Introduction
My concern with the problem of adult learning is well-grounded, and I am deeply involved in it. Due to some reasons, I did not have an opportunity to enter an educational institution promptly because there were certain financial difficulties endured by my family. The necessity to work deprived me of the chance to enjoy my youth. Now when I am a financially independent person, I have decided to make up leeway and to obtain a degree in science. In this paper, I will consider some theories of adult development to prove that adult learning is quite effective. I will also analyze my life experience with regard to theories on adult learning and development to argue that there are not age restrictions for knowledge acquisition.
Main Body
Based on the above, there are false stereotypes created by people that an adult learning has certain limits and difficulties connected with aging. However, the established boundaries are connected with the standards of an adult education rather than with the process of an adult learning itself.
As my family has certain financial problems, I had to start working quite early. I was employed to a small company as courier and my task was to deliver letters and other important documentation to the right place at a right time. I was young enough to realize that this was a dead-end job that has not opportunities for promotion. As my graphic was not fixed, I did not have an opportunity to take some course and to obtain a degree. Nevertheless, I tried to devote all my spare time to self-study and development which soon gave me some privileges. Now, when my working experience exceeds ten years, I have taken the course on human resources management in order to obtain a degree and, thus, to increase my chances for promotion.
When taking courses for adult learners I have started paying more attention to different theoretical frameworks focusing on the problem of adult development, particularly on the problem of identity. In this respect, Edwards et al. (1996) recognize that “adults learn in a wide variety of settings – in the home, workplace, community…in this way a more diverse range of activities can be said to come inside the boundaries” (p 4). I definitely agree with these suggestions. When I was young, I did not have much obligations and responsibilities and, therefore, I had fewer problems. Now when I am a grown-up, my responsibilities and obligations are connected with a wider range of issues, like family and work that surely influence my study in school.
A diverse range of obligations and responsibilities influences the quality of learning, but this is, perhaps, the major problem. Hence, there is a false assumption that the aging process has a serious impact on the process of knowledge acquisition and intellectual development. Stevens-Long and Michaud (2003) believe that it is desirable to refer to an ecological paradigm of adult development. This concept considers aging process as matrix presenting development across the entire lifespan. I believe that my life was also composed of “a series of patterns evolving and dissolving over time” (Stevens-Long and Michaud, 2003, p. 6). Combining work and study, I have subconsciously created my unique pattern of development that considerably differs from a traditional one. But this does not mean that this pattern yields to it in term of effectiveness.
The above paradigm leads me to the idea that an adult education does not have serious boundaries. The point is that, apart from the employed setting, the process of learning provides more opportunities for practice. Hence, the more I know about different techniques and strategies, the more chances I have to employ them immediately. In other words, I perceive my working environment as the place where I can find practical application the acquired theoretical knowledge. Such an approach proposed by Merriam (2008) encourages me to see my adult learning as beneficial for my career. It is necessary to recognize that that the process of learning covers much wider activities including emotional and mental processes. With regard to this theory, I can also refer to my work as a leaning process where practical knowledge and empirical experience can be converted into theoretical concepts. Hence, working as a courier, I have learnt different types of documents, the basic concepts of business communication and conflict resolution. What is more important, I have gained profound knowledge on human psychology the theory of which I have further discovered in the course of my adult study.
Conclusion
As it has been indirectly mentioned, emotions play a significant role in the process of knowledge acquisition. The point is that I have been sure that emotion is the main taboo in the workplace. I agree with the idea that it is wrong to deny a human nature, as an organizational process has always involved and provoked jokes, anger, curiosity, envy, etc (Bierema, 2008, p. 57). Therefore, emotions contribute to the cognitive process and makes adult learning much more effective. Moreover, emotional focus considerably lessens the time of study and increases the productivity at the same time.
Reference List
- Bierem, L. L. (2008) Adult Learning in the Workplace: Emotion Work or Emotion Learning. New directions for adult and continuing education. 120, pp. 55-64.
- Edwards, R., Hanson, A., and Raggatt, P. (1996). Boundaries of adult learning. NJ. Routledge.
- Merriam, S. B. (2008) Adult Learning Theory for the Twenty-First Century. New directions for adult and continuing education. 119, pp. 93-98.
- Stevens-Long, J, and Michaud, G. (2003) The new paradigm and the problem of direction. Handbook of adult development. US: Springer.