THE STRUCTURE OF ADULT EDUCATION AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE LECTURE

Abstract

This paper discusses the structure of Adult Education programmes and, on the basis of ex­periential and intuitive considerations, attempts to construct a schema of relationships between the lecture, the didactic presentation of materials, and the former. Consequently, a research agenda has been proposed. The paper concludes that the lecture is not an appropriate and effec­tive instructional method in adult education. However, in certain circumstances, particularly with University Extension Programmes, the lecture may be an effective and expedient approach for conveying information to adults if it is properly used. Finally, adult education training agencies are called upon to intensify the use of group approaches and activity-teaching methods and techniques in their training programmes.