Co-creating with a diverse population of learners to enhance their educational experience requires apt skills, namely, multiple intelligence practices. Through the lens of adult learning theories to include multiple intelligences developed by Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, this empirical research study of a classroom scenario examines the…

As the number of adults seeking to learn the piano increases, so too does the need for piano teachers to understand how to better facilitate their learning. Self-direction is an oft-cited requirement of adult learning, but one that is often absent from piano studios. This practitioner-based research investigates the role of the teacher in…

Universities across the country are steadily increasing their use of online courses. Society's demand for lifelong learning will encourage the advancement of distance learning. Research tells us that today the average person changes careers every ten years. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that about 10% of workers change jobs…

The possible selves construct is presented as a useful and largely untapped perspective on adult learning. Special attention is given to the role of educational helping relationships in fostering positive possible selves among adult learners.

Jack Mezirow's theory of transformative learning has evolved into a description of how learners learn by integrating new knowledge with their existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirow's theory, which is based on psychoanalytic theory and…

S. Brookfield proposed the "critical practice audit" technique as an experiential approach to helping learners engage in transformative learning by participating in some kind of action or practice. Ivey and Ivey proposed a five-stage interview structure involving numerous intentional interviewing skills, including the following:…

This book describes the theory and process of transformative learning (TL) and presents practical strategies for fostering and supporting TL. In chapters 1 and 2, TL is placed within the broader context of adult learning and Mezirow's 1991 theory of TL is presented. Chapter 3 examines the following: TL's relationship to the instrumental,…

This paper, which is directed toward adult educators, presents a new approach to understanding the concept of marginalization, as well as a series of educational proposals regarding working with marginalized people that are drawn from transformative learning theory. First, marginalization is defined as being out of religious, legal, and…

This guide provides practical information, within a theoretical context, for educators who work with adult learners in formal and informal settings ranging from college and university courses to business and industrial training programs to community and special interest groups. The first two chapters examine the theoretical framework within which…

The "new science" of leadership encourages and supports participative management and focuses on relationships. As they train educational leaders in democratic, humane, and inclusive principles, educators must model those same principles in their classrooms. Teachers seeking to evoke the voices of adult learners through transformative teaching must…

Empirical research on adult learning conducted by Jack Mezirow in the 1970s was revolutionary and groundbreaking and contributed to the creation of a critical theory of adult learning. His influence has remained at the forefront of adult education theory for over two decades. It is timely to consider whether other empirical research has…

Malcolm Knowles' theory of andragogy asserts that adult learners learn differently from younger learners and hence require a different kind of education. According to Knowles, andragogy is characterized by the following hallmarks: adult learners are self-directed, have accumulated vast experiences that add to their knowledge, are at a stage in…

A three-year national study of adult museum programs used a qualitative research approach and naturalistic inquiry and interviewed 508 museum program participants, 75 instructors, and 143 museum program planners in all types and sizes of museums, including art institutes, natural and cultural historical museums, science centers, historic houses,…

This book discusses how spiritual development is informed by culture, how spirituality assists in meaning making, and how understanding the relationship between culture and spirituality can help adult educators make their students' educational experiences more transformative and culturally relevant. Particular attention is paid to spirituality's…

The process of shifting from the educational practice paradigm of the traditional teacher-dependent classroom to an independent learning environment requires transformation of attitudes, beliefs, and actions of students and teachers alike through understanding and acquisition and application of fundamental learning principles, skills, and…