Philosophical foundations of adult education

by John L. Elias, Sharan Merriam

This is a comprehensive and critical analysis of the philosophical foundations of adult education. Six major systems of educational thought -- liberal education, progressivism, behaviorism, humanistic education, radicalism, and conceptual analysis -- provide the framework for an examination of the views of prominent adult educators and major programs in adult education. This much-needed work contributes to our understanding of the personalities, issues, and programs in the field of education; it also stimulates readers to clarify their own personal philosophy of education. A bibliographic essay presents the developments in each of the six systems over the past 15 years. Three major areas -- phenomenology, critical theory, and feminist theory--are discussed within this framework.

Genres: Philosophy, Education

212 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

foundation text to our adult educator course

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I read this book for an Adult Learning class as part of my Master's program in Organization Development (i.e., had no choice in the matter). For those interested in the historical and philosophical underpinnings of adult education, this would likely be a great book. I found it to be as dry as toast. Though, I suppose in the future if I ever have a reason to need to know something about adult education philosophy, I would use it as a reference.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text is very interesting and informative to those who work with adults in an educational capacity or for those who want to learn more about their own learning and teaching styles or to anyone who wants to hone/develop their own philosophy on education.