The advent of the so-called "post-literacy" era imposes on an individual the need to master not only various verbal, but also visual, artistic and scientific languages that have been developed in modern culture, which requires an adult to constantly improve their general educational and cultural level and to constantly struggle against…

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…

Adult education is so named not because it is confined to adults but because adulthood defines its limits. As a process, adult education revolves around nonvocational ideals. Its approach is via the route of situations rather than subjects. Adult education attempts to discover new methods and create new incentive for learning. It attempts to serve…

Aimed at adult education practitioners engaged in graduate study, this book draws on the field of developmental psychology to provide new insights into the critical connections between experience and learning in adult education and training. Chapter 1 introduces the role of psychological development in adult learning, investment of "self" in…

The problems and needs of adults returning for higher education are discussed. It is important for learning institutions and nontraditional programs to investigate the types and the scope of these problems and needs and the availability of support the student will receive from others to help overcome the problems. (Author/MLW)

Metaphysics is a necessary point of departure to build a comprehensive understanding of the nature of adult and adulthood at a deeper philosophical level. A group of philosophers representing the school of German Classical Idealism remain highly influential in building elaborate arguments on the nature of self and reality that may assist adult…

Both the content and process of graduate education promote adult development. Graduate programs, particularly nontraditional programs, can both address the growing adult and uphold relevant standards of intellectual excellence and professional expertise. Life phases, developmental stages, and learning styles are three domains that are described.…

A study tried to determine if development can continue through middle age, if education can stimulate adult development, and, if so, what the contributing factors are. The subjects were 60 men and women who had begun doctoral studies between ages 37 and 48, half of whom had just finished and half of whom had just started. Half of the students were…

This booklet was developed to help literacy instructors of older adults become more knowledgeable about these students. The guide is organized in eight sections that cover the following topics: older adults--who are they?; characteristics of older adults; barriers to learning; older adult developmental stages; the older adult learner; finding…

This book contains 11 theory-based chapters reporting the findings of a study on patterns of work, love, and learning in adulthood. (The study gathered data about events related to work, relationships, and learning from 405 adults and graphed them to identify life patterns.) The following topics are covered: (1) the origins and development of the…

Three alternative views of adult development can serve to distinguish competing schools of thought regarding the research, theory, and practice of human resource development (HRD). These views are as follows: (1) the person-centered view, which aims at self-realization of the individual and is grounded in humanistic psychology and liberalism; (2)…

The third booklet in the series Career Development in Head Start is designed to provide the career development coordinator and other Head Start personnel with a better understanding of adult development and how adults learn, thereby enabling them to counsel Head Start career aspirants more effectively. Transcripts of interviews with…

Theories about adult development have been grouped into four models: biological, psychological, sociocultural, and integrative. Biological models (those that are concerned with how physical changes affect development) and psychological models (those that view development as either sequential--defined by life events-- or as a series of transitions…

The learning and development experiences of English-speaking Caribbean immigrant women in the United States were examined in a transcultural study. A heuristic phenomenological approach was used to explore how a sample of 15 Anglophone women from the British Caribbean islands who had immigrated to the midwestern, southwestern, and eastern United…

This encyclopedia contains 106 articles on adult development that were written by more than 75 specialists in such diverse fields as anthropology, communication, education, health sciences, history, and psychology. In a guide to related topics that is presented at the beginning of the encyclopedia, the 106 articles are grouped under the following…