As teachers and providers of education, it is of great importance that we are aware of the theories of human development; understand learning styles, the learner and their individual differences and motivation.

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My Philosophy to Adult Education

Part A

As teachers and providers of education, it is of great importance that we are aware of the theories of human development; understand learning styles, the learner and their individual differences and motivation. We need to examine what these theories/ideas mean to us as teachers, and the implications it has on the student as we practice these ideas as educators. Focusing on selected learning theories and implementing teaching strategies to suit the individual’s needs will often increase the learner’s ability to learn, but we need to be aware of our own philosophies of adult education and how it affects us as adult educators.

After completing the ‘Philosophy of adult education inventory chart’, I became aware of my own orientation towards adult education which is Progressive Adult Education (79 points) closely followed by Liberal Adult Education (78 points). The results of this inventory do not surprise me considering the type of subjects and students I teach, and the way I learnt myself.

Part A and B (answered both parts together)

Zinn’s philosophy of adult education Inventory (PAEI) is based on five philosophical tenets. It is an assessment tool developed to help educators identify their personal philosophy. There is no right or wrong educational philosophy; rather, the inventory tool is designed to mirror some of the participant’s beliefs. The five philosophies are liberal, behaviourist, progressive, humanistic and radical.

The purpose of the liberal philosophy is to develop strong intellectual powers.  These are the people who are always seeking knowledge. They admire the educator seeing them as the expert who directs the learning process with complete authority. It is easier to teach as the students listen carefully and do what is required of them. To bring these people to their greatest potential, we should use methods such as lectures, study groups and discussions. This is one of the most common methods. (Zinn 1983, p.1)

The behaviourist philosophy promotes behavioural change, which in turn, ensures that society’s standards and expectations are met and upheld. This philosophy is strongly influenced by the environment. The behaviourist teacher manages the learning process directs it. These educators usually employ methods such as programmed instruction, contract learning and computer guided instruction. (Zinn 1983, p.1)  

The progressive philosophy is concerned with the well being of society as well as an individual’s role in society. The learners of this philosophy have good solving skills and practical knowledge. When teaching learners of this philosophy, we should include methods problem solving, scientific method and cooperative learning. The educator evaluates the learning process, and guides rather than directs the students. (Zinn 1983, p.1)  

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The humanistic philosophy facilitates personal growth and development. These humanists are highly motivated and direct themselves to learn. The responsibility to learn is assumed by the learner. The educator facilitates the learning but will not guide them. Both the learner and the educator become partners, helping one another to learn and to teach. Concepts that help us define the humanistic philosophy include experimental learning, individuality, self-directed and self-actualization. The teaching methods for this include group discussion, team teaching, individualized learning and the discovery method. (Zinn 1983, p.1)  

The last philosophy is radical which promotes social, political and ...

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