Mark Tennant – författare

The fourth edition of Psychology and Adult Learning has been thoroughly updated to encompass shifts in the concerns of adult educators as they respond to changing global social and economic issues. It examines the role of psychology in informing adult education practice and explores the seminal traditions of key psychological theories as well as discussing issues and problems in applying them to an understanding of adult learning and development.

Providing a thoughtful and accessible approach to understanding self and personal change in adult education, and with a new emphasis on diversity, this new edition has been revised and updated in light of the impact of globalising processes, the emphasis on diversity among educators, developments in cognitive neuroscience, the impact of social media, and the theoretical move away from ‘grand theory’. It examines the formation of identities, and places increased emphasis on how a conception of selfhood lies at the heart of teaching adults. Considering adult learning in a variety of contexts, topics covered include:

• Humanistic psychology

• Selfhood in the adult years

• The relevance of neuroscience

• Adult intelligence and cognition

• Behaviourism

• Group learning

• Transformative learning

Psychology and Adult Learning examines the psychological dimension of adult education work by analysing and critiquing key psychological theories that have informed our understanding. It is essential reading for all those who seek a critical account of how psychology informs contemporary adult education theory and practice.

The fourth edition of Psychology and Adult Learning has been thoroughly updated to encompass shifts in the concerns of adult educators as they respond to changing global social and economic issues. It examines the role of psychology in informing adult education practice and explores the seminal traditions of key psychological theories as well as discussing issues and problems in applying them to an understanding of adult learning and development.

Providing a thoughtful and accessible approach to understanding self and personal change in adult education, and with a new emphasis on diversity, this new edition has been revised and updated in light of the impact of globalising processes, the emphasis on diversity among educators, developments in cognitive neuroscience, the impact of social media, and the theoretical move away from ‘grand theory’. It examines the formation of identities, and places increased emphasis on how a conception of selfhood lies at the heart of teaching adults. Considering adult learning in a variety of contexts, topics covered include:

• Humanistic psychology

• Selfhood in the adult years

• The relevance of neuroscience

• Adult intelligence and cognition

• Behaviourism

• Group learning

• Transformative learning

Psychology and Adult Learning examines the psychological dimension of adult education work by analysing and critiquing key psychological theories that have informed our understanding. It is essential reading for all those who seek a critical account of how psychology informs contemporary adult education theory and practice.

Adult education in Australia is a significant part of the post-secondary education sector, and its importance is coming to be more widely recognized as skills and knowledge need to be updated in a period of rapid social and technological change. First published in 1991, Adult and Continuing Education in Australia gives a clear picture of the role and purpose of adult education in the Australian society.

The contributors, all practising adult educators in a position to influence development in their field, discuss the scope, nature, and possibilities of a range of adult education activities. Focussing on the relationship between adult education and the state, they look at the conflict between the providing agencies and the prevailing political and economic climate, with its emphasis on the utilitarian outcome of education and closer links with industry and commerce. Most of the chapters concentrate on identifiable groups of users—such as women, migrants, rural dwellers—and explore several issues and concerns from their perspective. Other chapters focus on providing agencies, such as universities, technical and further education colleges, and delivery systems, like distance education.

The collection as a whole reaffirms the traditional concern of Australian adult educators with unemployment, illiteracy, migrant education, human rights, aboriginal education, the geographically isolated, women, and the aged.

Adult education in Australia is a significant part of the post-secondary education sector, and its importance is coming to be more widely recognized as skills and knowledge need to be updated in a period of rapid social and technological change. First published in 1991, Adult and Continuing Education in Australia gives a clear picture of the role and purpose of adult education in the Australian society.

The contributors, all practising adult educators in a position to influence development in their field, discuss the scope, nature, and possibilities of a range of adult education activities. Focussing on the relationship between adult education and the state, they look at the conflict between the providing agencies and the prevailing political and economic climate, with its emphasis on the utilitarian outcome of education and closer links with industry and commerce. Most of the chapters concentrate on identifiable groups of users—such as women, migrants, rural dwellers—and explore several issues and concerns from their perspective. Other chapters focus on providing agencies, such as universities, technical and further education colleges, and delivery systems, like distance education.

