Classical naturalistic and critical approaches to program planning

Program Planning

Classical, naturalistic, and critical approaches to adult education intervention programs share several features in common. They build upon research in childhood education by offering systematic approaches to designing curriculum. Each of these three approaches suggests a planning stage during which educational objectives are clarified. Next, program planners design educational activities with those stated educational objectives in mind and after the program is implemented some type of assessment strategy is used. Assessments help evaluate the effectiveness of the particular education intervention used and can advise future program directors.

However, the classical, naturalistic, and critical approaches do vary in their approach to adult education intervention. The classical approach centers more on the educational environment and the immediate needs of the learner. The naturalistic approach takes into account real-life applications of the education intervention, and the critical approach extends beyond the boundaries of the intervention itself to discuss global issues, theories, and concerns.

Cookson, Knowles, Nadler & Nadler refer to the decision points in designing an effective adult education framework. In particular, the authors mention the need to identify the focus of the activity. In this case, the focus of the activity is a normative need: a need to shift the social culture of the organization to reflect egalitarian gender norms. Once a decision is made to proceed, objectives are identified and refined (Cookson, Knowles, Nadler & Nadler p. 39). The identification of objectives may be the most crucial and complex stages of the adult education planning phase. Finally, a suitable format is designed (Cookson, Knowles, Nadler & Nadler p. 40). Taking advantage of human resources and working within the financial constraints of the company, a suitable gender awareness course can be easily designed.

The design and implementation of the adult education experience must be supplemented by an assessment measure. In the case of a sexual harassment education seminar, assessments would consist of both short-term and long-term investigations of the organizational culture. If necessary or possible, dramatic shifts in the organizational culture could prepare the future workforce for a harassment-free environment. The need for more females in positions of power remains one of the greatest stumbling blocks to eliminating sexual harassment. A naturalistic approach to educational intervention would emphasize how females in the workplace could overcome obstacles such as unequal pay and inequitable distributions of power.