The Psychology of Adult Learning Case - Essay Example

­­The Psychology of Adult Learning Case Introduction: This case study focuses on the learning episode of a medical student who has ambitions to become a specialist doctor in cancer from the beginning of her educational life. She has succeeded in achieving her goals and has overcome the difficulties she faced. For the sake of confidentiality, the identity of the participant will not be divulged hence she is going to be referred to as KM in this case study analysis. KM is now a new physician in King Abdul Aziz hospital, and she is enjoying her job. The foundation of KM’s educational background was based on two different educational systems, schools in both private and governmental sectors. I have selected this student for the case study because she is one of the most successful and influential models in my life. In contrast with most of the students her age in Saudi Arabia, KM loved going to school from the beginning of primary classes. In addition, KM as was evident to those who have known her from her youth has a strong character and power to change things she does not like. She loved working and helping other people, which has helped her to become a doctor in her future life. The theory of motivation is going to be applied to illustrate how it psychologically influenced KM to pursue this particular career. As such, the attached transcript (Appendix 4) will relate these issues to the existing theoretical position within psychology and adult education. In particular, this case study will investigate how these theories are related to the participant’s experience. Methodology: The interview for this case study was conducted in the participant’s home on Sunday 31 December. Before this date, the interviewer sent KM an online copy form of the “invitation to be interviewed” and the “case study participation consent form”. After having a discussion about the issue online, the participant and the interviewer agreed that it would be better for both of them to meet at the participant’s home. The reason for this choice was that both sides would feel more relaxed and comfortable in a private and familiar setting as this would be more suitable within the culture of both the participant and the interviewer. In addition, this was where the participant studied and read during the period of her school and college attendance. The interviewing method was also chosen because it allows the participant to express her views in a free manner. It also allows the interviewer to gain first hand information about the participant’s views towards a particular subject area. Though it was initially stated that the meeting might take around two hours or more, the interview however lasted no longer than 15 minutes. The purpose was to allow KM to organise her ideas and how to recount these with regards to how she felt before and during her studies in the medical course and how she decided to select the field. The interviewer was also interested in the teachers’ encouragement or stimulation towards the attainment of her educational goals. We also discussed the additional courses that KM had taken to help her to enter medical college. The overall aim of the interview was to present KM with some openly framed questions plus very general points of the discussion in a non-directive style. The desired outcome of the semi-structured nature of the interview was to provide a more in-depth and valid picture of KM’s experience. From the guidelines of how to interview by Kirby et al (1997), this approach tends to encourage a greater willingness to participate and openness in responses from interviewees. Adopting a non-judgmental approach is also crucial in this type of interview, and throughout the process the participant was encouraged to explain rather than simply justifying her comments. The interview was recorded by voice recorder on the interviewer’s mobile and then transcribed in full. The transcript was then analysed in order to describe key themes in the psychology of adult learning, which emerged from the participant’s responses. The analysis from the discussion aims to highlight the relationship between KM’s own experience and the theoretical motivation, hierarchy of human needs and identity of adult learners. Discussion: KM engaged in medical college to achieve her self-realisation goal. This is reflected when KM said: “I want to be a doctor… I want to be a specialist in cancer”. Gaining this qualification would increase her ability to help sick people, especially those with a serious sickness such as cancer. At that time, she saw cancer diseases as killing people in mysterious ways. Her initial urge to take medical courses to study came from external as well as internal factors and can be linked to the extrinsic motivation which mainly derives from personal goals. According to Rogers (1994), a goal is a certain target that an individual wants to attain and once achieved, that person is motivated. It can be noted that KM is motivated by personal goals to become a medical doctor. Abraham Maslow has posited to the effect that a hierarchy of human needs is based on two groups: deficiency needs and growth needs (Huitt, 2007). KM is intrinsically motivated to satisfy the self esteem level on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (see Appendix 1). She wanted to learn more about cancer, to understand the meaning of cancer and how it affects people. She wanted to fulfil internal esteem factors such as self respect and achievement as well as external esteem factors such as status, attention and recognition for