such as sharing past experiences that went well and others that did not go well (Schulte, 2018). Also, facilitators use conversations to equip the students with language skills and build proper communications models that allow learners to be outstanding in the community. Facilitators also encourage teamwork that encourages healthy competition in adult learning (Schulte, 2018). The students are also given responsibilities such as coaching each other to help create courage, promote research and develop inclusivity in the classroom (Schulte, 2018). The facilitator also allows the learners to keep track of their activities through having learning journals that build consistency in the adventure of adult learning.
The last learning theory is the Bloom Taxonomy that Benjamin Bloom developed in 1956. Bloom Taxonomy is a theoretical framework that is applied in adult learning. There are three domains in four levels of theory: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive domain includes knowledge, critical thinking, and comprehension in the different subjects they are learning. The cognitive part leads to the development of six intellectual skills that have the ability, awareness that leads to an understanding of meaning, use of concepts (application), deconstruction of concepts (analysis), a combination of learned concepts to develop meaning, and lastly, judging of ideas (evaluation).
The affective domain contains skills that describe how people react to their emotions. It involves the way people deal with their feelings as a reaction to the different behaviors in the environment. It affects the concentration in activities such as active participation in lessons for adult learners (Taheri et al., 2018). The students learn to make priorities to concentrate on the most important things. Learners express their ideas to their classmates, which helps improve expressions and coordination of opinions and views according to what is learned in the classes. The domain has five that include receiving, where learners pay attention and listen more hence improving the memory and the recognition of the learners. The next level is responding, where the learner actively participates in the learning process (Taheri et al., 2018). The third level is valuing, where adult learners attach value to objects while applying the knowledge, they have learned. The next level is organizing, where the learner compares, relates, and elaborates what they have learned. The last group is characterizing, where the learner applies the belief in their behavior.
The psychomotor domain uses the skills they have learned to change their behavior and influence their skills. The domain represents the usage of the motor skills by the loners, the physical movements, and the coordination. There are five skills levels in the psychomotor domain: observation, imitation, precision, articulation, and naturalization. Observation involves learners watching more experienced personnel participate in an activity (Taheri et al., 2018). The learner uses their mental activities to observe as the exercises continue. Imitation is where the learner attempts to actualize the skill learned (Taheri et al., 2018). The facilitator keeps and gives feedback on the performance of the learner. However, the activities by the learner may not be smooth since they are imitating what they observed.
The learner then continues to practice a specific activity learned in class repeatedly to ensure smoothness in imitating the skill. The learner may face difficulties but understands how the activities flow without any help from the facilitator. Naturalization is where the learner has perfected the skills and makes few or no mistakes in the training (Taheri et al., 2018). The learners have mentors who provide their perspective and advise them on improving or making adjustments. Bloom’s theory promotes learners’ higher thinking and applies the skills learned in their jobs and different situations. The facilitators can analyze the learner’s ability in the intellectual levels (Allen et al., 2021). Since adult training involves fewer classes, the facilitator uses fewer classes to apply skills learned.
Facilitators use the bloom theory to scrutinize every hierarchy and learn every level to understand better and improve their cognitive skills and abilities. Every level allows the learner to be attentive and involved in the learning activities and improves their judgment in their different tasks. Organizations enable adults to learn new skills and enhance their mastery in their areas of specialization. Therefore, every theory adopts other methods, and consequently, a facilitator should analyze the students and decide on the approach that will best deliver the skills to the students., However, students require to be attentive and ready to learn new skills. They should adopt teamwork and involve conversations with other classmates to engage in learning activities that improve their skills.
References
Allen, S. J., Rosch, D. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2021). Advancing leadership education and development: Integrating adult learning theory. Journal of Management Education, 46(2), 252-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/10525629211008645
Miller, G., Miller, V., Marchel, C., Moro, R., Kaplan, B., Clark, C., & Musilli, S. (2018). Academic violence/Bullying: Application of Bandura’s eight moral disengagement strategies to higher education. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 31(1), 47-59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-018-9327-7
Okojie, M. C. (2020). Handbook of research on adult learning in higher education. Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-1306-4
Rumjaun, A., & Narod, F. (2020). Social learning theory—Albert Bandura. Springer Texts in Education, 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43620-9_7
Schulte, M. (2018). Adult learning degree and career pathways: Allusions to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 66(1), 62-64. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2017.1368767
Taheri, M., Abbasi, M., Mohammadi, M., Mohammadbeigi, A., Jokar, A., Mokhtari, M., & Almasi-Hashiani, A. (2018). The effectiveness of lectures and e-learning education on cognitive taxonomy based on theory Bloom. Journal of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, 24(6), 95-102. https://www.sid.ir/en/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?id=603493
