3.3 Leading adult learners: preparing future leaders and professional  (Page 2/9)

The following questions are addressed in this chapter:

• What can leaders do to acknowledge the learners motivation and interests?
• How can leaders learn to mentor the adult learner?
• How can leaders give professional development choices in planning training activities for optimal learning experiences?
• How can leaders provide problem centered activities for professional training activities?
• How can leaders lead using different approaches and strategies?

Learners of all ages

Attention and motivation (degree with which the learner approaches learning) and how we utilize these are critical to understanding how we approach classroom experiences for our learners. If we know how a learner approaches the acquisition of knowledge then we can arrange classroom strategies that will enhance their learning. Various theories focus on the motivations of the learner: are they internal or external in their locus of control? What motivates a person to want to learn? External motivation in the early years of schooling requires children in most countries to attend school and so the motivation to be there is one of first family approval and expectation and legal requirement. As one ages through middle and high school to college, the motivation to attend schooling unto itself becomes the motivation. Externally, the factor may be to get a well paying job or gain respect from our families. Internally, we may seek greater knowledge because we are inquisitive and curious. It can also be a combination of both external and internal factors. As is the case with children that begin life with their ever expanding curiosity to learn about the world, this individual nature to learn re-emerges with passion when adults are no longer required to attend school and yet choose to keep learning. So, now that we have them in their seats how do we keep their attention?

Often in the learning cycle, we as educational leaders forget that just because students are required to be in front of us during the elementary to middle school or until high school we often fail to see the student as a complex learner different from the other students. We tend to focus on delivering the content usually following the latest fad in education tied to knowledge standards established by our countries policy makers which influences the textbooks we use. In adult education, the similar conundrum may also exist.

How we then approach the years from high school to the lifelong learner becomes quite complex, both from a social-political perspective and learning theory choice. With no clear road map of acceptance by research and theory, we will hope to persuade the reader that strategies from a variety of learning perspective should be of benefit to the educational leader that seeks to be the best they can be. Of course, from our perspective, the best educational leader is the educational leader that has foci on their managing, leading and teaching the adult learner as an individual. As the saying goes, when’ the learner stops being attentive, I am no longer leading nor teaching.’