Family literacy adult education teachers know that there are some widely agreed-upon research-based principles for good adult education practice. Susan Imel, a respected adult educator at the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education identified many of these principles in her brief entitled Using Adult Learning Principles in Adult Basic and Literacy Education, some of which are discussed below:

• Involve learners in planning and implementing learning activities.
  Learners’ participation can begin with a needs assessment as students help establish goals and objectives for their class or program. Read more about participatory adult literacy projects.

• Draw upon learners’ experiences as a resource. This principle is directly related to involving learners in planning and implementing learning activities. Life situations and perspectives that adults bring to the classroom can provide a rich reservoir for learning. An important part of the participatory approach is using instruction that reflects the context of students’ lives. Read more about drawing on learners’ experiences in the classroom.

• Cultivate self-directed learners. Adult learning should be structured to nurture the development of self- directed, empowered adults. Stephen Brookfield, a renowned adult educator, says “When adults are encouraged to become self-directed, they begin “to see themselves as proactive, initiating individuals engaged in a continuous re-creation of their personal relationships, work worlds, and social circumstances rather than as reactive individuals, buffeted by uncontrollable forces of circumstance” (Brookfield 1986, p. 19). Read more about helping learners become self-directed.

• Use small groups. Groups promote teamwork and encourage cooperation and collaboration among learners. Structured appropriately, they emphasize the importance of learning from peers, and they allow all participants to be involved in discussions and to assume a variety of roles. Read more about using small groups.

For further reading, please refer to the Adult Education Resources where you can find multiple online and offline publications, web sites, and other resources dedicated to research-based principles for adult education.