Youth Learners: The Authentic Neglected Species Learning for an Unknown Future

This paper reports on a major research project that investigated youth learning. Specific parts of the project have been published in other literature (Choy 2000, Choy and Delahaye 2000 and Choy and Delahaye 2001), and this paper provides an overview of the findings. The Study Process Questionnaire, the Student Orientation Questionnaire and the Learning Preference Assessment were completed by 448 youths (aged 18 to 24 years) from TAFE 59% and university (41%). Fifty three youths participated in five follow-up focus groups. Generally, youths studied in this project were found to be surface learners with low level of readiness for self-directed learning but, surprisingly, they showed a high preference for a combination of structured and unstructured learning. Youth comments on formal learning, the learning institutions and role conflicts are discussed. Finally, the paper suggests that learners progress through a four stage development sequence and that youth learners are at Stage 2.

[1]  Noel Entwistle,et al.  STRATEGIES OF LEARNING AND STUDYING: RECENT RESEARCH FINDINGS , 1977 .

[2]  J. Hattie,et al.  Individual and Contextual Differences in the Approaches to Learning of Australian Secondary School Students , 1990 .

[3]  William J. Hoyer,et al.  Adult cognition and aging , 1986 .

[4]  Brian L. Delahaye,et al.  The Validity of the Learning Preference Assessment , 1995 .

[5]  Michael Lamport Commons,et al.  Beyond Formal Operations: Late Adolescent and Adult Cognitive Development , 1984 .

[6]  W. Hoyer,et al.  Adult cognition and aging : developmental changes in processing, knowing and thinking , 1986 .

[7]  Carol E. Kasworm.  Adult Undergraduates in Higher Education: A Review of Past Research Perspectives , 1990 .

[8]  W. G. Perry.  Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years: A Scheme. Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series. , 1970 .

[9]  Christopher Alan Lewis,et al.  Commissioned reviews of 250 psychological tests , 2000 .

[10]  John Biggs,et al.  Assessing student approaches to learning , 1988 .

[11]  Sarojni Choy.  Learning approaches, study orientation and readiness for self-directed learning of youth in TAFE , 2000 .

[12]  Catherine Jones.  Biggs's 3P Model of Learning: The Role of Personal Characteristics and Environmental Influences on Approaches to Learning , 2003 .

[13]  M. Devlin.  Older and Wiser?: A Comparison of the Learning and Study Strategies of Mature Age and Younger Teacher Education Students , 1996 .

[14]  John D. Wilson,et al.  Student Learning in Higher Education , 1983 .

[15]  Carol E. Kasworm.  The Older Student as an Undergraduate , 1980 .

[16]  Arthur Carl Christian.  A comparative study of the andragogical-pedagogical orientation of military and civilian personnel , 1982 .

[17]  G. Labouvie-vief,et al.  Growth and aging in life span perspective. , 1982, Human development.

[18]  Gerald Grow.  Teaching Learners To Be Self-Directed , 1991 .

[19]  M. Knowles.  The adult learner : a neglected species , 1979 .

[20]  Brian L. Delahaye.  Human resource development : principles and practice , 2000 .

[21]  Gregory N. Hearn,et al.  The Relationship between Andragogical and Pedagogical Orientations and the Implications for Adult Learning , 1994 .