her position as a medical doctor. KM also demonstrated an attachment to the belongingness and love level from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (see Appendix 1) when she preferred studying group and group work to affiliate with others and to be accepted in society. She participated in team and voluntary work since she was in primary school. “I was part of the extra school activity team there… I learned the team work and volunteer work there,” she said. It can be noted that motivation played a pivotal role in helping KM realise her goal of becoming a doctor. KM and other friends, who she studied with, have shared similar dreams and plans towards their future. In pursuit of their goals which motivated them, they became companions. In part as motivation for each of them to reach their goals, they became companions. They had lengthy discussion with each other about reservations they held regarding their own ability to successfully handle the combined pressure of work, family commitments and the successful completion of their studies. “I tried to get high marks in order to attend college. Of cause, competition was higher than the previous years,” she said. KM appears to identify with some of the negative aspects of the school learning experience in research as identified by Haggis & Pouget, (2002, p. 327). For instance she shows resentment of a teacher who is usually angry and rude at students. However, her personality helped her to resist this bad aspect of learning. Conclusion: This essay sought to analyse the results and findings from the interview conducted with KM. This participant was chosen because of her outstanding achievements in her education. The method was chosen because it enabled the interviewee to clearly express her feelings without prejudice. A critical analysis of the findings showed that KM is greatly motivated by both internal as well as external factors to pursue a career in the field of medicine. Being an adult learner, KM is motivated by the esteem need under the hierarchy of human needs by Maslow. Appendices Appendix 1: Appendix 2: Diploma/MSc Adult & Continuing Education The Psychology of Adult Learning Case Study Assignment Participant Approval Form Name of investigating student: Kareemah Date During the Christmas holiday ( not sure which day) 1. Does your Case Study participant have a mental illness or a disability? Yes No  2. Will your Case Study participant be a student of Glasgow University? Yes No  If “No”, please complete Question 2b 2b. Are you in a dependent relationship with your participant (Examples of dependent relationships are student/teacher, patient/doctor, employee/employer)? Yes No  3. Will your interview be conducted at the University of Glasgow? Yes No  If “No”, please give details of where the interview will be conducted: The interview will take place in Saudi Arabia during the Christmas holiday Before you may conduct your interview, you must have these details approved by Ralf. A copy of this signed approval form should be included in your case study report as an appendix. I confirm that these arrangements for your Case Study are appropriate, and you may now proceed with your interview. Staff signature: __________________________________________________ Ralf St.Clair Sent: 02 December 2011 11:26 To: M Amal Habiballah Please take this email as approval. R. Ralf St.Clair Dean of Graduate Studies Programme Leader for Postgraduate Adult Education College of Social Sciences University of Glasgow +44.141.330.3023 On 1 Dec 2011, at 14:55, Amal Habiballah wrote: > Appendix 3: Case Study Participation Consent Form MSc/Diploma in Adult & Continuing Education The Psychology of Adult Learning: Case Study Assignment Name of investigating student who will be conducting the interview: Amal Habib Allah I confirm that I am happy to be interviewed for the purposes of the above named case study, and I understand that this is being conducted for the purposes of a university coursework assignment. I understand that participation is voluntary, that I am free to withdraw at any time, and that I am free to withdraw any data that I have previously supplied. I understand that I will participate in an interview with the above named student, who is the only person who will know what I have said. I agree to the interview being audio recorded and subsequently transcribed. I also understand that Freedom of Information means that there may be legal limitations to the confidentiality of the information provided. However, I understand that the original recordings will be destroyed once the interview has been transcribed, and that my name will not be associated with the contents of the transcript. Participant Name (Block Capitals): Kareemah Mohammed Qotah Participant Signature: Kareemah Date: Sunday 31 December Appendix 4: Transcript of interview The following text is a transcript of the recording made during the interview with the participant for the Psychology of adult learning case study. The interview itself took place on Sunday 31 December at 7:30 pm. The location for the interview was as previously arranged in the participant’s home and lasted for about 15 minutes. Interviewer: First, I want to thanks you to be my participant in my case study essay. I’ll record the interview. I hope this will be fine for you. Kareemah: appositely no problems at all. Interviewer: Thanks again. Ok, let’s start with your earliest experience of education. Do you remember your school days? Could you tell me about it, what was it like for you? Kareemah: Well.. First I joined the 33 primary school... Till the 4th year. I loved