Christina Guy Theory Review

Theory Review: Relationship in Learning

Christina Guy

Ball State University

10/01/2017

Your Name	Commented On
Christina Guy	Javita Johnson

Abstract

            This paper identifies the theory that relationships in learning have a positive impact on adult learners in terms of an inclusive learning environment. The relationships focused on were peer, coworker, and faculty. The significance of each relationship is theorized to have a positive effect on how the adult learner participates in the process of learning by interacting with others. Each relationship is recognized as a way for the adult learner to come to a deeper understanding, create a desirable learning environment, and/or promote lifelong learning.

Introduction

Relationship in learning refers to an inclusive learning environment, where students learn new concepts/ideas by drawing from their own experiences, as well as from other student’s experiences and previous knowledge. Another way to look at relationship in learning or relational learning is that it involves two or more learners understanding new concepts by referring to each other’s previous knowledge on the subject or prior relatable experiences. Students that learn through relationships in learning are interdependent learners that benefit from group work and open discussions. Adult learners tend to work well as interdependent learners because of their previous knowledge to draw upon and their experience working with others in educational or work settings that have strengthened their interpersonal skills. Relationships in learning foster an inclusive learning environment where adult learners can come to deeper understandings by working with each other and create patterns for lifelong learning.

            There must be a relationship of some sort for learning to occur. Relationship in this sense refers to knowledge gained from past experiences that connect to current learning, as well as the necessity for learners to develop connections between other learners and the facilitator in order to feel like they belong within the learning environment. A positive learner and facilitator relationship will encourage the learner to stay engaged and participate, and potentially increase the learner’s self-confidence inside and outside the learning environment (Mackeracher, 2004).           

General Themes

Adult learner’s relationships with their peers and facilitators can greatly affect their learning in a positive or negative way. In order for these relationships to have a positive impact on one’s learning these relationships must have an inclusive learning environment to develop. Facilitators must know how to interact with and support adult learners and educational peer relationships must be promoted within the learning environment.

Adult Learners and Peer Relationships

Educationally related peer relationships have a positive impact on adult learners because it is more likely that they will participate in educational discussions, which creates an opportunity for adult learners to discuss, debate, and possibly come to a deeper understanding of an idea or concept. Adult learners that have limited-time or limited access to peers on campus due to working online or living off campus especially benefit from educationally related peer relationships. These relationships can come from a classroom and evolve outside of the classroom, at a workplace, or even in a neighborhood. Even if the discussion is not with a peer that shares the same facilitator or learning environment, the fact that an educational discussion is taking place still requires the adult learner to engage in interaction and possibly take something away from the interaction. In a study done by Carol Lundberg, adult learners, 24 years and older reported participating in discussions that involve educationally related ideas more frequently than younger students did. Therefore, adult learners that engage in these discussions more frequently are strongly predicted to learn (Lundberg, 2003, p. 681).

Communities of Practice

Although adult learners can have educational discussions with peers outside their learning environment, adult learners that have the same passion and goal will benefit from collaborating their efforts. Sharing their knowledge and experience with one another creates a community of practice where they learn how to do better in their shared activity and come to deeper understandings of concepts related to the practice (Shacham, 2009, 280). “Wenger considers learning as a key element of work, and suggests that social engagement is at the centre of the learning process and the creation of knowledge” (Shacham, 2009, p.280). Adult learners will most likely work with others in their professional environment and having them work with one another inside the classroom or training session will only prepare them for the professional work environment. Therefore, adult learners that can function as interdependent learners will be able to take this ability into their work environment and promote lifelong learning amongst their coworkers.

Adult Learners and Coworker Relationships

For any work environment, there are certain desirable conditions that allow for maximum progress. Interdependent learners or interdependent workers can communicate with one another in order to create a productive environment encompassing these desirable conditions. For example, teachers have a good idea of what working conditions are necessary to do a proper job, and these working conditions have a direct relation to their professional interests (Vanderlinde, 2013, p. 34). When the conditions are disturbed, teachers will act to reestablish them. In this instance, teachers that are interdependent workers will have an easier time identifying and reestablishing these conditions by working together. They will also be able to come to a deeper understanding of why and how these conditions work best and how to prevent them from being disturbed in the future. This effort to maintain a productive work environment with desirable conditions also promotes the act of lifelong learning by encouraging those involved to work interdependently towards said continuous work environment.

Adult Learners and Faculty Relationships

Adult learners relationships with faculty can greatly predict their success in a work or educational environment. Faculty should be supportive and understanding of adult learners because adults returning to an educational setting may have conflicting emotions (Foote, 2015, p. 120). Empathizing and leveling with adult learners will only encourage them to perform well and increase their confidence as a learner. It may seem transparent, but teaching adult learners differs from teaching younger learners in the sense that adult learners are often more mature, have multiple responsibilities, and are present because they want to learn. Due to these differing features, the relationship between educator/facilitator and adult learners should differ. A study done identifying relationship types involved with adult student identities found that:

Adults believed that most faculty were respectful and judged them as being capable and committed. Furthermore, they viewed many faculty interactions to progress toward a colleague relationship. As described by one student, And then there is not that separation between student/teacher—but almost a relationship. . . . This is what we gotta do—I have to study; he has or she has to teach me. . . . And, so, we are not really intimidating each other . . . [it’s] just the communication of two adults. (Kasworm, 2009, p. 155).

Therefore, educators should form more equal, respectful, and supportive relationships with their students in order to create an inclusive learning environment where students feel a sense of belonging that allows them to come to deeper understandings through their connections with others, including the educator.

