Contemporary Perspectives Impacting Adult Learning |
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Three major areas present themselves as contemporary perspectives impacting adult learning
Critical Theory
- Strength--analyzing economic and social structures and the powers they are driven by
- Weakness--suggesting workable strategies for effecting change
- Welton identified several
concepts from critical theory that affect adult education:
- knowledge, ideal conditions for reflective discourse;
- institutions as learning communities; and
- the interplay of the system with the real world
Postmodernism
- Modern World--scientific,
industrial, institutional, artifacts generated by humanistic views
vs.
Postmodern era--diversity, power, authority, ethics - Criticized for pessimism, extreme relativism and lack of moral center
- Provides adult education with respect for diversity; moving groups to be of equal value to others and a decontruction of categories within society (i.e. illiterate groups)
Feminist Pedagogy
- Focusing on concerns of women in the teaching/learning transaction.
- Women often seen in nonauthoritative roles=unequal power relations in society
- Power disparity between the teacher and student
- Educators need to carefully consider curriculuum, teaching strategies to challenge power relations based on gender, race and class
