EFFECT OF VITAMINS C AND E INTAKE ON BLOOD ... - EuroJournals

European Journal of Social Sciences - Volume 2, Number 1 (2006)
paper sought to examine the implications of some selected existing learning theories for
teacher education in the 21 st century.
Learning as a concept
The significant learning and its meaning dates back to the 19 th century with Ebbinghaus’
studies on memory. Since that time, we have witnessed the early works of such famous
names as William James, John Dewey. Edward Thorndike, Thomas Watson, and Kurt
Lewin. Other modern psychologists such as B.F. Skinner, Robert Gagne, Jerome Bruner,
Albert Bandura, Jean Piaget, and Carl Roger, have something to say about learning
(Aderinto, 1998).
Kid (1973), endorses results from experience and which through conditioning
(behaviour) is used to fix desirable habit, or to break undesirable ones.
However, Cross (1981): Crow and Crow (1963); Tough (1971) and Cross (1981):
Caffarella (1982); and Edgar, et al (1972), go further to conceptualize learning as
acquisition and mastery by a person of what is already known on a highly self-directing
which calls for the education activities to be centered on the learner to allow him (the
learner), greater freedom to choose what he wants to learn, and how, and where he wants
to learn it.
The 19 th and 20 th centuries psychologists had as focus inbuilt learning theories for
all educational settings in their works that reflects the principles of both pedagogy and
andragogy. Our observation show that teachers and facilitators of learning more than
often take for granted these learning theories to be that of pedagogy alone. As a result,
most instructional methodologies are often based on what Paulo Freire (1972) regarded
as ‘banking education’ which principles are in contrast to the interest of the adult
learners.
The 21 st century poses a challenge to teachers and facilitators of learning in all
educational settings, especially in the adult education setting. The challenge of making
these learning theories more relevant to adult learner’s needs and interest.
Synthesis of existing learning theories for adult education
Adult education has been the concern of human race for a very long time, but
with little thought or investigation about adult learning. Evidences show that as early as
the ancient time, there have been teachers of adults. Knowles (1978), emphasized that
even though there were evidences of philosophy and invention of techniques for the
teaching of adults, there was little evidence to show any interest in the processes of adult
learning by the early propounders of learning theories. The assumptions that adults learn
the same way as children, often foreclosed any attempt to explore the process of adults
learning. Hence, the only theoretical framework for all education setting (children and
adults alike) is pedagogy. The emergence of a growing body of ideas about the
characteristics of adult learners only came to light according to Knowles (1978), after the
end of World War 1. To this effect, the evolution of theory abouty adult learning has
been recent.
Thorndike (1928), pioneered studies in adult learning which revealed that adults
have ability to learn, and thus, providing a launching pad for subsequent studies on the
characteristics of adult as a learner. Further studies of Thorndike (1935), and Sorenson
(1938), affirmed that adults could learn and even possess interest and abilities that were
different from those of children.
This theoretical assertion was further reinforced by Lindeman’s (1926)
systematic theory about adult learning which clearly conceptualize adult learning as that
which is situational and not subjects as it is the case of pedagogical learning.
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