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##  Change: Connections to Adult Learning and Education. ERIC Digest No.            221.                                                                         

Phrases such as "change is inevitable," "change is constant,"                   and "the only thing certain is change itself" are commonly heard                when commiserating about the pace of modern life. As described in               the fable WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? (Johnson 1998), humans have varying              reactions to change: some welcome it, others tolerate it, but many              dread it. The main idea underlying Johnson's book--that change is               inevitable so we must learn to accept it--delivers a naive and                  simplistic message about a complex process. Many perspectives exist             about change, but a common theme throughout the literature is that              it is a process that involves learning (Macduff 1993). The question             of how adult learning and education can cultivate change with                   individuals and groups is explored in this Digest. Following a                  discussion of the change process, it examines the connection between            change and adult education and adult learning, and it concludes with            some suggestions for adult educators involved in the change                     process. THE CHANGE PROCESSDifferent types of change exist.               Hohn (1998) identifies four: change by exception, incremental                   change, pendulum change, and paradigm change. Change by exception               occurs when an individual makes an exception to an existing belief              system. For example, on the basis of an experience with a person of             another culture, an individual might make an exception to what is               fundamentally a racist belief system but only for that person, not              for the entire culture. When change happens so gradually that an                individual is not aware of it, it is incremental. Changes that                  result in extreme exchanges of points of view are considered                    pendulum changes. Paradigm change involves a fundamental rethinking             of premises and assumptions, and both individuals and organizations             can experience it. Paradigm change involves a changing of                       assumptions, beliefs, and values about how the world works. When                adult educators speak of change, they are generally referring to                this kind of change. 
Someone who deliberately tries to bring about            a change or innovation is known as a change agent (Havelock and                 Zlotolow 1995). A change agent is usually associated with                       facilitating change in an organization or institution (ibid.;                   Lippitt, Watson, and Westley 1958), but adult educators may assume a            change agent role in working with individual learners. Whether                  working with organizations or individuals, by necessity, change                 agents engage "in the exercise of power, politics, and interpersonal            influence" (Buchanan and Badham 1999, p. 615). 
In facilitating                change, a key element is understanding the existing power structure,            including assessing "whose power moves things around" and whose                 power should be supported by the change agents (Arnold et al. 1991,             p. 24). This facet of the change process includes understanding the             social, organizational, and political identities and interests of               those involved; focusing on what really matters instead of getting              caught up in peripheral issues; assessing the agendas of all                    concerned; and planning for action (ibid.). Analysis of the first               three areas will help a prospective change agent decide on the                  prudence or wisdom of taking action. 
Change occurs over a period              of time. The pace of the change process is irregular with the most              common pattern seeming "to consist of occasional spurts of learning             or change, separated by longer periods of apparent                              stability" (Lippitt, Watson, and Westley 1958, p. 267).  Although               change may seem to be constant at times, the truth is human beings              could not endure constant change (Levine 1996). "One of the key                 ideas that drives the adult during a period of change is the idea               that on the other side of change will come the down time--the time              of stability" (ibid. , p. 1). 
As described here, the change                   process is transformative, political, involves learning, and takes              place over a period of time. How these characteristics connect to               adult education and learning is discussed next. THE ADULT LEARNING            AND EDUCATION CONNECTIONAdult educators frequently act as change            agents. An understanding of the connection between adult education              theory and practice and the role of change can be helpful. ADULT              LEARNING AND CHANGELiterature describing the change process and             the learning that takes place as a part of change (e.g., Hohn 1998;             Lippert, Watson, and Westley, 1958; Page and Meerabeau 2000;                    Richardson 1998; Williams 1992) uses terms or describes processes               that are associated with adult learning, particularly transformative            learning, as defined by Mezirow (1991). Like transformative                     learning, change involves a questioning of assumptions and a                    fundamental rethinking of premises. The learning of prominent social            activists, for example, began with "testing the old rules." During              this initial step, the individuals used a questioning process to                examine what they believed and why (Williams 1992). 
