CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT LEARNING
CHARACTERISTICS OF ADULT LEARNING

Summary/Abstract: Nowadays people’s professional development cannot end the day they graduate from college or university - it should happen throughout their careers. More and more students and professionals are embracing a mindset ofself-directed and lifelong learning as a response to the rapid pace of technological and strategic changes around us. Whereas children learning is based on the concept that they need guidance from their teacher as to what they learn and how they learn it, adult learning is built on different principles. It is assumed that adults already possess the skills that allow them to have control over the what, who, how, why, when and where of their learning. They want education that is more problem-centered than content-centered. Being internally motivated, they need to see that what they are studying in the classroom is relevant to their day-to-day activities.Children and adults have different skills, perspectives and attitudes to learning. They have different backgrounds and experiences that they bring to the classroom. All these differences, which are actually noticeable irrespective of the learners’ age, influence their learning styles. Yet, most of the basic principles of learning are the same for both children and adults.

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