The Needs of Teachers of Adult Community Education

Six Narratives

Abstract

The current study described the experiences, challenges, and needs of first time adult community education teachers in the USA.  Although the adult education literature often emphasizes the context of learners and their instructional settings, less is known and has been studied about how first-time teachers prepare to teach. Engaging six adult community education first-time teachers who ranged in age from 39 to 74, reflective journaling was used to identify their experiences before, during, and after their teaching experience. Using open-coding, five consistent themes were identified: initial self-doubt, recognition of adult learners' experiences, the importance of flexibility, reliance on interactive and hands-on strategies, and the mutual growth between teachers and their students. The teachers also noted that their credibility came less from their expertise and more from their adaptability, humility, and classroom management that fostered respect and engagement. Implications from these findings include the possibility of improving the experience for teachers by strengthening the onboarding process and providing professional development opportunities for adult community education teachers.