Reflection is             another term associated with both adult learning and change. In                 describing the learning that takes place during the change process,             Lippitt, Watson, and Westley (1958) state that "during the learning             period, the system accumulates a number of new facts or ideas which             are stored away, as it were, for further consideration" (p. 267). In            discussing teacher change, Richardson (1998) describes a process                that has reflection as its foundation. During the reflection period,            teachers assess their beliefs, goals, and results of changing                   approaches to their work. In adult education, reflection is also an             important step in transformative learning theory (Mezirow 1991) and             as well as in the ideas of Schon, whose book, EDUCATING THE                     REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER (1987), is frequently cited in the adult                education literature. Periods of reflection may account for those               times during the change process when nothing appears to be                      happening. 
The political aspects of change, including power, are              also topics discussed in adult learning, though only recently. Until            the past decade, discussions of adult learning have been dominated              by the psychological perspective that focuses on the individual                 learner (Merriam and Caffarella 1999). Now, however, there is                   increasing discussion and analysis of the context in which learning             takes place, including "the larger systems in society, the culture              and institutions that shape learning, the structural and historical             conditions framing, indeed defining, the learning event" (ibid., p.             340). Cervero and Wilson (1994), for example, describe how these                factors influence the context and shape the power structure by                  calling attention to the sociocultural nature of planning that must             be understood in program development. TEACHING FOR CRITICAL                   CONSCIOUSNESSBecause a change agent deliberately tries to bring             about change, some adult educators may feel conflict in helping                 adults become more aware of how society is structured and how their             own experiences have been shaped by such factors as gender, race,               and class (Tisdell, Hanley, and Taylor 2000). In discussing an                  inquiry-based staff development project, King (1998) describes her              dilemma of building in participant experiences while pushing her                agenda that included giving participants the opportunity to examine             critically their assumptions and values about adult literacy                    education. In theory, she wanted to follow participatory principles,            but in practice, she had in mind definite outcomes for how the                  participants would change and improve their work. Brookfield (1995),            on the other hand, feels that it is the responsibility of the                   teacher of adults to help learners become critically reflective and             to think of themselves as individuals who are capable of taking                 action and changing the world. ADULT EDUCATORS IN THE CHANGE                  PROCESSA clear relationship exists between the change process               and adult learning. The role of change agent is not appropriate in              every situation and not all adult educators may be comfortable with             the role. When an adult educator assumes the role of change agent,              however, the following suggestions may guide the process. 
Pay                 attention to the context. Whether acting as a change agent in an                organization or with individual students, understanding the context             is critical to success. Both organizations and individuals are                  shaped by factors that it is important to address in the process of             change. Individual learners have norms and values that will                     influence the direction of change. When working with an organization            or institution, an analysis of the context in advance should provide            answers to such questions as "Will I be asked to do things that                 might be in conflict with my ethical beliefs and standards?"                    and "Are factors present that will prevent the change from                      occurring?" 
Be prepared to be proactive. Underlying the change                agent role is the assumption that the change agent will bring about             change. When acting as a change agent, therefore, an adult educator             must be prepared to initiate the change process even though                     fulfilling this role may raise questions about the ethics of                    facilitating change, including the responsible use of power in                  giving students tools they can use in their lives (Tisdell, Hanley,             and Taylor 2000). 
Attend to learning. Since learning and change               are interconnected, an adult educator can assist those who are                  undergoing the change process in understanding the different kinds              of learning as well as the learning cycle of the change process.                Williams (1992), for example, talks about adult educators assisting             learners in "'peeling the onion' of theory and practice that have               produced current acceptable rules in any areas" (p. 47). Based on               her experience of encouraging critical reflection, King (1998)                  suggests using strategies such as reading and discussing journal                articles as ways of stimulating deeper analysis of issues. It is                important to allow for periods of reflection to incorporate and/or              practice new ways of thinking and acting. Finally, remembering that             learning does not end after the change will ensure that any changes             are implemented successfully. Page and Meerabeau (2000) found, for              example, that the constructive action following reflection requires             additional support from those initiating the change. 
