describing the barriers to learning for the adults, the types of barriers and also how to overcome them.

1. PROJECT
DUE DATE COURSE
JANUARY 16 2013 BEC910CE- ADULT EDUCATION
Barriers to Adult Learning
By: Patti Blight, Sarah Cancelliere, Danielle Gunton, Avril Reid, Kerry Weir

2. What are some common barriers
experienced by adult learners when they
choose to return to school or participate in
workplace training?

3. ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS
YOU CAN’T
TEACH AN OLD
DOG NEW
TRICKS…OR
CAN YOU?

4. THE CASE
• Anita is over 50
• She has been in her job for 20 years
• Her job is being outsourced
• She can not afford to retire
• She needs to develop new skills
• She needs to go back to school

5. THE BARRIER
“Many adults have experienced so much
criticism, failure, and discouragement in
their youth that their self-confidence and
sense of worth are damaged. In a new
learning environment, adults often are
anxious, fear failure, and dread rejection
by their peer group (Kennedy, 2003).”

7. ALLEVIATING THE FEARS
Provide a safe and welcoming
environment
Have students interact and discuss
prior experiences
Have students explain their goals
Provide students with detailed course
outline and expectations

8. THE EDUCATOR
“Part of being an effective educator
involves understanding how adults
learn best (Lieb,1991)”.

9. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’
PRINCIPLES
1. Adults are internally
motivated and self-
directed
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
Be a facilitator:
Understand how adults
learn and allow students
to participate in the
direction of the class
Recognize and
accommodate different
learning styles

10. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’ PRINCIPLES
2. Adults bring life
experiences and
knowledge to learning
experiences
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
Acknowledge value of
previous experience

11. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’
PRINCIPLES
3. Adults are goal
oriented
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
Show direct link
between course material
and student’s goals
Use real case studies to
examine theory

12. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’
PRINCIPLES
4. Adults are relevancy
oriented
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
Provide assignment
options that reflect
student interests
Provide students with
reflective questions to
assess connection to
goals

13. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’
PRINCIPLES
5. Adults are practical
EDUCATOR’S
ROLE
Encourage active
participation allowing
students to experiment
and develop self
efficacy
Provide feedback on a
regular basis

14. APPLYING KNOWLES
KNOWLES’
PRINCIPLES
6. Adult learners like to be
respected
EDUCATOR’S ROLE
Acknowledge past
experience
Treat adult learner as
an equal
Promote an
environment for
expression of ideas

15. TIMING AND FINANCIAL BARRIERS

16. Most adults have their hands full.
Between work, family and home
responsibilities, we can feel like we
can go a little crazy.
Is there really enough time in the
day and extra money to spend on
growing ourselves intellectually?

17. •Sandra is 40 years oldShe’s a wife and mother of
three childrenShe’s been a Medical Lab Assistant
for 18 yearsShe feels she cannot progress further
in her career
•She and her husband are worried about future
tuition costs for their childrenShe needs to
expand her career by developing new skillsShe
wants to go back to school
THE CASE

18. THE BARRIER
“How will I juggle family, work and school?
There are only so many hours in a day…
Women, by characteristic, experience a greater
amount of guilt about her student role if she
feels it interrupts her responsibility for
maintaining her role within the family.
Consequently, if she feels too much strain
during this time, she will ultimately give up
school to make things easier.” (Shields, 1994)

19. SANDRA’S
BARRIERS
Cost ofcourseandmaterials
Time of day
not suitable
for shift work
Lack of timeto committo course
Cost of extrachild care duringcourse hours

20. 1. Discuss with her family how further
education will improve her career and self.
2. Ask her family to compromise. Example:
Older children can help with lunch
preparation and basic house keeping tasks
Form a realistic household budget to
accommodate the added costs of schooling.
Form a realistic household budget to
accommodate the added costs of schooling.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
Sandra Can...

21. 4. Develop time management strategies.
Organize with a point/task by point/task on
a calendar to understand her own abilities
and how to adjust her life to accommodate
others.
Example: Put on calendar dates of school,
work, and family events. Put due dates for
bills, school assignments, etc.
OVERCOMING BARRIERS
Sandra Can...

22. THE EDUCATOR
“Much of the excitement of learning is in
the evolving, unpredictable and
unanticipated learning that inevitably
occurs. Realizing that the richest resource
in the classroom are the members present,
helped teachers of adults to relax and enjoy
themselves too. Such congruence between
belief and practice enhanced all.” (Barer-
Stein and Draper, 1993).

23. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
1. Physiological Need.
Refers to the basic
bodily requirements
needed to survive.
Ensure the classroom
environment is
comfortable,
Equipment and resources
must be in working order
Offer short breaks
throughout the lesson.

24. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
2. Safety Need.
Refers to the
desire to be
safe from
physical or
emotional injury.
Refers to the
desire to be
safe from
physical or
emotional injury.
Set clear expectations for the
course.
Provide a personal introduction
to help students feel at ease.
These strategies will help the
educator seem more
approachable when student
issues arise.

25. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
3. Social Need.
Refers to the
need for love,
belonging, and
acceptance from
others.
Creating an “ice breaker” lesson:
Form the students into small
groups and allow them to
introduce themselves
Have students talk about their
strengths, weaknesses, and state
their expectations for the course

26. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
4. Esteem Need.
Refers to the need
to be seen by
others, as well as
themselves, as a
person of worth
and importance.
Constantly provide positive
and negative feedback to
students. (Also known as
“Constructive Criticism”)
Be flexible and understanding
of the hectic schedules of
students
Guide them to success within
the course

27. Applying Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow Need EDUCATOR’S ROLE
5. Self-
Actualization Need.
Refers to the
desire to reach
one’s own
potential and level
of succession.
Provide consistent
evaluations:
Congratulate students on
something they accomplished
on a task or assignment
Encourage students with
specific guidelines on how to
move beyond their comfort
levels.

28. Helping
Exceptional
students
Overcome
Barriers

29. THE CASE
• Viktor is 28 years old
• He has a central auditory processing
(CAP) disorder
• He has trouble distinguishing speech
from background noise
• He also has mild difficulties reading,
writing, and spelling
• He knows he n

30. THE BARRIERS