Malcolm Knowles, along with other educational theorists, have long purported that adult learners come to school with a very specific set of goals and criteria. They have a need to know how the information will benefit them and why they need to know it before they will agree to learn it. Self-directed adult learners need to be given the latitude to make their own decisions regarding their education and the content they are studying. Teachers who subscribe to the theory that adult learners are, for the most part, motivated and self-directed will be better equipped to teach the adult learner. Understanding adult learning theory and how it differs from traditional learning theory is critical to the success of both the teacher and the adult learner.
Some of the things that motivate adult learners to go back to school include factors like an intrinsic desire to learn for learning sake, a need or wish to develop social connections, personal advancement, or to fulfill the requirements of someone else (i.e., required training). There are also barriers adult learners must overcome like cost, availability of information, and difficulties with the logistics of getting to class (child care, transportation, etc.). The instructor in an adult learning environment needs to know not only what is motivating the adult learner, but what the barriers are that the learner must overcome and work with the learner to enhance the motivation and reduce the barriers.
There are many training opportunities for teachers, both online and face-to-face. The first thing a potential adult education teacher needs to do is find out what the education requirements are at the school she wishes to teach. Some continuing community education programs do not require teachers with formal teaching degrees, while other programs will expect that teachers come to them with a formal educational background. Once the teacher has been accepted based on his education, the next thing to do is find out what training is available, how it is delivered (online or face-to-face), and who is responsible for payment.
If the school offers training, it is in the best interest of the teacher to take advantage of that training, however, in many cases it will become the responsibility of the teacher to find and enroll in training courses. A Google search using the keywords "teacher training for adult learners" will return over 500,000 hits, ranging from formal schooling to websites with information and articles about teacher training. When choosing a program, it helps to know as much as possible about the students the teacher will be teaching in order to tailor the training to be the most effective. Online courses are convenient, sometimes less expensive than face-to-face courses, and can be very informative if they are done right.
Even if a teacher has been in the classroom for years, she can always benefit from additional training. When training to teach adult learners, it is important to remember that these learners are self-directed, they bring more to the table and expect more in return, and they need to know that the learning makes sense to them and will benefit them in some way.