Learning often happens incidentally, based on old behavior patterns. Adults don’t question their learning behavior and learn the way they are used to from the past. This often leads to learning processes not being successful. We have compiled which factors influence learning and teaching, especially in adult education.
Factors Influencing Adult Learning
- Learning processes must be actively and intentionally experienced. “Running alongside” leads to failure.
- Praise and reward have reinforcing effects. However, this must immediately follow good performance. Conversely, praise that comes too late does not work and can even be harmful.
- Undesirable behaviors are most likely to disappear when they are not given attention.
- Reinforcements have a positively motivating effect when they are based on human needs (e.g., the need for recognition).
- One must make mistakes in order to change behavior afterward. This also applies to learning and teaching.
- Successful teaching helps learners actively develop and consciously practice new behavior patterns.
- New behavior patterns to be learned should be repeated but always in a different situation.
- Every lesson must be professional. The didactics should adapt to the respective subject area and not make the mistake of sticking to a single method for all subjects.
- Seminar participants want to be challenged. The higher the demand on them, the greater the sense of achievement. Therefore, one must lead the learners closer to their limits of resilience rather than setting the performance level too low.
- The course of a seminar should be clearly recognizable in its objectives and structure. Start with the already known and enrich the lesson with examples and comparisons from various areas of life.
