Updating our knowledge of adult learning

Abstract

Whether one is involved in undergraduate, graduate, or continuing professional education, the learning transaction can be enhanced by understanding how adults learn and the conditions under which adults learn best. Andragogy, self-directed learning, and transformational learning, three major contributions to the growing knowledge base of adult learning theory, are first reviewed in this article. The second half of the article introduces readers to several new perspectives on adult learning; in particular, consciousness and learning, situated cognition, and feminist pedagogy are examined for what they can offer adult learning theory. Several conclusions are advanced about the state of adult learning theory, and implications are drawn for continuing education in the health professions.