LabR Learning Resources

The Philosophies of Adult Education Inventory

The PAEI Questionnaire

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The Inventory

Please answer the following questions. There are 13 questions, each with multiple items. For each item, please select one of the options indicating your agreement with the statement.

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	Strongly Disagree			Neutral			Strongly Agree
1. In planning an educational activity, I am most likely to:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
a) Identify, in conjunction with learners, significant social, cultural and/or political issues and plan learning activities around them.
b) Clearly identify the results I want and develop a program, class or workshop that will achieve those results.
c) Begin with a lesson plan that organizes what I plan to teach, when and how.
d) Assess learners' needs and develop valid learning activities based on those needs.
e) Consider the areas of greatest interest to the learners and plan to deal with them regardless of what they may be.
2. People learn best :	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
When the new knowledge is presented from a problem-solving approach..
When the learning activity is clearly structured and provides for practice and repetition.
Through dialogue and discussion with other learners and a group coordinator.
When they are free to explore without the constraints of a "system."
From an expert who knows what he or she is talking about.
3. The primary purpose of adult education is:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
To facilitate personal development on the part of the learner.
To increase learners' awareness of the need for social change and to enable them to effect such change.
To develop conceptual or theoretical understanding.
To establish the learners' capacity to solve individual and societal problems.
To develop the learners' competency and mastery of specific knowledge and skills.
	Strongly Disagree			Neutral			Strongly Agree
4. Most of what people know:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Is a result of consciously pursuing their goals, solving problems as they go.
They have learned through critical or reflective thinking focused on important social, cultural and political issues.
They have learned through a trial-and-feedback process.
They have gained through self-discovery rather than some "teaching" process.
They have acquired through a comprehensive educational process.
5. Decisions about what to include in a learning activity :	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Should be made mostly by the learner in consultation with a facilitator.
Should be based on what the learners know and what the teacher believes they should know at the end of the activity.
Should be based on a consideration of key social, political and or cultural situations.
Should be based on a consideration of the learners' needs, interests and problems.
Should be based on careful analysis by the teacher of the material to be covered and the concepts to be taught.
6. Good adult educators start planning instruction:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
By considering the specific outcomes they are looking for and the most efficient ways of producing them in learners.
By identifying everyday problems that can be solved as a result of the instruction.
By clarifying the content, concepts and/or theoretical principles to be taught.
By clarifying key social, cultural and/or political issues that affect the lives of the learners.
By asking learners to identify what they want to learn and how they want to learn it.
	Strongly Disagree			Neutral			Strongly Agree
7. As an adult educator, I am most successful in situations:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
That are unstructured and flexible enough to follow learners' interests.
That are fairly structured, with clear learning objectives and built-in feedback to the learners.
Where I can focus on practical skills and knowledge that can be put to use in solving problems.
Where the scope of the new material is fairly clear and the subject matter is logically organized.
Where the learners have some awareness of social and political issues and are willing to explore the impact of such issues on their daily lives.
8. In planning an educational activity, I try to create:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
The real world -- problems and all -- and to develop learners' capacities for dealing with it.
A setting in which learners are encouraged to examine their beliefs and values and to raise critical questions.
A controlled environment that attracts and holds the learners, moving them systematically towards the objectives.
A clear outline of the content and the concepts to be taught and learned.
A supportive climate that facilitates self-discovery and interaction.
9. The learners' feelings during the learning process:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Must be brought to the surface in order for learners to become truly involved in their learning.
Provide energy that can be focused on problems or questions.
Will probably have a great deal to do with the way they approach their learning.
Are used by the skillful adult educator to accomplish the learning objectives.
Are likely to get in the way of teaching and learning by diverting the learner's attention.
	Strongly Disagree			Neutral			Strongly Agree
10. The teaching methods I prefer to use:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Focus on problem solving and present real challenges to the learner.
Emphasize practice and feedback to the learner.
Are mostly non-directive, encouraging the learner to take responsibility for his/her own learning.
Involve learners in dialogue and critical examination of controversial issues.
Are determined primarily by the subject or content to be covered.
11. When learners are uninterested in a subject, it is probably because:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
They do not realize how serious the consequences of not understanding or not learning the subject may be.
They do not see any benefit for their daily lives.
The teacher does not know enough about the subject or is unable to make it interesting to the learner.
They are not getting adequate practice or feedback during the learning process.
They are not ready to learn it or it is not a high priority for them personally.
12. Differences among adult learners:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Are relatively unimportant as long as the learners gain a common base of understanding through the learning experience.
Enable them to learn best on their own time and in their own way.
Are primarily due to differences in their life experiences and will usually lead them to make different applications of new knowledge and skills to their own situations.
Arise from their particular cultural and social situations and should not be minimized even as they recognize common needs and problems.
Will not interfere with their learning if each learner is given adequate opportunity for practice and reinforcement.
	Strongly Disagree			Neutral			Strongly Agree
13. Evaluation of learning outcomes:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Is not of great importance and may not be possible, because the impact of learning may not be evident until much later.
Should be built into the system so that learners will continually receive feedback and can adjust their performance accordingly.
Is best done by the learners themselves, for their own purposes.
Lets me know how much the learners have increased their conceptual understanding of new material.
Is best accomplished when the learner encounters a problem, either in the learning setting or the real world, and successfully resolves it.
14. My primary role as a teacher of adults is to:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Guide learners through structured learning activities with well-directed feedback.
Systematically lead learners in acquiring new information and understanding underlying theories and concepts.
Help learners identify and solve problems better.
Increase learners' awareness of environmental, social and political issues and help them learn how to have an impact on these situations.
Facilitate, but not to direct, learning activities.
15. In the end, if learner's have not learned what was taught:	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
The teacher has not actually "taught."
They need to repeat the experience, or a portion of it.
They may have learned something else which they consider just as interesting or useful.
They do not realize how learning will enable them to significantly influence social change.
It is probably because they are unable to make practical application of new knowledge to problems in their daily lives.

1. In planning an educational activity, I am most likely to:

2. People learn best :

3. The primary purpose of adult education is:

4. Most of what people know:

5. Decisions about what to include in a learning activity :

6. Good adult educators start planning instruction:

7. As an adult educator, I am most successful in situations:

8. In planning an educational activity, I try to create:

9. The learners' feelings during the learning process:

10. The teaching methods I prefer to use:

11. When learners are uninterested in a subject, it is probably because:

12. Differences among adult learners:

13. Evaluation of learning outcomes:

14. My primary role as a teacher of adults is to:

15. In the end, if learner's have not learned what was taught: