Psychosocial Foundations of Adult Education

Abstract

This article analyses the most outstanding psychosocial aspects of adult education. The context in which adult education is taking place at present is also analysed, that is, a changing context, a movement from an industrial society to a post-industrial society. In this type of society towards which we are undoubtedly moving, there is a series of sociological and cultural conditions that determine the future of adult education. Besides these conditions of change and transformation of post-industrial knowledge, there are other psychological and pedagogical conditions that directly affect and develop the relationship which the individual establishes with his own education. Amongst these we analyse the socio-emotional factors that condition the learning behaviour of adults (basic attitudes, fundamental needs with regard to learning in a group and expectations regarding the course). From all this we conclude that it is necessary to approach adult education from a continuing education perspective that will train the adults capacity to anticipate and innovate, and not only adapt, which has been, until recently, the main tendency.