Training adults

When planning and delivering training sessions to adults consider:

• Adults will only involve themselves in learning if you have outlined a clear purpose for how it fits into their aims of participating in the workshop.
• Adults have a wealth of life experience so the more you link the training to it, the better they will learn.
• Adults will feel more comfortable and will learn more effectively if you accommodate their set habits (such as eating lunch at a particular time).
• Be prepared for adults to have strong feelings and opinions regarding your key training messages.
• If they are not effectively engaged in your training session, adults can ‘switch off’—they have many other responsibilities and concerns that they could think about during this time.
• If your training involves trying to change the attitudes of participants, be prepared for the fact that adults often have entrenched attitudes that do not easily change.
• Adults will filter information and only listen to what they want to hear if they disagree due to strong feelings or attitudes. This intelligence trap, where participants think that their current view of the situation is right, is a barrier to adult learning. Adults may be defensive about hearing an alternative view.

Source: Chapter 9 Training, Queensland community waterway monitoring manual

Training resources

Details on publications and websites developed by a range of organisations with information on training adults is available from Training resources.

Last updated 19 February 2008