Chapter 2: Trust in Learning—Makes All The Difference

What are the necessary major elements for an adult educator to practice in the field? What significance does trust between facilitator and learner have on learning? How does the presence of trust or the absence of trust impact the learning process? In 1987, after 22 years practicing adult education relating to a variety of subject matters, these were a few of the questions I was asking. Through these questions, the rich literature in the field and my own research, I discerned the necessary major elements for adult educators to practice in the field. This lead to my developing a model which identified five major elements: (1) beliefs and notions about adult learners; (2) perceptions concerning qualities of effective teachers of adults;(3) phases and sequences of the adult learning process (as identified by andragogy assumptions & processes [perceptions from my studies with Malcolm Knowles] as depicted in Table 2.1,); (4) teaching tips and adult learning techniques; and, (5) implementing the prepared plan.