ABSTRACT
This chapter surveys adult learning and provides a foundation for understanding the nature of the learner, the context for professional growth and quality learning strategies. It presents three case studies all involve adult learners and draw on concepts and theories of adult learning: Sarah's case study, Lex's case study, and Stephanie's case study. Numerous appraisals of Knowles's work have been undertaken and a number of theorists have built on his ideas about adult learning and adult learners. Action learning is a form of experiential learning, which is most frequently used to meet the needs of people within a work environment, including helping unemployed people set up their own support networks and within educational institutions. The terms professional development, continuing education and in-service training have been used extensively and often inter-changeably. Transfer of learning needs to be understood in terms of an understanding of the change process, particularly with regard to motivation, attitudes and behaviours and the context of the change.
