Introduction
The aspects of adult education are crucial because
the issues surrounding it elicit diverse opinions. The desire by adults to
engage in further education for their own personal reasons has been on the
increase even as many seek to adjust their incomes to be able to maintain good
living standards. The theories and models of adult education suggest the need
for the learning to be learner-centered and with the contributions of the
learner to the activities and the instructions of learning. Concerns on the
adult theory are also diverse. The issues of financing of such education are
also evident with controversies on whose responsibility it is to finance adult
education and to what extent. The article by Jackson Londell on the adult
education theory is the article of analysis in this paper.
Summary of the Article
The article is titled “Revisiting Adult Learning
Theory through the Eyes of an Adult Learner” by Londell (2009). The objective
of the article is to evaluate the adult learning theories from an adult learner’s
perspective. The author discusses the behaviorist theory and makes comparisons
of the theory to an experiment with assertions that the environment plays a
crucial role in shaping an individual’s learning. He bases the humanist theory
of learning on the growth potential that is held by an individual. Concerning the
cognitive theory of learning the author is of the belief that a learner obtains
knowledge from what is taught which she/he then applies in the examination of
past experiences. Regarding the social cognitive theory, the author is of the
belief that learning takes place through the observation of others while for
the constructivist theory, individuals learn through a process of finding
meaning from the environment in which learning takes place (Londell, 2009).
Critical Analysis of the Article
The article aims at discussing the adult education
theory from the perspective of the adult learner. The use of the first person
narration of the article increases the reality of adult education and lowers
the manipulation of the perspective. Whereas the introduction focuses on
discussing the adult education theory, the author discusses the traditional
learning theories (Londell, 2009). The theories are covered in different scope.
The behaviorist theory is however explained through the concepts of high school
experiences of the author and does not touch on its application to adult education.
The humanist theory is explained with the connection of the author to the
subject matter. The cognitive theory is presented clearly from a true
perspective of an adult leaner and is based on the motivation for adult
learning which is mainly for application of the knowledge to job responsibilities.
The social cognitive theory is based on examples of learning from others which
though applicable, are not conclusive when it comes to adult education. This is
because of the fact that the pressure for learning that some adults have is
based on comparison with their peers. The author achieves the purpose of
discussing the adult education theory to a minimal degree since he only explains
the theories as taught and is not deep enough in justification. However, the
analysis is fair, interesting and has a good organization of thought.
Personal Perspectives on the Article
The article under discussion is written from a point
of truth perspective and is aimed at evaluating the adult education theory. In
the discussion the author applies the theories learnt to past experiences, job
situation, religion, examples, and other factors. He succeeds in bringing out
the perspective of the adult learner mainly in the cognitive theory which marks
his story life and motivation for learning. However, the article is limited in
depth of analysis and does not truly present the uniqueness of the adult
education that can be applied much in their learning.
Conclusion
This paper has provided a critical analysis of the
article “Revisiting Adult Learning Theory through the Eyes of an Adult Learner”
written by Londell. The article is well articulated from the first person
narration and personal experience, but limited in terms of depth analysis and portrayal
of the unique attributes of the adult learner. The article is worth reading for
adult learners, adult educators, policy makers and other parties interested in
education issues.
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