Differences Between Teaching Adults and Pre-Adults: A Closer Look

Abstract

There is a considerable body of prescriptive literature in adult education which defines a learner-centered, responsive approach for teaching adults. Little research, however, has attempted to describe the similarities and differences in the ways teachers actually teach adults and pre-adults. This study analyzed the reported and actual (observed) teaching practices of a population of university, community college, and public school teachers who taught in both adult and pre-adult programs. While teachers reported teaching differences that were very much in line with the prescriptive literature, there was, in actual practice, little evidence of the more student-centered approach with adults that was reported. Comparative analysis was used to examine factors which appeared to influence interaction patterns in adult education classrooms. The value of interaction analysis was supported in providing an objective description of teaching behavior from which grounded instructional theory and prescriptions for training adult education practitioners might subsequently be developed.

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