Principles of Adult Learning Scale

Directions: The following survey contains several things that a teacher of adults might do in a classroom. You may personally find some of them desirable and find others undesirable. For each item please respond to the way you most frequently practice the action described in the item. Your choices are Always, Almost Always, Often, Seldom, Almost Never, and Never.

  1.  I allow students to participate in developing the criteria for evaluating their performance in class.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  2.  I use disciplinary action when it is needed.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  3.  I allow older students more time to complete assignments when they need it.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  4.  I encourage students to adopt middle class values.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  5. I help students diagnose the gaps between their goals and their present level of performance.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  6. I provide knowledge rather than serve as a resource person.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  7. I stick to the instructional objectives that I write at the beginning of a program.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  8. I participate in the informal counseling of students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  9. I use lecturing as the best method for presenting my subject material to adult students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  10. I arrange the classroom so that it is easy for students to interact.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  11. I determine the educational objectives for each of my students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  12. I plan units which differ as widely as possible from my students' socio-economic backgrounds.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  13. I get a student to motivate himself/herself by confronting him/her in the presence of classmates during group discussions.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  14. I plan learning episodes to take into account my students' prior experiences.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  15. I allow students to participate in making decisions about the topics that will be covered in class.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  16. I use one basic teaching method because I have found that most adults have a similar style of learning.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  17. I use different techniques depending on the students being taught.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  18. I encourage dialogue among my students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  19. I use written tests to assess the degree of academic growth rather than to indicate new directions for learning.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  20. I utilize the many competencies that most adults already possess to achieve educational objectives.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  21. I use what history has proven that adults need to learn as my chief criteria for planning learning episodes.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  22. I accept errors as a natural part of the learning process.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  23. I have individual conferences to help students identify their educational needs.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  24. I let each student work at his/her own rate regardless of the amount of time it takes him/her to learn a new concept.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  25. I help my students develop short-range as well as long-range objectives.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  26. I maintain a well disciplined classroom to reduce interferences to learning.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  27. I avoid discussion of controversial subjects that involve value judgments.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  28. I allow my students to take periodic breaks during class.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  29. I use methods that foster quiet, productive desk work.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  30. I use tests as my chief method of evaluating students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  31. I plan activities that will encourage each student's growth from dependence on others to greater independence.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  32. I gear my instructional objectives to match the individual abilities and needs of the students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  33.  I avoid issues that relate to the student's concept of himself/herself.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  34.  I encourage my students to ask questions about the nature of their society.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  35.  I allow a student's motives for participating in continuing education to be a major determinant in the planning of learning objectives.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  36.  I have my students identify their own problems that need to be solved.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  37.  I give all students in my class the same assignment on a given topic.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  38.  I use materials that were originally designed for students in elementary and secondary schools.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  39.  I organize adult learning episodes according to the problems that my students encounter in everyday life.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  40.  I measure a student's long-term educational growth by comparing his/her total achievement in class to his/her expected performance as measured by national norms from standardized tests.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  41.  I encourage competition among my students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  42.  I use different materials with different students.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  43. I help students relate new learning to their prior experiences.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A
  44.  I teach units about problems of everyday living.
    Always   Almost Always   Often   Seldom   Almost Never   Never   N/A