Why Adults Learn Towards a Theory of Participation in Adult Education Routledge Library Editions: Adult Education Series

Originally published in 1992 this book looks at the phenomenon of adult education by exploring the nature of the motivation that moves people to return to school or to seek involvement inorganized learning activities. The book challenges the psychological emphasis of much research on adult learning. It concentrates on the concept of social participation and its implications for a reinterpretation of adult learning as an aspect of a person's involvement with his or her community or society.

1. Explaining Participation in American Adult Education 2. 'Who Are These People and Why Do They Come to Us?' 3. Adult Learning and the Psychology of Motive 4. Adult Learning as Motivation and Action 5. Adult Learning and the Concept of Social Participation 6. Adult Learning and the Social Functions of Education 7. Beyond the Current Paradigm