Adult learning is a concept that is being widely embraced at the moment. The percentage of adult students in different institutions keeps increasing with time. Going back to school as an adult is never an easy thing. This is because someone already has other responsibilities and obligations, which are supposed to be carried out concurrently. The aspect makes it necessary for an individual to be self-driven to help navigate all the issues that come around. Torff and Sternberg, Bash, and Gardner have taken the initiative of assessing adult learning to help bring some perspectives. The authors have tackled different issues and the information entailed can be beneficial and educative to interested parties.

Torff and Sternberg have postulated different views with regards to human abilities. Through the conventional point of view, Torff & Sternberg (1998) assert that people possess general intelligence, which gives them a general overarching ability that helps to work relatively evenly across diverse tasks that are usually encountered by people. There is also the mention of the triarchic theory of intelligence. This theory tends to emphasize on people’s practical and creative skills in conjunction with memory-based and analytic skills that are usually highlighted in schoolwork and tests.

They argue that the society now can differentiate between practical and academic intelligence. People have the notion that practical abilities tend to grow over time. 76% of older adults hold the belief that their ability to reason, solve problems and think has increased over the years (Torff & Sternberg, 1998).Torff and Sternberg position on adult learners is important for the society since a good number of adults are going back to school in pursuit of more knowledge. This is something that will give more insight to people with such desire, and those that have already taken the initiative. According to Torff & Sternberg (1998), tactic knowledge is the practical know-how possessed by people that is usually not openly expressed or directly taught. Adult learners tend to acquire this type of knowledge in everyday kinds of situations or job, but not through formal instruction.

Bash (2003) asserts that it is important for administrators and faculties to understand adult learners to enable in catering for their needs since they tend to pose special challenges.  It is apparent that many campus leaders tend to ignore adult learners and sometimes treat them as second-class citizens. Adult learners usually behave differently compared to the traditional learners. They are usually more self-driven compared to their counterparts. I tend to agree with Bash’s characterization of adult learners. Adult learners will usually demonstrate behavior that showcases higher motivation and greater levels of urgency compared to traditional students (Bash, 2003). This is very true, on my part I am attending school as a part-time student while working on a full-time basis. I expect that earning a degree at George Mason University will help to propel my career even further. I am also self-directed and autonomous when it comes to my education prospects.

However, I do not agree with the notion that the stronger sense of purpose demonstrated by adult learners is due to the sense of reduced options or opportunities. I also do not think that mattering is important to me since I am usually self-driven, and I do not look upon others to derive my motivation. ‘Now it’s my turn’ motivation can be attributed to some extent for the decision to undertake this degree. I am glad to be returning to school due to the experiences I have already had and those I will encounter as I progress. These are things that tend to shape you and make you even stronger. I will admit it is challenging more so while trying to balance it with other life issues such as work, but I think it is all worth it.

Gardner (1999) postulates that people define intelligence in different ways. There are cultures that do not even have the concept of “intelligence”. People’s profiles of intelligence tend to differ from each other. Given the different environment, heredity and interactions, people cannot exhibit similar levels of intelligence in same proportions. This is something that I have come to experience in life. There are always people who are intelligent than you when it comes doing some things. This is usually despite the efforts that you try to put in, and it can be frustrating at times. However, you will also find that you are intelligent in some things too. A good example is how you will find a very intelligent football player being very terrible when it comes to playing tennis or another sport for that matter.

In conclusion, the discussion above regarding adult learning relates to my learning style. This is because I am within this category, and much of the content reflects on what I have encountered, or I am likely to encounter. I have an idea of how adult learners are perceived and steps to take ensure I become successful in my academic endeavors. One topic that has captured my attention is how people are different when it comes to intelligence. This is knowledge that I will put into perspective while working through the BIS program. I will meet people with greater intelligence level in some areas than I can afford myself. This will help me to sail through as I understand we cannot be the same in this area. There are things that I will be good at, and there are those that I will struggle to accomplish. This knowledge will ensure that I do not beat-up myself when experiencing such occurrences.

References

Bash, L. (2003). Adult Learners in the Academy. Anker Publishing Company, Inc.

Bash, L. (2003). Adult Learners in the Academy. Bolton, Mass: Anker Publishing.

Gardner, H. (1999). Who Owns Inteligence? The Atlantic, 283(2), pp. 67-76.

Torff, B., & Sternberg, R. J. (1998). Practical Intelligence. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Do you need an Original High Quality Academic Custom Essay?