Encyclopedia of Leadership

14.4

ADULT LEARNING: PRINCIPLES

FOR HELPING ADULTS LEARN

Inspired by Malcolm Knowles.

Knowing how to apply adult learning principles improves a leader’s ability to influence and

help others learn, whether on the job or within group meetings. Adult learning principles are

almost the opposite of traditional teaching assumptions and methods. Understanding the logic

behind these principles will help you facilitate and lead in a way that is in tune with and sup-

ports the needs of adults.

To enhance adult learning, leaders need to build upon adults’ experiences; create relevance

for the learning; and keep learning practical by making it concrete and by actively involving

the learners in a variety of ways.

ADULT LEARNING PRINCIPLES

438 SECTION 14 TOOLS FORLEARNING

Principle

Adults have a lot of expe-

rience and are protective

of their learning from

this experience.

Adults want to focus on

real-life, here-and-now

problems and tasks,

rather than on academic

or philosophical

situations.

Most adults are accus-

tomed to being active

and self-directed in their

learning.

Rationale

• Adults have a lot invested in their experi-
  ence. They have something to contribute and
  something to protect.


• Every adult learns at his or her own pace and
  in his or her own way.


• Few adults want or expect to change their
  self-concepts. It’s not a leader’s role to force
  personal change.


• Adults see learning as a means to an end, not
  as an end in itself.


• Adult learning is voluntary. Adults will only
  learn what they want to learn, in order to do
  what they want to do.


• The best adult learning is a consequence of
  experience. Experience alone is clumsy and
  evolutionary, and makes for a slow and
  painful teacher. But experience combined
  with coaching and other methods of learning
  (e.g., reading, on-the-job instruction, partici-
  pating in a workshop) is a powerful develop-
  mental combination.

Practices

✓ Adults want to test new learning against

what they already know; they won’t buy

your answer unless they understand why.

Leaders need to encourage questioning and

value different perspectives.

✓ Adults don’t want to risk looking stupid or

being shown up in any way. It’s critical that

leaders maintain adults’ self-esteem at all

times.

✓ Feedback, encouragement, and empathy are

keys when adults first try out a new skill.

✓ As busy people, adults want to focus on

immediate and current issues, not on learn-

ing that may be useful in the distant future.

✓ Leaders need to create relevance by using

concrete examples of how the learning will

be helpful to adults.

✓ Adults become restless if they feel their time

is being wasted. They must know what there

is to gain and what is in it for them.

✓ For learning to occur, adults have to get

involved in their own learning.

✓ Leaders need to help adults connect learning

activities with business and personal results.

✓ Adults want to be consulted and listened

to. They become engaged and focused

when challenged and supported. They resist

and defend themselves when they feel

threatened.