Adult Learning Theories & Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real CAE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Adult Learning Theories & Principles flashcards as text
Which of the following best illustrates the andragogical principle that adults' 'readiness to learn' is tied to developmental tasks?
Answer: A 45-year-old nurse enrolls in a leadership course after being promoted to charge nurse
Knowles described adult readiness to learn as tied to real-life roles and transitions; the nurse's promotion creates an immediate developmental need for leadership knowledge.
Paulo Freire coined the term 'banking concept of education' to criticize which practice?
Answer: Treating learners as passive recipients of deposited information
Freire used 'banking education' as a metaphor for one-way, top-down instruction where teachers deposit knowledge into passive learners, suppressing critical consciousness.
An adult educator notices that a learner has strong verbal-linguistic intelligence but struggles with spatial tasks. This reflects which theory?
Answer: Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory recognizes that individuals have different cognitive strengths across domains such as linguistic, spatial, logical-mathematical, and others.
Which of Maslow's hierarchy levels must typically be met before an adult can effectively engage in learning?
Answer: Physiological and safety needs
Maslow's hierarchy indicates that basic physiological needs (food, shelter) and safety must be met before learners can focus on higher-level cognitive and social growth.
In situated cognition theory, why is context considered essential to adult learning?
Answer: Knowledge is most effectively acquired and retained when embedded in authentic, real-world situations
Situated cognition holds that knowledge is inseparable from the context in which it is used, so authentic settings enhance meaning, transfer, and retention.
Which term describes Mezirow's process by which adult learners critically examine and revise their assumptions?
Answer: Critical reflection
Critical reflection is the mechanism in Transformative Learning Theory through which adults examine the validity of their assumptions and consider alternative perspectives.
Which of the following is an example of 'incidental learning' in adulthood?
Answer: Learning a shortcut in software while trying to fix an unrelated error
Incidental learning is unplanned and occurs as a byproduct of another activity, such as discovering a new technique while performing a different task.