Continuing Education

Whether adults pursue higher learning as a response to life transitions or as a means of self-actualization, counseling is an important component in the field of continuing education. Aslanian and Brickell (1980) cite Houle's analysis of the three classes of adult learners (goal-oriented, activity-oriented, and learning oriented) as one of the bases for their own theory that the majority of adults are goal-oriented learners seeking to cope with certain changes in their lives. In contrast, Loevinger (1976) discusses the theory of ego development in explaining individual differences between adults in terms of desires for self-fulfillment. Likewise, Rogers, Kohlberg, and Perry emphasize adulthood as a process. Effective adult education counselors must recognize the fact that adulthood is not a static condition, but a dynamic series of stages.

According to Aslanian and Brickell (1980), approximately one hundred and twenty-six million American adults are experiencing life transitions (p. 32). These transitions are often accompanied by stress, personal reassessment, and work-related changes. Certain transitions are triggered by life-altering events such as the death of a spouse, job loss, or graduation from college. In their survey, Aslanian and Brickell (1980) found that 83 percent of the respondents cited "some past, present, or future change in their lives as reasons to learn" (p.49). The following chain occurs: "1) transitions require learning; 2) identifiable events

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ty to adapt oneself to reality plus the critical capacity to make choices and to transform that reality . . . " (p. 4). The purpose of Friere's adult literacy programs was to stimulate the political consciousness of the populace. His goal was to change the social order. Friere's radical theories led to his temporary expulsion from his country, but on his return he continued to carry out his mission. Friere advocates a "dialogue" manner of adult education in which the more appropriate term for "teacher" is "coordinator." He denounces the traditional approach to education in which the teacher knows everything and the student knows nothing: "The focus of Friere's theory of education is upon liberation and humanization rather than domestication and indoctrination. Dialogue replaces monologue" (London, 1972, p. 28). Malcolm Knowles is an advocate of self-fulfillment as a goal of adult education. The learning process should involve the emotional, psychological, and intellectual components of the adult learner. Knowles' philosophy "gives precedence to growth of people over the accomplishment of things when these two values are in conflict. It emphasizes the release of human potential over the control of human behavior" (Darken

Category: Psychology - C