ABSTRACT
Is adult learning distinctly different from learning in childhood? This question has been at the centre of many debates on the status of adult education and, in the context of lifelong learning, it clearly has significant implications. The author argues cogently in the affirmative and draws on a considerable wealth of evidence and experience to make his case. One of the key issues, which make a difference, is the need adults experience to control their learning and, where this does not occur, the end result is adults feeling at best ambivalent and at worst demotivated. The message of this chapter is that adults have to take more responsibility for their learning – and be allowed to do so! If lifelong learning is to be useful to adults it must be based on conditions that respect and support the unique requirements of adult learning.
