The taking up of an "educative" mantle has proven to be a complex task for museums, filled with many unknown and/or misunderstood factors. Of the vast assortment of educational opportunities museums afford their adult patrons and staff, the majority fall into one or two learning categories: either they are nonformal or informal. In effort to…

This integrative literature review synthesizes the concepts and process of organizational knowledge creation with theories of individual learning. The knowledge conversion concept (Nonaka & Takeuchi, 1995; Nonaka, Toyama, & Byosiere, 2001) is used as the basis of the organizational knowledge creation process, while major learning theories relevant…

Facilitation in the workplace, especially when undertaken by supervisors, can pose challenges involving hostile conditions and coercion, diminishing its effectiveness for adult learning. It requires examination of the dynamics of trust building, the roles of participants, and the use of facilitators whose interests are independent of the context.…

Defends the claims made in an earlier publication by the authors that inservice programs should be more experiential because the cognitive development of adults is less uniformly advanced than previously supposed and because experiential learning is more effective. Cites additional supportive research. (PGD)

Adult learning theory and research on professional development provide a rich background context for examining school leader development for school improvement. The literature on adult learning theory identifies the following generalities about adults as learners: age reduces the speed of learning; adult learners bring life experiences to bear on…

Research on adult learning suggests that direct and concrete experiences where the learner applies what is being learned are an essential ingredient for in-service education. Abstract, word-oriented talk sessions are not adequate to change behaviors. (Author/MLF)

Recent research in preservice and inservice teacher education has led to four generalizations concerning effective staff development: (1) teachers should be actively engaged in their own learning; (2) collaboration based upon mutual trust and respect between institutions of higher education, school districts, and the community is essential; (3)…

This paper attempts to identify critical variables for designing training programs in early childhood special education. A literature review is presented on training and the adult learner. Important characteristics of training are identified, such as the course design, sequence, content, and adult learning strategies used. Other significant…

Discusses several factors that may improve staff training on integrated library systems, including the application of andragogic learning theory, using effective on-the-job training techniques, the selection of trainers based on competencies, and visible administrative support during all phases of the staff training project. (37 references)…

Discusses renewed interest of instructional developers in public schools and reviews the literature of three major themes prevalent in inservice teacher education: clinical supervision, teaching effectiveness research, and reflective teaching. The application of adult learning theory is described, and involvement of instructional designers in…

This guide to effective staff development planning draws extensively on the literature to discuss the concepts crucial at each stage of the planning process. An introductory section reviews the characteristics of adult learners (including what they want to learn and how they prefer to learn it), touching on adult development, learning and…

This document on inservice training and staff development is one in a series of four developed to provide a comprehensive overview of the scope of training practices relating to adult learning. Directed toward educators designing and conducting training programs and toward trainers of trainers, these contributions by adult educators and…

Describes three themes emerging from a review of literature on adult development of women: centrality of relationships, diverse patterns of development, and the importance of identity and intimacy. Presents ideas staff developers could incorporate based on the themes, and makes observations on what women have taught researchers about teaching…

This document brings together the good practice that was developed and demonstrated through a series of pilot projects that were funded in 2001 by the United Kingdom's Learning and Skills Council to extend outreach literacy and numeracy provision in local community settings. The guide's nine chapters discuss the following topics: (1) the…

An advisory committee was formed to examine the extent of the need for services for adults with learning disabilities in British Columbia, the ways in which these needs might effectively be met, and methods for increasing public awareness of adults with learning disabilities. It was determined that about 15 percent of the adult population of the…