Introduction
Capability approach was developed within the terrain of economics in the 1990s (Phillips, 2014). The model is based on the principles of well-being and equity. It is stressed that people should be able to do what they want in their lives and be able to reach their goals. The approach has earned a significant attention and it has been applied in many areas. As far as education is concerned, the capability approach can also be utilized.
Capability education is also based on the principle of people well—being. This approach presupposes the focus on people’s values and their capabilities as well as their longings. When applied to education, this approach enables people to consider their opportunities and analyze their desires as well as their ability to reach the goals set (Phillips, 2014). This approach enables students to estimate the risks associated with their learning and make the right educational decisions. Importantly, freedom of the individual is valued most and, hence, students are free to choose learning objectives and methods. At that, they are also responsible for taking into account their learning outcomes.
It is clear that capability approach is closely linked to heutagogy. Heutagogy is also based on the principle of freedom of the individual (Hase & Kenyon, 2000). The focus is also made on the learner’s opportunities and abilities. A great deal of responsibility lies on the learner. Both approaches put to the fore the learner and his/her determination to study. The educator’s role in both approach involves guidance rather than instruction. The educator also helps the learner to find the best approaches or set achievable goals. However, the learner is the one to make decisions. It is possible to note that heutagogy and capability approach set similar standards in adult education and can potentially make the learning process more efficient.
Article review
Wang, V.C. X., & Sarbo, L. (2004). Philosophy, role of adult educators, and learning: How contextually adapted philosophies and the situational role of adult educators affect learners’ transformation and emancipation. Journal of Transformative Education, 2(3), 204-214.
The article in question is written by Wang and Sarbo. Victor Wang is a professor at California State University. He has written various works on education, educational leadership and so on. The article dwells upon transformational learning theory. Wang and Sarbo (2004) provide a brief analysis of transformative learning theory and the way transformational theory can be applied in the contemporary education. The authors provide a review of major findings of theorists and practitioners. Wang and Sarbo (2004) stress that educators develop their teaching and learning philosophies that affect the way they see the teaching and learning processes. At that, the researchers emphasize the need to use a contextual approach and change or adjust theories to make teaching and learning effective. Notably, the researchers argue that reflection is one of the most important components of effective learning and, hence, adult learners should be able to reflect on their learning goals and methods as well as their achievements.
The major conclusions of the researchers can be formulated as follows: educators have to adjust their philosophies to make their teaching more efficient and they should also encourage and train adult students to reflect on their learning (including their goals, achievements, methods and so on).
These conclusions are valid and valuable. Students as well as environments are often very different and it is impossible and inefficient to apply one method and philosophy in many settings. Apart from this, it is also important to encourage adult learners to self-reflect. They should be able to understand what they are doing right and what they can do better, what they really need and what they can achieve, what motivates them to learn harder and so on.
It is possible to note that the transformational learning can compare to traditional approaches, as the learning paradigm is still the same (Daniels, Lauder & Porter, 2012). The difference rests within the terrain of the focus, which is located on a different agent, the learner. However, the educator is still necessary in the teaching process as he/she guides and assists the learner. Importantly, the educator teaches adult learners how to self-reflect and self-develop to become more autonomous.
The major strength of the article is its comprehensiveness. Wang and Sarbo (2004) consider major roles and philosophies of educators. This can help educators self-reflect and understand the philosophy they use. This brief description of philosophies may help educators to understand that they can be changed and adjusted to the needs of learners. However, the article lacks for specific examples of how exactly philosophies can be changed. It could be beneficial to provide real-life examples to illustrate the way educators effectively use and change their philosophy. This would tie theory and practice and will show that the method can be effective in real-life settings.
As for questions to the approach, it is possible to analyze ways to develop self-reflection skills in detail. It is quite unclear what aspects has to be put to the fore during such instruction. It is also important to pay more attention to motivation as the researchers admit that even though adult learners are often characterized by intrinsic motivation, some may lack for it. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that affect adult learners’ motivation and some methods to motivate adult learners.
Case Study
The case study in question unveils issues associated with such concepts as family, development, education (Cadman & Cameron, 2015). For me, this was a very valuable experience as I managed to apply certain theories to analyze the case. One of major things that impressed me was concerned with adult development theory. Clark and Caffarella (2011) note that adulthood is the highest level of functioning. It occurred to me that the girl was adult while her mother was still (psychologically) in her teens as she was absolutely irresponsible. When working on the case, I also noticed my focus on communication and strategies used. I believe communication is crucial in all spheres and, as seen from the case, stakeholders involved often failed to communicate their ideas, desires, fears and so on properly. I have to admit that I have not paid such attention to communication before. I was more concerned with outcomes of some situations while now I always try to understand how chosen communication patterns affected the outcomes.
I believe I will use this experience to teach adult students in the future. It is important to draw adult students’ attention to the way they perceive information or the way they analyze it (Vockell, n.d.). I will also encourage them to analyze their progress and identify factors that affected their development. This experience is also valuable as I may ask students to think about maturity and give their own definitions of adult development. Brain development is another aspect where this experience can be helpful. I will focus on such concepts as people’s attention and information processing. As for aging, I can encourage students to contemplate on their own cognition in the future.
Reference List
Cadman, M., & Cameron, K. (2009).Case study: Children, families, & child protection. Web.
Clark, M.C., & Caffarella, R.S. (2011). Theorizing adult development. In W. Filho & D. Carpenter (Eds.), An update on adult development theory: New ways of thinking about the life course: New directions for adult and continuing education (pp. 3-9). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Daniels, H., Lauder, H., & Porter, J. (2012). Educational theories, cultures and learning: A critical perspective. New York, NY: Routledge.
Phillips, D.C. (2014). Encyclopedia of educational theory and philosophy. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Vockell, E. (n.d.). Educational psychology: A practical approach. Web.
Wang, V.C.X., & Sarbo, L. (2004). Philosophy, role of adult educators, and learning: How contextually adapted philosophies and the situational role of adult educators affect learners’ transformation and emancipation. Journal of Transformative Education, 2(3), 204-214.