He ascribed to a learner-focused education philosophy. He held that learning is life not just preparation for life. Adult education, too, fell victim to teacher-centered models. In 1926, the American Association for Adult Education began and quickly started researching better ways to educate adults. Too much of learning consists of vicarious substitution of someone else s experience and knowledge.
Experience is the adult learner s living textbook.
Unfortunately, only some of Dewey s and Lindeman s theories seeped into modern classrooms for children or adults. A century after Dewey proposed learner-focused education, most formal education still focuses on the teacher. As a result, many learners leave school having lost interest in learning. Even good-intentioned educators can squelch naturally inquisitive instincts by controlling the learning environment. By adulthood, some people view learning as a chore and a burden.