Build in                 action. Any change will not be complete unless it involves action.              Taking action related to a new mental concept or to organizational              change will increase the flow of information surrounding it and                 allow those involved to test it out, receive reaction to it, and                involve others in learning about it (Williams 1992). Action will                also provide the proof that the change has                                      occurred. CONCLUSIONAdult educators frequently act as change              agents, although they may not be conscious that they are playing                this role. Like learning, change is a complex process and                       understanding the relationship between learning and the change                  process can help adult educators be more purposeful in assisting                with change. REFERENCESArnold, R. et al. EDUCATING FOR A                  CHANGE. Toronto: Doris Marshall Institute for Education and Action,             1991. (ED 336 628) 
Brookfield, S. D. BECOMING A CRITICALLY                    REFLECTIVE TEACHER. San Francisco:Jossey-Bass, 1995. 
Buchanan, D.,            and Badham, R. "Politics and Organizational Change: The Lived                   Experience." HUMAN RELATIONS 52, no. 5 (1999): 609-629. 
Cervero,              R. M., and Wilson, A. L. PLANNING RESPONSIBLY FOR ADULT EDUCATION:A             GUIDE TO NEGOTIATING POWER AND INTERESTS. San Francisco:                        Jossey-Bass, 1994. 
Havelock, R. G., and Zlotolow, S. THE CHANGE               AGENT'S GUIDE: SECOND EDITION. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational                Technology Publications, 1995. 
Hohn, M. D. "Why Is Change So                  Hard?" FOCUS ON BASICS 2, issue C (September 1998): 1, 2-6.                     gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall/fob/1998/hohn.htm 
Johnson, S. WHO MOVED            MY CHEESE? New York: Putnam, 1998. 
King, J. "Facilitating                     Inquiry-Based Staff Development." FOCUS ON BASICS 2, issue                      C (September 1998): 19-21.                                                      gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall/fob/1998/king.htm 
Levine, S. J. "Change            Is Constant (Every Once in Awhile)." East Lansing: Michigan State               University, October 1996.                                                       www.canr.msu.edu/aee/extension/oct96.htm 
Lippitt, R.; Watson, J.;             and Westley, B. THE DYNAMICS OF PLANNED CHANGE. New York: Harcourt,             Brace, and World, 1958. 
Macduff, N. "Application of the Adoption              Change Model in a Voluntary Non-Profit Arts Organization." Paper                presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research on              Nonprofits and Voluntary Associations, Toronto, Ontario, October                1993. (ED 363 738) 
Merriam, S., and Caffarella, R. LEARNING IN                ADULTHOOD: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. 2D ED. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,            1999. 
Mezirow, J. TRANSFORMATIVE DIMENSIONS OF ADULT LEARNING. San            Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991. 
Page, S., and Meerabeau,                        L. "Achieving Change through Reflective Practice: Closing the                   Loop."  NURSE EDUCATION TODAY 20, no. 5 (July 2000):                            365-372 
Richardson, V. "How Teachers Change." FOCUS ON BASICS 2,              issue C (September 1998): 7-11.                                                 gseweb.harvard.edu/~ncsall/fob/1998/richards.htm 
Schon, D. A.                 EDUCATING THE REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,              1987. 
Tisdell, E. J.; Hanley, M. S.; and Taylor, E. W. "Different             Perspectives on Teaching for Critical Consciousness." In HANDBOOK OF            ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION. NEW ED., edited by A. L. Wilson and             E. R. Hayes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000. 
Williams, R.                   L. "Social Advocates and Action Learning:   The Discontent Dancing              with Hope." In LEARNING FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, NEW DIRECTIONS FOR            ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, NO. 53, edited by L. A. Cavaliere               and A. Sgroi, pp. 37-50. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,                            1992. 
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This project has been funded at least in part with              Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under Contract              No. ED-99-CO-0013. The content of this publication does not                     necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of             Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or              organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Digests may             be freely reproduced and are available at                                       http://ericacve.org/fulltext.asp.                                            **Title:** Change: Connections to Adult Learning and Education. ERIC Digest No.            221.                                                                         **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** For full text: http://www.ericacve.org/fulltext.asp.                         **Descriptors:**  Adult Education,  Adult Educators,  Adult Learning,  Change,                    Change Agents, Political Influences, Teacher Responsibility,                   Teacher Role, Transformative Learning                                        **Identifiers:** Brookfield (Stephen), ERIC Digests, Reflective Thinking                      
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