Working with Adult Learners

George G. Ambury is an associate professor of adult education at
Queen’s University.

Cranton has produced a marvelous little book that may well become the
Canadian adult education textbook of the 1990s. Her work is solidly
grounded in current international theoretical work, and is also well
laced with tips, anecdotes, and practical suggestions. The heart of the
book falls into two categories: the key actors in the learning drama
(viz., the students and the instructor); and the broad aims of
education—helping adults become more autonomous learners and working
toward emancipatory education. In looking at the basic aims of education
for adults, Cranton tries to move the reader away from the prevalent
overly simplistic assumptions about the meaning of andragogy, toward
more current and fundamental concepts, by drawing on the works of
Stephen Brookfield and Jack Mezerow. The chapter “Working Toward
Self-Directed Learning” is presented with conviction and a sensitivity
that seems to have come out of the author’s own struggles for
understanding. She addresses transformative learning by providing seven
techniques for encouraging learners to examine their values and
assumptions, and to engage in a process of critical self-reflection.

This work stands out from the current plethora of books on how to teach
adults. First, it translates current theory into practical workshop and
classroom applications. Second, Cranton does not present a neat
conceptual model as her answer to the world’s problems; rather, she
shows readers how they can develop their own theories of practice and
test them, in the context of other theories, through applied research.
The book begins weakly, with the author confusing the fundamental
concepts of education and learning, and making an abortive effort to
define adult education. However, she soon finds her stride and
effectively challenges her readers—teachers and learners alike—to
abandon old perspectives and look anew at the goals and methods of
working with adult learners.