A Study of Adult Learning Breakthrough

Abstract

The thesis is a report of the exploration of eight individual adult learners' perception of their experience of learning breakthrough to answer the question: "What is learning breakthrough?". The question arose after the researcher himself became curious about his own experience of a sudden unexpected event which broke a learning barrier and resulted in an instant new understanding of how to operate a computer. His curiosity grew into this study. Essentially, the research drew its data from eight learners' self reporting their experience using an iterative process of individual interviews and discussions, and a group interview. The study describes learning breakthrough through a conceptual framework organised around three aspects: the context in which learning breakthrough occurred, the types of learning involved and how the learners experienced their respective learning breakthroughs. Three sources of information were used to examine learning breakthrough experience. The first was literature dealing with breakthrough phenomena and adult learning in general. The second was from the researcher himself. The third was eight men and women adult learners from differing backgrounds, and of different ages. This group of learners represents the research participants in the study. Their reports of their learning breakthrough are examined before comparing them with the researcher's experience and the cases front the literature review. ... The conclusions of the research are that the phenomenon is not a rare occurrence and can potentially happen to anyone, anywhere in any learning area.