Adult Education in the 1950s (Jessica Kirby)

Jennifer Warner and Joseph Morris 
EDAC 631

History of Adult/Community Education

Jessica Kirby

September 14, 2014

History of Adult Education in the 1950s

Social Background

            The 1940s were a tumultuous period in American history. In 1941 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, American forces entered the Second World War. As men entered the armed forces and were sent to fight, women were asked to leave their traditional roles in the home and join the workforce. The increasing numbers of women in the American workforce were higher than they had been before. This terrible war came to a close in Europe and Asia in 1945 at which point thousands of American soldiers returned home.

            The end of World War II brought peace but not entirely. The Cold War with the Soviet Union brought an underlying tension to the 1950s and shaped much of the history of that decade. Despite the Cold War and a growing paranoia regarding the spread of communism, the 1950s were largely considered to be a decade of peace and growth. The economy expanded and the population of people living in the American suburbs grew substantially (USHistory.org). Many considered the 1950s to be an ideal decade, but behind the cozy, suburban appearance civil rights activists, women’s rights advocates, and anti-communists movements were working to further their own causes (History.com).

            A defining moment in American education occurred in the 1950s with the Brown v Board of Education decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that separate educational facilities for black students were fundamentally unequal and therefore unconstitutional. This decision was a critical moment for the civil rights movement of course, but it also began a reshaping of American education that affected all American citizens (Pickren, 2004).  

Highlights

            Adult education research in the 1950s examined a variety of topics and populations but was widely concerned with the tangible problems facing the field (Chang). A review of the research in 1955 showcased a range of research projects that included, but was not limited to, studies in the categories of: areas of adult study, clientele of adult education, community development, and leadership and leadership training (Research Review, 1955). The field of adult education faced several questions and problems in the 1950s, and one of the most noted was defining the needs of adult learners and determining how educators could best meet those needs (Verner, 1956). According to Verner (1956), systematic examination of the methods used to teach adults was shortcoming of adult education research at the time. Adult education was growing and expanding but educators and researchers were unsure of the most effective way to reach their students. As they continued, they began to understand the need to use empirical data to support or refute their approaches.

            To gain a better understanding of the field of adult education in the 1950s, one must have first examined the history of adult education at the national level. In 1924, The National Education Association formed a separate department dedicated entirely to educating adults, the Department of Adult Education (Hiemstra, 2005). Closely following that development, in 1926 the American Association of Adult Education (A.A.A.E.) came into existence with the primary focus of spreading understanding of the adult education field. The A.A.A.E. contributed funds to research and publication and hosted national conferences. Both the National Education Association’s Department of Adult Education and the A.A.A.E. helped shape the landscape of the field of adult education in the 1950s.

            Early in the 1950s adult education began to expand as a field and focus its efforts on discovering scientifically sound ways to improve. In April of 1951, the Fund for Adult Education (F.A.E.) was created to provide financial support for research and publication in the field of adult education and aid in the training of adult educators (Hiemstra, 2005). The F.A.E. also funded several projects of the Adult Education Association of the USA (A.E.A- U.S.A.). The A.E.A.-U.S.A. was formed in 1951 as a merger of the National Education Association’s Department of Adult Education and the A.A.A.E and became a leading adult education organization. The F.A.E. and the A.E.A.-U.S.A. were formed early in the 1950s and together worked to promote research and growth in adult education that would shape the future of the field. 

Influential Factors

            One of the most noted adult educators of the 1950s was Malcom Knowles. Knowles may be best known for his concept of andragogy, and he also wrote on ideas such as eliminating the hierarchy between the educator and the student and self-directed learning (Rachal, 2014). Knowles published several research articles and books throughout his career and promoted the idea that adult education should be learner based and less focused on the teacher as a provider of information. Knowles’ work spanned several decades, and his contributions to the field of adult education have provided a new perspective for adult educators to explore.

