This is a presentation about the adult education philosophies that apply to job-skills and vocational training.

1. ADULT Education Philosophies and Principles By: heather galan Workforce Training ED512: Spring 2011

2. Overview Workforce Training Adult Education Philosophies Humanistic Education Principles of Andragogy Behaviorist Education Job-skills Training Conclusion References

3. Workforce Training “Skills Gap”in the workforce Difficult for hiring officials to find qualified job applicants (Gordon, 2005, p. 159) The “Job Crisis” is forcing employers to focus on education demand for: Learning new information Communication skills Problem solving Trainers should understand the Adult Education Philosophies that relate to workforce training

4. Skills Gap

5. Adult Education Adult Education Philosophy (Elias & Merriam, 2005) Humanist Adult Education (p. 111-130) Dedicated to internal aspects of learning Focuses on skills needed for career Science of helping adults learn Behaviorist Adult Education (p. 92-93) Focuses on observable behavior Used mainly for curriculum design Applies to vocational education and job-skills training

6. Humanist Education Humanist adult education focuses on (Elias & Merriam, 2005, p. 111): “Survival Skills” Freedom Dignity Malcolm Knowles (Elias & Merriam, 2005, p.132) Influential adult educator in the United States Believed the humanistic education theory is suitable for teaching adults Believed that andragogy is well suited for adult education

7. Principles of Andragogy Andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn. Knowles’ Principles of Andragogy (Elias & Merriam, 2005, p. 132-134): Facilitated learning Respectful of the learner Cooperative rather then competitive environment Respect for learners life experiences Learner is responsible for their own learning Learners readiness to learn Immediate application of knowledge Adults are intrinsically motivated to learn.

8. Behaviorist Education Characteristics of Behaviorist Education Philosophy(Elias & Merriam, 2005, p. 83): Learning is a change in behavior Environment controls behavior Reinforcement is central to explaining the learning process. B.F Skinner (Elias & Merriam, 2005, p. 88) Radical behaviorist Developed steps for task learning. Believed that teachers need to have an understanding of teaching and learning

9. Job-skills Training Behaviorists Adult Education has influenced (Elias & Merriam, 2005, p. 108): Vocational education Continuing professional education Literacy education Behaviorist Education can be linked to measurable outcomes: Success Competency Increased productivity Concrete results

10. Return on Investment Emphasizing ROI for training (Gordon, 2005, p. 118): Mobilize employers to support workforce training programs Investing in worker training programs is an investment in human capitol Investing in workforce training, can help reduce the negative effects of the “skills gap” that America is facing.

11. Conclusion Adult Education Philosophies Humanistic Education Malcolm Knowles Andragogy Behaviorist Education B.F. Skinner Job-skills training

12. References Elias, John L., Merriam, Sharan B. (2005). Philosophical Foundations of Adult Education, Third Edition. Malabar. Kriegar. Gordon, E. E. (2005). The 2010 Meltdown: Solving the Impending Jobs Crisis. Westport: Praeger. Senge, P. M. (2006). The Figth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday.