A Model for Developing Adult Learner Effectiveness in New Roles and Environments

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. A glance at Plato's Republic confirms that the notion of learning through life is hardly new. Thus, with the development of ‘adult education’ came the view that education should be lifelong. Nowadays it must not be regarded as a luxury for a few outstanding individuals, nor as a stage of early manhood, but it is envisaged as a permanent necessity, an inseparable aspect of employment, and a part of life. Since life is viewed as learning, education has no endings, it is a cognitive process internal to the learner, which can occur both incidentally and in planned educational activities.Purpose of study/Sources of Evidence. Adult learners are employees or future employees who cross an organizational boundary that requires performance in a new organizational role or environment. Adult learner's development can be defined as all development processes used to advance adult students to desired levels of performance.This paper attempts to draft a model for developing EFL (English as a Foreign Language) adult learner effectiveness that could represent a foundation for developing more comprehensive performance improvement interventions. Three key questions are addressed: what learning content should be included in a comprehensive adult learner development program, what learning strategies are most effective to facilitate that learning, and what should be the role of educational institutions.Findings and Results. The conclusions of the study reveal that adult learners need to engage in four content domains in order to achieve performance goals: individual, people, organization, and work tasks. This development process is not linear, but rather cyclical, with novice learners having to cycle through learning tasks and learning events repeatedly. Conclusion. Effectiveness in new roles and environments can be achieved by interacting with other people, therefore social learning skills are of great importance, and learning occurs when engaged in work projects. Self-directed learning becomes the norm for adult learners who have to take initiative to go beyond their job-description. Adult learning has no definite beginning and ending points, it is a complex but continuous process.