Psychology and Adult Learning (Adult Education/Psychology Series)

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Summary: Examines the role of psychology in informing adult education
Review: This is the second edition of a popular text (published 1988) which examines the role of psychology in informing adult education practice, and should be of particular interest and utility to students interested in adult education. It examines the seminal traditions of some key psychological theories and discusses the issues and problems in applying them to an understanding of adult learning and development. It does not aim to provide an exhaustive account of psychology and its application to adult learning, or detailed descriptions of particular theories. In this way, in my opinion, it avoids extreme specialisation which may lead to the risk of irrelevance in a more general PhD in Education curriculum. It has been updated (1997) to take account of the most recent research in the area and includes new material on adult intelligence and situated cognition.

It is ideally suited to those who seek a critical understanding of psychological theory and research from the perspective of the adult educator. It will be most accessible to graduate students with knowledge of psychology and experience of adult education. Author: Mark Tennant is Professor of Adult Education, Faculty of Education, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. He wrote the first edition of the book while at the University of Warwick, UK, and the second while working at Hokkaido University, Japan, ten years after the first. Many of the ideas grew out of lectures and seminars delivered to a variety of students - community educators, industrial and commercial trainers, Aboriginal educators, ESOL teachers, literacy teachers, etc. and lead to a broader applicability to a wider audience.

Contents: 1.Introduction 2.Humanistic psychology and the self-directed learner 3.The psychoanalytic approach 4.The development of identity during adulthood 5.The development of intelligence and cognition 6.Learning styles 7.Behaviourism 8.Group dynamism and the group facilitator 9.Critical awareness 10.Concluding comment: psychology as a fo! undation discipline in adult education