it and I had a lots of friends even from my teachers. I was part of the extra school activity team there. I remembered that even when I was sick I refuse to not go to the school. I learn the team work and volunteer work there.. And at the middle of my 4th year I went to other primary school. It was sort of more like.. More like public school.. A lots of students in one class. At the beginning I hated but then I adopted myself to the new environment and the new system. And I succeeded there ahh and I made a lots of friends, change few things that I didn’t like it in the system. I remembered one day that I complain to the director of the school about one teacher, she scared every student in the school and I promise her to complain to the minster of the education if nothing done, then no body see here until I graduated from the primary school. Interviewer: what do you main by scaring students? Kareemah: Her bad attitude toward the student. She was usually angry... Scream at the students, rode with them and use inappropriate ward. Interviewer: Interesting, Then you went to secondary. How was that different from primary school? Kareemah: It was different of course. New subjects more than one studying group.. More homework. Ahh even some of my friend.. They seem different at this level and a lot of dream and plans for the collage. For my medical college.. I tried to get high score high marks to attend the collage.. And of course the competition was more than the previous years. Interviewer: Did you ever receive any sort of encouragement from any of the teacher at school to attend the medical college? Kareemah: Not much. When teachers give us the homework ahh about what we want to be in the future and justified the answer, I wrote to him that I want to be a doctor and I justified my answer I want to help people ahh I want to be specialist in cancer. At that time it was a lot of talking about cancer. It was the beginning of discovery of cancer and what it is the cancer. Interviewer: Have you get any qualification to help you to attend the medical college? Kareemah: I attended English course for medical collage to improve my language, so I can succeed in the ahh the study search. Interviewer: Where did you get the English course? Kareemah: I took English course in the privet institution at the summer time ahh for six week. Interviewer: So, the course was designed for medical students only? Kareemah: No it was for public not for medical students only. Interviewer: How did you feel on the first day when you started the collage? Kareemah: Excited first we had tour in the collage and we had interdictory lecture, then we divided into for group according to our English score in the pre course exam and then into two main group by alphabetical order for the practical sessions and physic chemistry and Biology. I had mix feeling toward this new world. Interviewer: It is known that medical college has a lot of study. How did you cope with this demand of study? Kareemah: At the beginning I felt lost.. Because of long day time ahh and lecture. Lots of new terminology and I experience my first time studying till middle night. Then I found studying group are helpful and saving time and gradually I get used to the new studying load. Interviewer: Is there any different in teaching method between the medical college and school? Kareemah: Of course yeas, in school student set in the class and teacher come to give them the lecture and homework. In the collage ahh they give the student the main idea and student should apply the ahh this idea on practical session. So they learn more.. Know there learning needs and participate in their educational process. Interviewer: So, you see the collage method of teaching better then school teaching method? Kareemah: Of course yes. Interviewer: And have you enjoy the studying in the medical college? Kareemah: Yha I enjoyed it. Interviewer: What did you learn apart from the medical content in the college, about yourself from this period of study? Kareemah: I grow my confidence, my team work. Ahh.. How to cope with life stressors and how to look after my own stuff. Interviewer: As you finished your college and started your work as physician, Do you think this will be the last adult learning experience that you will be undertake? Kareemah: No, I’m sure. I will have a lot of lessons during my career and my life. In my opinion, it is now a continues process. It finish when a person life finish. Interviewer: Thanks Kareemah very much for being open about your experience and best wishes for you. Kareemah: welcome. References: Bandura, A. & Schunk, D. H. (1981). “Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal motivation”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 586-598. Bandura, A. (1993). “Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning”. Educational Psychologist, 28(2), 117-148. Bandura, A., (1982). “Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency”. American Psychologist, 37, p. 122-147. Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: Freeman. Kirby, M. et at (1997) Sociology in perspective. Oxford, Heinemenn. Haggis, T. & Pouget, M. (2002). “Trying to be motivated: Perspective on learning from young students accessing higher education”. Teaching in Higher Education, Vol 7, No, 3, pp 323-336. Huitt, W. (2007). “Maslow's hierarchy of needs”. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html [Accessed at 8/1/2012]. Rogers, A. (1994). Teaching Adults (2nd Edition). Buckingham. Open University Press. Tennant, M. (1997) Psychology and the adult learner. London, Routledge. Read More