1.
Summarize the focus or problem that the action
researcher is tackling.
I chose Kelly M. Guenther’s thesis An Exploration of How
Childhood Experiences and Well-Being Affect the Learning Process in Adulthood (2008),
as the basis for this assignment.
In this thesis, Guenther explains that it is a fact that
adult learners have a lifetime of unique experiences that are different from
adult to adult. She further identifies
two key questions (numbers 2, and 3 below,) that question; why adults use
positive or negative experiences of learning from when they were a child as
influences on their adult learning interest, and what factors from these
positive or negative past experiences were impactful on them as life-long
learners?
2.
Describe the structure of the review of
literature –
Guenther’s literature review is nearly 29% of the overall
thesis (30 of nearly 105 pages). I found
it to be structured quite well for the first 25 pages; going through citations
and analysis of the importance of emotions, childhood past experiences with
emotions and how their attempts to cope with issues affects their
learning. Next she noted a number of
theoretical perspectives (many with associated studies that she references and comments
specifically on constructivists,
Mezirow, Friere, and Baxter Magolda’s studies and analyzed commonalities and
disagreements between them. Lastly she
touches on citations and studies of different ways of knowing and confidence adults have from past experiences that they know
certain information and how they came to that perspective.
I enjoyed reading her literature review and found the first
three-quarters of it to be laid out well, with concise explanations and
analysis of key points and (possible) implications of how they may influence
her surveys, and research of study participants. I would have organized the last section on knowing differently however. Guenther’s last section appeared too brief to
me (given the importance of the points and components she mentioned), and links
between items lacked the perception of completeness that was present through
the earlier part of the literature review.
I would have found or offered more citations and analysis into this last
segment, in addition to working it out more fluidly in ordering to give the
reader/researcher an easier path to understand the key points she wanted to
convey.
Questions:
1. Do childhood experiences and well-being (emotions) affect
the learning process of adulthood? (p. 8)
2. How is it possible that adults, particularly those
seeking further advancement in a career and therefore, required to attend
additional training, may view learning as a daunting, frightening, and/or
unpleasant experience while other adults may view learning as a new and
welcoming challenge filled with opportunity and excitement? (p. 8)
3. What factors cause adult learners to approach learning
situations with feelings of excitement and empowerment? What factors cause adult learners to approach
learning situations with feelings of doubt, fear, and anxiety? (p. 8)
I found these questions to be well constructed. As the basis for the thesis they describe the
scope and direction of the research very well. However, I would have liked a question that posed an expansion on the positive experiences of research participants that would discuss commonalities between them (participants,) in what they felt were the most positive beneficial experiences. In short, I wish there was a question framed to note the causal reasons that participants felt were contributors to their positive views of life-long learning. That may have offered an interesting side-bar of statistics and factors. Overall, I enjoyed reading this thesis.
Bibliography
Guenther, Kelly M. (2008).
AN EXPLORATION OF HOW CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND WELL-BEING AFFECT THE LEARNING
PROCESS IN ADULTHOOD. Carroll University Library. Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.carrollu.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/edthesis/id/10/rec/2
No comments:
Post a Comment