Meta-Archiv für Erwachsenenbildung

Rolf Arnold warnt davor, den Lernbegriff in der Lerntheorie allein auf kognitives Lernen zu verengen. Tief verwurzelte Emotionsmuster können Lernen verhindern. Darum sollten Lernwiderstände nicht allein verstanden werden als rationale, reflektierte Reaktion auf zugemutete Lerninhalte. Der Autor plädiert dafür, emotionstheoretische Präzisierungen der didaktischen Bedingungen des Erwachsenenlernens stärker in den Blickpunkt zu rücken.

It has recently become widely accepted that reluctance to learning in adults may be explained by features inherent in the (presentation of the) subject matter, which may be perceived by the learner as being unsuited to his or her needs. A successful learning environment, the argument goes, must meet certain standards: for instance, learning should be active, self-directed, situated and constructive. Reluctance to learning in explained as a negative reaction to the absence of these standards. The author argues that the interpretation of learning reluctance as a basically rational, although not always conscious, reaction to didactic shortcomings is too simplistic: emotional parameters such as anxiety or a desire to please must be taken into consideration as well as cognitive ones in order to further professionalism in adult education.