Implications:

Adult Learners and Peer Relationships

Educational related peer relationships benefit adult learners because of the likelihood of educational discussions that will occur between the peers. To apply this, educators can require adult learners to reflect on who they have educational discussions with outside of the classroom/learning environment. Instruct the adult learners to start an educational discussion relevant to the material being covered in the learning environment. Have the adult learners write down, in journal form, what the discussion was about, did the other peer have previous knowledge on the subject being discussed, were there any aspects that the two of you agreed or disagreed on, and did either of your perceptions change on the subject? Hold an open discussion in the classroom and have adult learners talk about and share their interactions with outside peers.

Communities of Practice

Relationships with peers that are involved and passionate about the same practice, whether it is education, psychology, or medical field, can greatly benefit those that participate in collaboration of knowledge and learning. To promote collaboration in a learning environment the facilitator can assign different concepts for partners/groups to research and learn themselves and then present to the rest of the class. This example of collaboration works on two levels. The first, partners must research, discuss, and learn about the new concept together and help each other come to a deeper understanding of the concept. Second, the partners must then present to the class and explain the concept in terms the class will understand in order to have the rest of their peers reach a deeper understanding of the concept.

Adult Learners and Coworker Relationships

Adult learners and their relationships with their coworkers are extremely important when it comes to a productive work environment. In order to implement an exercise that sheds light on this, a facilitator can instruct adult learners to break into groups of three or four. Have each group write down what conditions they find necessary and desirable for a work environment and present their list of conditions to the rest of their peers. Hold an open discussion about what conditions the adult learners found most important and why these conditions hold the most importance.

Adult Learners and Faculty Relationships

A positive relationship between the adult learner and faculty, such as the facilitator or educator, can have a positive impact on the adult learner’s overall process of learning. To demonstrate the significance of a positive adult learner and faculty relationship, have adult learners write a reflection paper on their experiences with faculty in the past and write about a positive and negative experience. Did the adult learner do as well in the class as they normally do, better or worse? Did this experience make the adult learner more or less fond of the subject/material being discussed? What did the facilitator/educator do that the adult learner did or did not appreciate? This reflection paper will give the facilitator/educator insight on what to do in order to create a learning environment that will benefit the adult learners. The reflection paper will also provide an opportunity for adult learners to think about what they can do as facilitators/educators to create a positive relationship with their trainees, employees, or students.

Reflection:

            During my research for this paper, what I found unique was the importance of educational peer relationships, especially for adult learners that live off campus and that have all or mostly online classes. To specify what I found unique about this idea is the fact that educational peer relationships do not have to be with a peer inside of the current learning environment; the peer can be a work colleague, a peer that you have shared a previous learning environment with, or even a neighbor. I currently have peers that I engage in educational discussions with, but before writing this paper, I did not recognize the value of these peers or discussions.

            In order to complete this assignment I searched for peer reviewed articles in Ball State’s onesearch database. The articles I searched for were ones that included relationships and relational identities in the context of adult education. During this process, I have learned that it can take longer than you may think to find articles relevant to the topic you are writing. It can also take several different words and phrases in the search engine and reading through several articles in order to find ones that can contribute to your paper. Communication with your group is key, most of the time your group members will be understanding and willing to help in any way they can, so if you are facing a problem do not hesitate to communicate it.

Table 1. Summary of the theoretical ideas

	Main theoretical ideas	Summary of how to apply the main theoretical ideas in practice
Idea 1	Educationally related peer relationships have a positive impact on adult learners.	Have adult learners reflect on who they have educational discussions with outside of the learning environment. Instruct them to discuss an idea/concept relevant to the learning environment and write down how the discussion went. Did either of them learn something new, what did they agree or disagree on, were either of their perceptions of the idea/concept changed.
Idea 2	Adult learners that have the same passion and goal will benefit from collaborating their efforts.	Assign different concepts for partners/groups to research and learn themselves and then present to the rest of the class.
Idea 3	Interdependent learners can communicate with one another in order to create a productive environment encompassing conditions they find desirable.	Instruct adult learners to break into groups of three or four, write down what conditions they find necessary and desirable for a work environment, and present their list of conditions to the rest of their peers. Discuss what conditions the adult learners found most important and why these conditions hold the most importance.
Idea 4	Adult learners relationships with faculty can greatly predict their success in a work or educational environment.	Have adult learners write a reflection paper on their experiences with faculty in the past and write about a positive and negative experience. Did the adult learner do as well in the class as they normally do, better or worse? Did this experience make the adult learner more or less fond of the subject/material being discussed? What did the facilitator/educator do that the adult learner did or did not appreciate?

References

Foote, L. S., (2015). Re-Storying Life as a Means of Critical Reflection: The Power of Narrative Learning. Christian Higher Education, 14(3), 117 & 120.

           doi: 10.1080/15363759.2015.1028580

Kasworm, C. E. (2009). Adult learners in a research university: negotiating undergraduate

student identity. Adult Education Quarterly, 60(2), 155.

doi: 10.1177/0741713609336110

Lundberg, C. A. (2003). The influence of time-limitations, faculty, and peer relationships on

adult student learning: a casual model. The Journal of Higher Education, 74(6), 681.

Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu/stable/3648234

Mackeracher, D. (2004). Making sense of adult learning. Toronto, CAN: University of Toronto

Press.

Shacham, M. (2009). Rethinking phd learning incorporating communities of practice.

Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 280.

Vanderlinde, R. and Kelchtermans, G. (2013). Learning to get along at work: developing

effective relationships with other adults at school is a crucial part of each new teacher’s first year. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 34.