STRUCTURED SILENCES IN ADULT LEARNING THEORY
Abstract
Education is often understood as a practice-oriented discipline informed by theory, though more emphasis is seemingly placed on the pragmatic aspects of practice than the theoretical (Gouthro, 2019; Tennant, 2019). According to Tennant (2019), “The emphasis is generally pragmatic … an eclectic understanding of how adults best learn; this may be followed by a tentative list of principles to be adopted or procedures to be employed when teaching adults” (p. 2). While our practices are what are most visible, it is our understanding of the theories that guide them and increase their effectiveness. In this chapter, we describe the criticality of theory, highlight structured silences in adult learning theory, and reimagine theory from a broader sociocultural perspective in adult education.
Publication Title
Understanding the Adult Learner: Perspectives and Practices
Recommended Citation
Gnanadass, E., & Merriweather, L. (2023). STRUCTURED SILENCES IN ADULT LEARNING THEORY. Understanding the Adult Learner: Perspectives and Practices, 137-155. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003448471-11
