Historical Antecedents in Adult Education

Throughout most of history, the majority of education has been dedicated to improving one’s life and making a living. Apprenticeships were a common way of doing this, and many famous Americans in our early history as a nation gained their education by being apprenticed to someone with a marketable trade. This pragmatic view of education was also evident in Rome, China, the Middle East, and ancient Egypt.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that the formal movement for adult education in America took place (Muetz & Frush, 2007). In the 19th century, a variety of types of adult education and learning began to develop. Muetz and Frush (2007) state, “The early Lyceum and Chautauqua circuits provided a stage for lecturers and community members to engage in thought-provoking discussions on political, social, and cultural issues” (p. 37). While the 19th century brought enlightenment and education to small areas, the 20th century brought education via the need for socialization and democracy for immigrants (Muetz and Frush, 2007). “After World War I, adult education was promoted as a new agency through the efforts of the Carnegie Foundation and Fred Keppel” (Muetz & Frush, 2007, p. 37). Then, after World War II, adult education began to focus on economic development and social change (Muetz & Frush, 2007).

The most significant impact on adult and postsecondary education today involves Knowles’ andragogy, which is predicated on several educational tenets specific to adult learners (Welton, 2010). Adult learners learn at a different pace than traditional learners; they need to understand the reason for learning something (need to know), and they rely on their prior experience to shape the foundation of the lesson instruction. Adult learners have an extensive prior learning history to draw on; they also need to feel as if they are on equal footing with the teacher or professor. Adults also need to learn information that is pertinent to the “right now,” with subjects that have immediate resonance and relevance in their lives, and, finally, the adult learner responds more positively to internal motivators than to external ones.

This was the antecedent that had the greatest impact on adults and postsecondary education, as Knowles’ theory revolutionized how professors teach adult learners (Welton, 2010). Online education has also been another historical antecedent that has had a significant impact on adult learning, as it helps accentuate many of the tenets of Knowles’ theoretical framework.

Muetz, K. G., & Frush, K. L. (2007). Connecting early American values to the current practice of adult education. Journal of Adult Education, 36(1), 36-43.

Welton. M. R. (2010). Histories of adult education: Constructing the past. In C. E. Kasworm, A. D. Rose, & J. M. Ross-Gordon (Eds.), Handbook of adult and continuing education (pp. 83–91). Sage Publications.