The collection as a whole reaffirms the traditional concern of Australian adult educators with unemployment, illiteracy, migrant education, human rights, aboriginal education, the geographically isolated, women, and the aged.

The Learning Self

This new book from the award-winning author of Psychology and Adult Learning puts the spotlight on the kind of learning that brings about significant personal change. Tennant explores the techniques, processes, and practices educators can use to promote learning that leads to change and examines assumptions about self and identity, how we are formed, and our capacity for change.

The Learning Self addresses the different concepts of self and how they frame our understanding of personal transformation. The book opens with an exploration of the key concepts of self, identity, and subjectivity. The remaining chapters fall into two distinct groups. The first comprises chapters dealing with different versions of the self: The Authentic or Real Self, The Autonomous Self, The Repressed Self, The Socially Constructed Self, and The Storied Self. Tennant''s aim in each case is to analyze the issues that each conception of the self presents and to comment on the implications for learning for personal change. The second group of chapters—Knowing Oneself, Controlling Oneself, Caring for Oneself, and (Re)creating Oneself—analyze general interventions to change the self. Although the focus in these chapters is on techniques and methods, the author highlights the versions of the self being promoted in their use.

Throughout the book, Tennant posits that individuals can be agents in their own self-formation and change by understanding and acting on the circumstances and forces that surround and shape them.Educators, he argues, must be open to different theoretical ideas and practices while simultaneously valuing these practices and viewing them with a critical eye.

The Learning Self

This new book from the award-winning author of Psychology and Adult Learning puts the spotlight on the kind of learning that brings about significant personal change. Tennant explores the techniques, processes, and practices educators can use to promote learning that leads to change and examines assumptions about self and identity, how we are formed, and our capacity for change.

The Learning Self addresses the different concepts of self and how they frame our understanding of personal transformation. The book opens with an exploration of the key concepts of self, identity, and subjectivity. The remaining chapters fall into two distinct groups. The first comprises chapters dealing with different versions of the self: The Authentic or Real Self, The Autonomous Self, The Repressed Self, The Socially Constructed Self, and The Storied Self. Tennant''s aim in each case is to analyze the issues that each conception of the self presents and to comment on the implications for learning for personal change. The second group of chapters—Knowing Oneself, Controlling Oneself, Caring for Oneself, and (Re)creating Oneself—analyze general interventions to change the self. Although the focus in these chapters is on techniques and methods, the author highlights the versions of the self being promoted in their use.

Throughout the book, Tennant posits that individuals can be agents in their own self-formation and change by understanding and acting on the circumstances and forces that surround and shape them.Educators, he argues, must be open to different theoretical ideas and practices while simultaneously valuing these practices and viewing them with a critical eye.

Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher Education offers a combination of critical perspectives and practical advice that is ideally suited for individuals interested in enhancing their practice through analysis and critique. The aim is to promote a critical understanding of one’s own practices: to foster personal and professional formation through a reflexive engagement with one''s environment and circumstances. At a practical level this means to continuously think about how to adjust practice rather than following a formulaic approach derived from any particular educational theory.

Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher Education argues that academics can find space for their own agency in the midst of institutional policies and practices that serve to frame, as well as delimit and constrain, what counts as good academic work in teaching and research. This text bridges a gap between those books that provide a high-level analysis of contemporary higher education, the more practical texts on how to be a good teacher in higher education, and those texts which aim to improve teaching through better understanding of the learning process.

Topical chapters include:

Teacher-learner relationship, Learning groups, Practice-oriented learning, Teaching for diversity, e-learning, Assessment, Approaches to Staff Development, Quality assurance, Supervision and Research education, Doing research, and Teaching & Research.

A must-have resource for higher education professions, academic developers, professionals, and anyone looking to improve their teaching and learning practices, Teaching, Learning and Research in Higher Education is also appropriate for continuing and professional development courses in the UK and teaching and learning courses in the US.

Mark Tennant is Dean of the University Graduate School, University of Technology, Sydney.

Cathi McMullen is Lecturer in the School of Marketing and Management at Charles Sturt University.

Dan Kaczynski is Professor in the Educational Leadership department at Central Michigan University.