Narrative learning is strongly allied with transformational learning and adult development (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007), given that it creates context for adult meaning making. Through the use of narrative writing, adult students have the opportunity to engage multiple aspects of learning. Many colleges and universities allow…

Background/Context: The implications of complexity theory have become a recurring topic in the literatures of a wide range of scholarly and professional fields including adult education. This paper builds on literature calling attention to the educational need for pedagogically addressing the implications of the intensifying complexity in the…

The study of the process of reflection has a dignified history. However, few have linked reflection to the development of the self in such a way that the form of reflection is understood to influence the resultant type of self. This article explores the process of reflection using a framework of meaning making, internalization, and externalization…

The purpose of this chapter is to consider the important influence that spirituality has in adult learning and how discussions of it are affecting the field of adult education. In so doing, the author begins by attempting to define spirituality and then considers the nature of spiritual experience and its relationship to adult development.…

Psychologists have often observed an underlying pattern or theme in the accounts that individuals give of their lives. To test a humanistic-existential approach to human development, 48 women were interviewed with the Loss and Transcendence (L/T) Life History Form. The L/T Life Theme is expressed in two ways: the expanded version includes the…

When assessment of prior learning is used to teach self-reflection, it encourages developmental growth. Techniques that support development include goals statements, autobiographies, and experiential learning essays. (SK)

To determine what a theory of adult learning should encompass, three topics were considered: current status of adult learning theory, contributions of the developmentalists, and foundation for a total person model of adult learning theory. An overview of activity related to theory building in adult learning during the 1970s showed the emphasis…

Interviews with 18 adults who identified negative outcomes from life experience learning showed that, if experience challenges self-definition, growth-inhibiting responses develop. When the threat to self is reduced, growth may result from negative experiences. (SK)

An experiential graduate education model that effectively addresses issues of adult development and socialization for adults entering the profession of clinical psychology is described. (Author/MSE)

Outlines two projects that highlight the multidimensionality of aging processes for adult development and aging courses: (1) students design an age-appropriate retirement community using buildings on the local college campus; and (2) students present products they design to remedy specific age-related problems. (DSK)

Major life developmental tasks are identified, along with the learning outcomes necessary to fulfill those tasks for adults from age 17 to retirement. Attention is directed to the important connection between life cycle change and adult learning as well as seven assumptions underlying life cycle theory. Developmental tasks and learning needs are…

Describes an interactive method for teaching a course in the psychology of aging based on a multidisciplinary approach. Argues that it allows incorporation of a wide range of age-related topics, and provides students with practical applications. Allows students to identify and challenge perceptions of age and understand aging from multiple…

Drawing largely on the literature from adult learning and development, this article presents parents as continuous learners whose critical reflections on their experiences with parenting can be rich fodder for their growth and development. Theories and models are highlighted that may suggest a wider repertoire of approaches for helping…

Self-concept is an important element in the growth and developmental process for individual human beings. Adult learners in institutional programs need assistance in probing their inner selves to be able to move ahead in their lives. David Kolb's work with the experiental learning model is especially appropriate in dealing with adult learners. In…

The article distinguishes between the dimensions of maturity and educational techniques, challenging that concentration on technique at the expense of a clear conception of purpose may lead to ineffectiveness. (Author/NQ)