Personal Philosophy of Adult Education
“I believe that education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform.”
— John Dewey
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A Responsibility to One Another
The purpose of this personal philosophy of adult education is so that prospective learners or colleagues have more information to decide how to or even if they would like to work and learn with me. It is also a contract of sorts between the learners and me. It is a promise that my classroom is a learning refuge, a place of safety where all are respected, and equality prevails. Lastly but not least, it is also an agreement between who I am today and the person
I will become tomorrow.
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Growing Together for Change
The adult learning philosophies that I identify with the most are progressive and humanistic philosophies. Learning is most meaningful when we continually leverage “yesterday’s” experiences in collaborative experiential learning and open vulnerable dialogue. I utilize Dewey’s progressive learning theory’s strong participatory and collaborative approach believing learners should cooperate and not compete with one another (Gibbon, 2019). However, I am not anti-competition. I simply believe that it should be with oneself. Humanistic learning theory supports the view that individuals should strive to become their best selves. This self-actualization is “the person’s desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially.” (Maslow as cited in McCleod, 2022).
Combining our actualized selves with a collaborative approach, we can then work together to remove historical barriers to learning. This learning approach has the potential to disrupt traditional learning for the betterment of not only our learning events’ participants but also for the learning community at large. I believe that we must continually work towards the transformation into better versions of ourselves to be more likely of successful outcomes in this. Only when we are open and vulnerable and realize we are all in this together can we begin meaningful work.
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My connection to these philosophies has its roots in the understanding of the interconnectedness and dignity of all beings. This undoubtedly is grounded in my undergraduate ecology studies where I learned that all systems are connected in a larger universal system. Around the same time, I first encountered the following quote from Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed in a college class on global education. “To alienate (human beings) from their own decision-making is to change them into objects.” (Freire, 2000). This critical approach to education has stayed with me.
It is All Connected
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To this end, when possible, I use Kolb’s experiential learning cycle of experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. (EBLS, 2019). I usually will take on the role of facilitator and start with interactive or experiential activities followed by a shared discussion using each learner’s unique experience. For this dialogue, I strive to create a safe space. All questions and comments are fair game if they are delivered respectfully and for the purpose of the betterment of the learner’s understanding or the learning community. Having connection and community responsibility at the center of my learning approach means taking a different path than tribalism and other barrier framed mindsets.
Putting Theory to Work
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Summing It All Up
My philosophy of adult education is progressive and humanistic in nature. Successful application means learners become better at self-advocacy and can use their life experiences and personal stories to shape their own meaning and real-life application of their learning. My approach centers on the needs of the individual learners in alignment with their organizational roles and strategy while also recognizing we have a responsibility to the larger community as well.