More than any other participant, faculty roles must change the most in developing and conducting adult education programs. This can be a difficult adjustment for some teachers. They must change teaching styles to that of a mentor, tutor, and facilitator. The faculty must be responsible for adjusting their course content and academic advising to accommodate the diverse needs and expectations of adult learners if adult education programs are to be fully developed. A further problem related to faculty support is the threat to tenure and human resource staffing.
Professors can also have problems respecting the academics of adult education courses.
Not all barriers in adult education programs can be totally removed due to institutional or other restraints. Improvements can, however, almost always be made, often with a minimum of cost and money. Return to top Characteristics of Adult Learners There are innumerable ways to describe adult learners, ranging from age and race to income and social standing. However, the one characteristic of an adult leaner that sets him apart from younger learners is his experience. Adult learners bring a myriad of different experiences with them to an educational situation and although some of these experiences may be less than beneficial the majority of them are of great use.