Top 10 Reasons Adults Stop Learning

by Ed Richardson

When asked to ponder the question, "Why Adults Stop Learning," immediately a "Top 10" list came to my mind. Perhaps I spend too much time watching late night television. However, as I look around at the variety of church programs offered to help adults continue their learning journey, I can’t help but notice the lack of participation and enthusiasm in adult education programs. I offer this list as suggestions to help get churches back on track and increase their ratings in the Adult Learning category. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, not is it in any real order. The list represents a reflection upon what is being done and not being done in churches to help adults continue maturing in faith.


Reason #10
Adults stop learning because we make it too inconvenient. Too often, programs are offered at the convenience of the program rather than the learner. Our live no longer revolve around the "9 to 5" workweek of past decades. Time is a precious commodity to adults today. Churches have to be creative in scheduling as well as in the presentation and content.


Reason #9
Emphasis is too often on transmission of information rather than transformation of learner. Religious knowledge is not the goal of Christian education – despite what many may think. Our churches need to be educating in such a way as to help people in their faith development. Richard Osmer reminds us, “ . . .the basic purpose of their teaching is to create a context in which faith can be awakened, supported, and challenged.” (Osmer, p.15) Remember, facts do not change people’s lives.


Reason #8
We often try to make everyone learn the same way. However, people have different learning styles. We know that, yet we continue to teach as if everyone processes information the same way. We must learn to teach in such a way as to engage people where and how they learn.


Reason #7
We sometimes subtly foster the attitude that learning is just for children. Compare the amount of time, money, and energy that goes into a typical children’s educational program with that of an adult Christian education program. Learning is not just for children. We need to better convey the image that learning is a lifelong process.


Reason #6
Classroom sessions are boring. The Search Institute of the Effectiveness of Christian Education indicated that 77% of adults listed the Bible as the primary topic of interest for study. (Roehlkepartain, p, 130) However, we sometimes take the dynamic story of faith and turn it into the dry bones of the desert.


Reason #5
We fail to provide a caring, nurturing community where learning can occur. Faith, though very personal, is not a private matter. We learn and grow in community, in relationship with others along the same journey. Wherever learning takes place, we have to offer a warm and inviting space where people feel safe enough to examine their journey of faith together.


Reason #4
Adults stop learning because we offer too few choices in our churches which challenge adults. The church is not in competition with a wide variety of activities. Because of this, what we offer must be appealing and must address the needs and desires of adults – (this implies we take the time to discover exactly what the needs are and them plan accordingly). We expect too little from adult learners and low expectations yield low results and investment in learning by adults.


Reason #3
What we have to teach is often irrelevant to adults. One primary characteristic of adult learning is that adults will take the time and make the effort to learn if they see it has an effect upon their actual life situation. We fail to make the transition from the learning situation to real life.


Reason #2
Adults stop learning because we do not train teachers how to teach adults. We often settle for any warm body that we can recruit to lead an adult program. Then, instead of offering them training and support, we leave them alone because we do not want to "overburden" them.


Reason #1
There has been a collapse of the church’s educational strategy. Charles Foster says, " . . few congregations now have an adequate core to persons with the vision, training, and experience to sustain educational ministries capable of creating a faithful and viable future for congregational life." (Foster, p. 34) The vision of education is fading in many congregations. We need a "new vision" for education in the church, one that takes into account the needs of
not only adults, but of all the people of faith.