History, People, and Perspectives

History

Some examples of historical moments in adult and community education

1814: In England - Thomas Pole used the phrase "adult education" in his book A History of Origin and Progress of Adult Schools which some believe to be the first use of the term (Stubblefield & Rachal, 1992, p. 106).

1875: The first use of the term adult education in America by Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian (Stubblefield & Rachal, 1992, p. 109).

1944: Passing of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly referred to as the GI Bill (Polson, 2010).

1946: UNESCO's, the generally recognized international authority on adult education, Constitution was ratified by 20 countries (UNESCO, 1995).

1951: Formation of the Fund for Adult Education by the Ford Foundation and Founding of the Adult Education Association of the U.S.A. (Hiemstra, 2005).

1952: The National Association of Public School Adult Educators was organized to promote the special interests of public school adult education (Hiemstra, 2005).

1960s: Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson devote their administration to adult education as a means to help develop the country's work force (Eyre, 2013).

1966: Passing of the Adult Education Act (Hiemstra, 2005).

1976: The Lifelong Learning Amendment (Hiemstra, 2005).

Image of Thomas Pole

Logo for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (United Nations, n.d.)

People

Influential figures in adult education

Eduard Lindeman (1885-1953) - believe that adult education should be a co-operative effort with informal learning to discover the "meaning of experience" (Nixon-Ponder, 1995).

Malcolm Knowles (1913-1997) - coined the term "andragogy"(meaning the ideas and methods of teaching adults) and was an advocate of self-direction in adult learning and informal learning (Smith, 2002).

Paulo Freire (1921-1997) - Brazilian adult educator and author who believed in education as a means to improve social circumstance (Bently, 1999).

Jack Merizow (1923-2014) - developed transformative learning theory which is the idea that an adult's ideas, perspectives, and world views are shifted as new information is obtained and through critical reflection (Western Governors University, 2020).

Image of Malcolm Knowles (Kurt, 2020)

Perspectives

Different philosophies of adult education

Liberal/Classical: to make the learner literate in the most broad of terms and develop "intellectual powers of the mind" (Philosophies of adult education, 1997). The learner is always seeking knowledge, the teacher transmits knowledge (Philosophies of adult education, 1997).

Behaviorist: looks to promote behavioral change for the betterment of society (Philosophies of adult education, 1997). The learner is active in trying something new to receive feedback while the teacher manages the changing conditions of the learner (Philosophies of adult education, 1997).

Progressive: looks to promote social change through the the giving of practical knowledge and problem solving (Philosophies of adult education, 1997). The learner brings interests and experience and the teacher is a guide to the learning experience (Philosophies of adult education, 1997).

Humanistic: develop people who want to change and have personal growth (Philosophies of adult education, 1997). The learner is self-directed while the teacher helps promote learning without directing it (Philosophies of adult education, 1997).

Radical: to bring social, political, and economic change to society through education (Philosophies of adult education, 1997). Learner and teacher are seen as equals (Philosophies of adult education, 1997).