Becoming Adult Learners: Principles and Practices for Effective Development

By Eleanor Drago-Severson

Book Overview

This book offers a new and promising way to support adults in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) programs specifically, and learners in adult education in general. Applying renowned Harvard University psychologist Robert Kegan's constructive-developmental theory, Drago-Severson depicts an in-depth investigation into how and why adults develop "ways of knowing" to better prepare them for their work in the 21st century. This book provides practical suggestions for applying Kegan's theory in adult education classrooms that will enable teachers, curriculum developers, program designers, and policymakers to better respond to adult learners' strengths and learning needs.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807744840
• ISBN13: 9780807744840
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Teachers College Press
• Length: 221 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

What an excellent addition to the adult education literature

Drago-Severson furthers our understanding of the potential for adults to learn and grow in her groundbreaking work, Becoming Adult Learners (Teachers College Press, 2004). Through case examples, Drago-Severson demonstrates how adults from diverse backgrounds experienced learning in a workplace education program and the ways in which their educational experiences helped them to learn and grow. Viewing their experiences through a constructive-developmental lens, Drago-Severson shows the power of adult education as a transformative tool in adults' lives. Drago-Severson's expertise in employing research methods and Kegan's constructive-developmental theory to shed light on an important facet of adult education--which includes not only learning but development and growth-will be most helpful to adult educators. Becoming Adult Learners is a significant contribution to the field of adult education. The practical suggestions and tools offered will help adult educators, researchers, and policymakers to respond to adult learners' strengths and learning needs. Drago-Severson's ideas and tools provided in Becoming Adult Learners have helped me tremendously in my own practice and research.