Adult Learning Principles and Teacher Professional Development

This study evaluated professional development and determined whether teachers (n=24) perceived a learner-centered or a teacher-centered approach for learning. The evaluation focused on adult learning principles: learner-centered activities, personalizing instructions, relating teaching to student experience, assessing participant needs, climate-building, student participation in the learning process, and flexibility for personal development by students. This study also examined the relationship between the years of teaching, the level of education, and participants’ perceptions of adult learning principles. Data analyzed consisted of written evaluations, implementation plans, and Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS) survey. Results indicated that participants perceived instruction to be more learner-centered than expected, although overall perception was teacher- centered. The principle: relating to participants’ experiences was perceived to be consistently present. There was a strong indication that participants with ten or more years of teaching perceived instruction more learner-centered than the less experienced participants.