Personal Philosophy of Adult Education

¶ … philosophy that best reflects my opinion of adult education. Google "philosophy of adult education" and you will find essentially personal essays and thoughts about the philosophy of how and why adult education exists.

My personal philosophy of adult education is a result of my personal awareness of the essential purpose of education. From my view, education should be an empowering tool, which enables adults to attain their full potential and realize their objectives throughout their lives. In this example, education should offer adults the opportunity to augment their employment skills so that they can pursue the career they really want to succeed in life. I believe it is the goal of adult education to be able to identify the candidates of adult learners who can benefit from adult education and realize their dreams.

One of the main purposes of adult education is to enable adult learners to make the most of their full potential. Through education, adult learners should be able to reach their potential of being the best they can be, no matter what profession they choose, and regardless of their age. I believe that adults should never stop learning, or wanting to learn, and that it is the duty of adult education systems to foster this learning lifestyle in their students, and in their communities.

Many people believe philosophy is theological in nature, but in reality, philosophy fosters knowledge and wisdom, the foundation of education. It is important to reflect on one's philosophy from time to time, because it helps pinpoint our beliefs about important subjects, and helps us recognize why we feel the way we feel about issues.

There are several major philosophical approaches to adult education, from behaviorist to progressive. Each uses different methods to transfer learning for different purposes. Each has its supporters and detractors, and realistically, it seems the most successful programs might be a blend of two or more of these approaches, so they appeal to the greatest number of adult learners. For example, a teacher might blend the liberal "expert" approach with the humanistic facilitator approach to reach a greater number of his or her students and make a difference in their learning skills.