Chapter 3: Framework and Foundation 53Have an identified self-concept and thrive when learning is
self-directed: Adult learners have a need to direct their learning.
Learning itself cannot be mandated by a supervisor.
Have prior experience: By the very nature of reaching adulthood,
adult learners have a great number of life experiences that will ipact
their learning.
Have a readiness to learn: Adults will learn, but it should be self-
driven. They become ready to learn when they recognize the need in
order to deal with real-life situations.
Have an orientation to learning: Adult learners are life- or task-
centered rather than subject-centered. Their learning is focused on
gaining the knowledge or skill necessary for real-life situations.
Are internally motivated: Coaches must tap into internal
motivation to [promote] learn[ing]. Adults will simply not have a
meaningful learning experience if they do not internally find a
motivation to learn.
Additional adult learning key terms
Experiential learning: Adults learn through experience, a learning
process that “builds on and flows from experience: no matter what
external prompts to learning there might be” (Boud, Cohen, &
Walker, 1994, p. 8). The phases of this process are seen as cyclical
(Figure 3.3). Because it is unknown exactly what will be discovered
during the coaching process, the coach must play the role of a
guide as learners question perspectives and practices, which