Solidly grounded in theory and research, but concise and practice-oriented, Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice is perfect for master’s-level students and practitioners alike. Sharan Merriam and Laura Bierema have infused each chapter with practical applications for instruction which will help readers personally relate to the material. The contents covers: Adult Learning in Today’s World Traditional Learning Theories Andragogy Self-Directed Learning Transformative Learning Experience and Learning Body and Spirit in Learning Motivation and Learning The Brain and Cognitive Functioning Adult Learning in the Digital Age Critical Thinking and Critical Perspectives Culture and Context Discussion questions and activities for reflection are included at the end of each chapter.

Originally published in 1991, this book provides the reader with a comprehensive synthesis of developments, issues and practices related to a self-direction in learning. it presents strategies for facilitating self-directed learning as an instructional method and for enhancing learner self-direction as an aspect of adult personality. The idea of self-directed learning is not a new one but has received renewed attention in education circles and has particular significance for the adult education sector.

Adult migrants who received little or no formal education in their home countries face a unique set of challenges when attempting to learn the languages of their new countries. Few adult migrants with limited or no literacy in their native languages successfully attain higher levels of literacy in their additional languages, even if they attain high levels of oral proficiency. This book, the result of a European- and United States-wide collaborative research project, aims to assist teachers working with adult migrants to address this attainment gap and help students reach the highest possible levels of literacy in their new languages. The chapters provide the latest research-informed evidence on the acquisition of linguistic competence and the development of reading in a new language by adults. The book concludes with a chapter that addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by this group of learners and their teachers, with specific instructional strategies that can be used. The book will be an invaluable resource for teachers, tutors and training providers, as well as volunteers, who work with adult migrants.

Adult Learning and Education The graduate student guide in adult education explores theories of adult learning and adult education participation. It provides a frame of reference for understanding the development of a rapidly evolving field and for enhancing knowledge and competencies in this professional domain. The publication is divided into two sections: a section on adult learning theories and a section on adult education participation theories. If Adult Learning and Education (ALE) is now a recognised professional field, the theoretical perspectives, underlying practices and policies draw on a variety of academic disciplines. Various theories of learning and of adult education participation shape the practice and the “engineering” of adult learning. In the first section, this study guide provides a review of the most important learning theories, including behaviourist, cognitive, and constructivist approaches, their modern development, as well as specific developments in adult education theory. The second section examines the psychological and sociological theoretical backgrounds of adult education participation in order to understand the factors at work in participation patterns along the adult life course and between different social contexts. Observing the relativity of social reproduction allows to identify the conditions and variables that need to be addressed in order to alter prevailing trends.

This is the third edition of Peter Jarvis' classic textbook, Adult and Continuing Education, which established itself as the most widely used and respected book about education for adults today. In this new edition, the author has made extensive revisions and included substantial additional material to take account of the many changes that have occurred in the field of adult education. Additional and updated material in this much-anticipated new edition includes: a discussion on both globalisation and Europeanisation, indicating the pressures that have been exerted on the educational system to change a greater emphasis on lifelong education, lifelong learning and society an extended discussion on the theorists of distance education and introductory material on e-learning and on-line learning an updated look at changes in UK policy and European policy documents new material on the relationship between research, learning and the changing approaches to knowledge, with more emphasis placed on action learning and research.

The authors argue that the aim of research should be to improve practice through a process of critical reflection. Focusing clearly on the everyday concerns and problems of practitioners, they emphasize the importance of practical knowledge. Their definition of ‘practice’ is wide, and includes the generation of theory and the doing of research as well as front-line teaching. They show how notions of ‘adult learning’ and ‘the adult learner’ have been constituted mainly through theory and research in psychology and sociology, and examine action research as a mode of understanding. They conclude by looking at the curriculum implications for the teaching of adult education as reflective practice.

Now in its fourth edition, Adult Education and Lifelong Learning is well established, and is regarded as the most widely used text about adult education. Fully revised and updated with substantial additional material, this new edition takes account of many changes which have occurred in the field of adult education. With new features for students and researchers, updates incorporate: material on the ethical and political implications of lifelong learning detailed information on changes relating to globalisation increased emphasis on societal changes information on the way technologies are affecting the way people learn changing approaches to knowledge, knowledge acquisition and knowledge assessment. Students of education and education studies will find this an invaluable course companion, whilst practitioners and researchers in adult and lifelong learning will find this new fully-up-to-date edition even broader in scope than the last.