1. If someone were to ask you, “What is Adult Education? Is there really such a field?” how
would you respond? Be specific in describing the field and defend the need for adult and
continuing education as a field of study.
Firstly, yes there is such a field. Today’s society of changing technology,
communications, and international business has necessitated a continuance of education for
adults, most of which have probably reached a point in their lives when they considered
themselves “finished” with formal education. It is a field, however, that until recently was an
ambiguous and vague discipline. Obviously involving the education of adult learners, it still
leaves open to arbitrary interpretation what is meant by the word “adult”, the conditions under
which an adult learner would seek education, and the implications of the word “education”. I will
answer all three of these in turn, starting with what is meant by “adult”.
The term “adult” has changed over time and varies from one culture to another. In the
USA, you’re generally considered an adult upon reaching the age of 18 (Braimoh & Biao 1988),
though much of society may not consider you an adult until a later time. Are you an adult only
when you get married, graduate from university and get a career, or reach the age when you can
legally purchase alcohol? This is a definition that will never be decisively or uniformly
answered, but for the purposes of this answer, I will consider an adult anyone who has reached
the age of 18.
This leaves out what most people probably think of when they picture an adult. Do they
think of an 18 year old who’s venturing forth into the world for the first time, or do they picture
someone in, for example, their 30s or 40s, with a house, children, a career, or any combination of
the three? It is also, ironically, this latter example of an adult that most people would consider

2. last when it comes to a definition of Adult Education (ADED). Older students, however, must be
considered as relevant to the population if ADED is to be defended as a legitimate field of study.
Secondly, under what conditions or circumstances might an adult learner either seek
continuing their education or return to education later in life? For those who seek to begin their
university career, the answer is simple enough. They hope to eventually get a job that requires
some sort of graduate certificate or diploma. For those who are returning to education, however,
the answer may have to do with the economy and the changing demands of today’s workforce. In
an article on USnews.com, author Allie Bidwell writes “The shift in workforce demands comes
in part from some jobs that have changed over time…and partly because employers see a
bachelor's degree as a recruitment tool for weeding out undesirable candidates” (Bidwell 2014).
This simple fact has driven many adults back to the classroom for two very important reasons,
the first of which is to help ensure that they don’t lose their present position. The second reason
is one for which I can use myself as an example. If you are not happy in your current career and
seek to begin an alternate path, it may be necessary to go back to school for additional education.
Another field of adult learners often overlooked when considering the field of ADED are
elderly learners. Though not seeking education for the sake of occupational necessity or
maintaining the knowledge of current technological trends, they merely seek to remain a fulfilled
member of society and to feel included within a social circle populated by other like-minded
learners.
Finally, what is meant by education? A simple definition from Webster’s College
Dictionary tackles some of the answer by defining education as “the act or process of imparting
or acquiring general knowledge” (392, 2001). I chose this definition as it implies that education
is a two-way street involving both teaching and learning. An educator will impart some

3. knowledge to their students about a vast array of subjects, but they can also learn from their
students in a manner that makes them a more effective educator.
A more important aspect often overlooked by the casual observer is wholly contained
within the student demographic, and it concerns the student(s) acting as both student and teacher,
whether intentionally or not. For example, when I was teaching Swat Team tactics at the Opelika
Police Department, I had several students who were military veterans and thus brought
considerable points of interest to the table. Both I and the rest of the students learned from these
veterans, thus the imparting of knowledge became a back-and-forth not only between the teacher
and the student, but between the students themselves. I was subsequently able to take the
information learned from these veterans and use them in future classes, thus creating a more
ecumenical and involving session.
Students in an ADED class can model this behavior by bringing in their own knowledge
and experience that they impart not only to their fellow students, but to the teacher as well. It
brings a new perspective to the lesson, which can then evolve to better serve future classes. It is
also why I chose the specific definition I quoted earlier, as it fits in with my own personal
philosophy of education as a give-and-take between teacher and student.
All of the reasons elucidated in the above paragraphs defend the field of ADED, which is
becoming ever more important for several reasons. One of these is simply due to the changing
demands of today’s workforce and how it requires more of an academic background in order to
keep caught up with the various technological trends that continue to define the labor market.
Another reason, and one that I hadn’t fully considered, is due to the fact that the USA is and
always has been a nation of immigrants. Many people come to America speaking little or no
English and with experience only in unskilled labor, and many of the ADED programs that work

4. with such a demographic are in constant threat of being cut or eliminated completely. The
Oakland Unified School District of Oakland, California was in danger of just such an end in May
2013 and was saved only after heavy protests (Grady 2013). “These cuts become more
despicable when considering that current national proposals for immigration reform require a
basic level of English — highlighting the need for more of these classes. Adding to the irony,
how can it be that the federal government emphasizes the importance of large-scale immigration
reform, while our local governments continue eliminating possibilities for immigrant families to
succeed?” (Monteverde 2013) This alone requires that ADED be rigorously defended by
educators across the country so as to ensure a more skilled workforce that can continue to meet
the protean demands of an evolving world.

5. Resources
Biao, I. & Braimoh, D. (1988). Who is an adult? Coping With Learning in Adult Years (PP.1-18).
Lagos, Nigeria: Joja Press.
Bidwell, Allie (2014, September 9). How 'upcredentialing' may close the middle-class path.
Retrieved from http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/09/09/report-employers-
want-more-college-graduates-for-lower-level-jobs
“Education.” (2001). Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. Second edition. New York:
Random House, Inc.
Grady, Barbara (2013, May 23). OUSD board votes to reinstate adult education after protests.
Retrieved from http://oaklandlocal.com/2013/05/ousd-board-votes-to-reinstate-adult-
education-after-protests/
Monteverde, Margarita (2013, May 13). Adult ed students fight back! Defending current classes
and demanding more. Retrieved from http://classroomstruggle.org/2013/05/13/adult-ed-
students-fight-back-defending-current-classes-and-demanding-more/