            Another well-known adult educator of the 1950s was Cyril Houle. Houle worked for several years to understand the adult learner, and eventually developed a classification system to categorize them (Hiemstra, 2003). Houle was a proponent of self-directed learning, and his research contributed much to the development of this concept. He helped adult educators gain a better understanding of how adults learn, which led to new educational strategies and further research.

            Adult education in the 1950s was largely based in progressivism, a concept that influenced the work of both Knowles and Houle (Merriam, 2007). Progressivism was comprised of several basic tenets. One of the primary points of focus for progressivism was the adult as a learner and the fact that each individual’s needs influenced his/her educational experience. Progressivism also focused on the need for empirical approaches to instruction and the use of experiential learning. Progressive thought also saw adult education as a means to create social action (Merriam, 2007). Knowles and Houle each helped further the field of adult education. Their contributions to the understanding of the adult learner and instructional concepts such as self-directed learning, provided the foundation from which educators and researchers could begin to build the future of adult education.  

Implications

            The field of adult education has been growing and evolving for centuries, and as society continues to change, so does adult education. What defines adult education has been widely debated as have the instructional strategies used to teach adult learners. In the 1950s, American society changed as soldiers returned home from WWII and women moved back into the home from the workforce. Education as a whole was reshaped by the Brown v Board of Education decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, and the formation of the F.A.E. and A.E.A.-U.S.A. propelled the field of adult education forward.

            Several philosophical perspectives and theories have shaped the history of adult education, primarily progressivism in the 1950s, and several individuals have contributed to adult education’s body of knowledge. Two well-known adult educators from the 1950s, Malcom Knowles and Cyril Houle, were each critical to the advancement of adult education. Both educators investigated the traditional role of the educator and student and argued that adult education should be learner-centered.

            The 1950s were a decade of growth and development for the field of adult education. The F.A.E. provided much needed research funding and the A.E.A.-U.S.A. produced research that directed the future of adult education. The movements and advances in understanding that occurred in the 1950s allowed adult education to grow. Merriam (2001) reminds educators that concepts such as andragogy and self-directed learning have continued to shape the practice of adult education. Though adult educators may not have all of the answers regarding the adult as a learner, the ideas from the past have allowed them to move forward.

Table 1. Summary of the History of Adult/Community Education

Social Background	-End of WWII and beginning of Cold War -Beginning of Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Rights -Anti-communism paranoia -Brown v Board decision in 1954
Highlights	-Formation of F.A.E. and A.E.A.-U.S.A. -Increased focus on empirical research
Influential Factors	-Malcom Knowles -Cyril Houle -Progressivism
Implications	-Knowles’ andragogy -Houle’s self-directed learning -Use of scientific research methodology in adult education research

References

Chang, B. Shift of Adult Education Research.

Hiemstra, R. (2003). More Than Three Decades of Self-Directed Learning: From Whence Have We Come? Adult Learning. 14(4), 5-8.

Hiemstra, R. (2005). An annotated Chronology of Landmarks in the history and development of adult education with particular reference to the U.S.A. Retrieved September 14, 2014 from www-distance.syr.edu/historychron.htm

History.com Staff (2010). The 1950s. http://www.history.com/topics/1950s

Merriam, S.S. (2001). Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult Learning Theory In New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education.

Merriam, S.B., Brockett, R.G. (2007). The Profession and Practice of Adult Education: An Introduction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Pickren, W. (September 2004). Fifty Years On: Brown v. Board of Education and American Psychology, 1954–2004. American Psychologist, 59(6), 493-494.

Rachal, J. (2014). Review of the Book Malcolm Shepherd Knowles: A history of his thought, by J Rachal. Adult Education Quarterly, 64(1), 80-84.

Research Review (1955). Adult Education.

The 1950s: Happy Days. Retrieved from: http://www.ushistory.org/us/53.asp

Verner, C. (1956). Research-Based publications, 1955*. Adult Education, 6, 226-233.