Teaching disadvantaged adults: challenges and strategies

Teaching Disadvantaged Adults

There are a many categories to consider when discussing the disadvantaged adult. These can include people from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as those who have for various reasons for not been able to complete their formal education; and individuals who have been socially excluded or are from ethnic minorities (Motivating Disadvantaged Adult Learners). However, possibly one of the most severely disadvantaged category of adults are those who suffer from various mental heath problems and who, as a result of these problems, have not been able to improve their learning abilities and their life outcomes.

An article that deals with an aspect of teaching and improving the learning conditions of this category of disadvantaged adult is Increasing Requests By Adults With Developmental Disabilities Using Incidental Teaching By Peers, by FARMER-DOUGAN ( 1994) This article deals with the way that the incidental teaching techniques and peer assistance can improve the desire and capability for learning in this category of adult learner.

Incidental teaching technique is described as "… structuring and sequencing educational objectives so that they occur within ongoing, typical activities and take advantage of student interests and motivation" (What is Incidental Teaching?). In other words, it is a technique that promotes learning in a natural and comfortable environment, where the learner is simulated and encouraged to explore learning rather than formally directed. It has been used successfully to improve language and social responses through reinforcement and the encouragement of generalizations (Incidental Teaching).

What is especially interesting about this study is that this is a behavioural teaching method that is usually applied to children with problems. This article explores its possibilities in relation to adult eduction. The author states that "A peer-delivered incidental-teaching procedure was used to instruct appropriate requesting in adults with moderate to severe mental retardation or autism" (Farmer-Dougan, 1994, p. 533). Furthermore, this technique includes many forms of reinforcing stimuli in the learning environment. As a result the "Learners receive contingent immediate reinforcement consisting, at minimum, of the item towards which they had just initiated or a positive interaction with the teacher" (Farmer-Dougan, 1994, p. 533).

This method has already been found to produce positive learning results in teaching language skills to children with various developmental disabilities (Farmer-Dougan, 1994, p.534). However, there have been very few studies that have extended this method to adults. In this study it was found that using a modified peer-delivered incidental-teaching procedure improved the learning capabilities and the motivation to learn of disadvantaged adults. The study found that incidental learning"… proved to be a highly effective intervention for increasing appropriate requesting" (Farmer-Dougan, 1994, p. 540).

This method was also found to help the staff in the teaching and educating process and, more importantly, it facilitated increased contact and interaction with the learners. Generally it was found that the adults become more involved in social actions and in peer relationships. This all added to the incentive to learn. As the author states, "…incidental teaching provided residents with a means to positively interact with one another in a social setting & #8230;As a result, the attention and praise gained when using appropriate requests may have become & #8230; a potent reinforcer… (Farmer-Dougan, 1994, p. 542). Furthermore, this study also points out that using this method made teaching much easier to implement because of the focus that this method provided on naturally occurring situations (Farmer-Dougan, 1994, p. 542). It was also found to be a useful method of teaching disadvantaged adults in the community-based situation.

This study makes the point that various methods can be used to suit the type of disadvantaged adult that is being educated. The interesting aspect of this study is that it can also be used to improve the education of disadvantaged adults and to increase learning interaction through less formal types of reinforcement.

Assignment Two

The problem of the disadvantaged adult in the eduction and teaching context is one that needs to be addressed in terms of a wide range of methods and processes. The important aspect to consider is that many adults are in a situation that is often not of their own making; where they have not had the same opportunities as others to improve their education and social position. As a result they are often excluded from the mainstream and from being productive members of society.

I feel that it is not only ethically and morally important to help these individuals but that it also makes economic and social sense to assist those who are disadvantaged to receive a better education and advance their potential in life.

I also believe that we should be careful to consider the fact that adult education is an area that requires a very different approach and involves different modes of understanding, as well as the use of appropriate techniques, when dealing with the various categories of disadvantaged adult. For example, in terms of those adults who are disadvantaged with regard to education backlogs, one has to realize that they often face a number of unique and specific problems; such as the fact that many will have families, children and work commitments, which make focusing on education problematic.

One has also to be very sensitive to the context of their situations and the reason for their disadvantages. In other words, adult education is in itself an area that requires sensitivity and understanding and this is increased when one teaches the adult who has certain disadvantages. The view put forward by Moore and Kearsley is useful in this regard. In a study entitled, Distance Education: A System's View, the author's point out that the educator has to make use of different approaches when dealing with the disadvantaged adult student. This study found, for example, that adult learners are often more highly motivated and also have a very different set of learning expectations than the ordinary student. This can include a greater inclination to ask questions and interpret the facts. (Moore and Kearsley, 1996). Adult learners also show a marked tendency to be more independent and in control of any learning situation. The study also points out the role that the family and commitments play in adult educations as well as aspects such as finance. These are all aspects that have to be taken into account and these issues are compounded when dealing with adults who have various disadvantages.