Determining the use of principles of adult learning in professional development

• Main Author: Ringler, Marjorie Campo
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2004
• Subjects: Continuing education; Teacher education
• ISBN: 9780496943630; 0496943634

The study of a typical algebraic thinking training session by a professional development project in the state of Florida provided the opportunity to evaluate professional development for teachers and determine whether participants experienced a learner-centered training or a teacher-centered training. The study determined which of the following factors generally accepted in teaching adults the participants perceived to be used by trainers: learner-centered activities, personalizing instructions, relating teaching to student experience, assessing participant needs, climate-building, student participation in the learning process, and flexibility for personal development by students. Additionally, the research conducted in this study determined whether there was a relationship between the years of teaching experience, the level of education of the participants and the perception by the participants that they had been taught using the adult learning principles. A case study approach with descriptive methods of data collection was employed. In this study 25 elementary and secondary teachers from different areas in the state certified to teach mathematics, special education, and elementary education attended an algebraic thinking training session. This study analyzed participants' written evaluations of the training sessions, action plans developed to implement the new knowledge, and a Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) survey. The PALS helped determine whether participants perceived the training to be teacher-centered or learner centered. The PALS also provided the participants' perceptions of the use of factors generally accepted in teaching adults. The results of this study indicated that participants perceived the training to be more learner-centered than they had expected, although the overall perception was that the training was teacher-centered. The majority of participants perceived one factor to be consistently used by trainers throughout the training session: relating to participants' experiences. This study also showed a strong indication that those participants with ten or more years of teaching perceived the training to be learner-centered, while participants with fewer than ten years of teaching experience perceived the training to be teacher-centered. The study did not determine if there was a relationship between the highest level of education and the perception that the training used factors generally accepted in teaching adults.