HELPING ADULTS LEARN :
Background references and reading
1. Learning in Church contexts:
* Let’s Do Theology: resources for contextual theology - Laurie Green
2009, Continuum (Revised and re-written edition)
Originally published in 1990, this classic has been helpfully updated and revised. Over the years this
has helped many understand how theology can be an activity rather than a substance or static deposit
of truth. It describes the process of using a reflective learning cycle and gives examples of how
groups of people have thought about their church and community context.
* Developing in Ministry: Handbook for effective Christian learning and training - Neil
Evans , 2012, SPCK
This book aims to encourage those in ministry to work in ways that in turn encourage others to grow
and learn. It is deeply rooted in the local church context, with numerous stories and examples that
help make this very readable (and offer a great example of reflective practice!) so readers could well
find it helpful to also use other resources to help developing ways to implement the ideas advocated.
Those with pragmatist and activist learning tendencies may be particularly helped by this book, as
approaches often advocated as "learning theory" are presented so it is easy to see their relevance to
parish work and how things make a difference. There is plenty of common sense and flexibility in the
way this is written, and it avoids a "one-size fits- all" approach.
* How to Engage with the Bible in Small Groups - Margaret Cooling ( Grove Booklet
B57 )
Within the limits of a Grove Booklet's 10,000 words, this offers enormous help to anyone working
with small groups in churches. It deals with several key ‘group learning’ issues such as barriers to
engagement, principles of group working, helpful questions, etc.
* Learning For Life - Yvonne Craig (1994, Mowbray) now Continuum
This is -almost a classic for trainers in church contexts. One staff member of a theological college
recently described it as "worth 20 other books". Originally published by Mowbray in their ‘Parish
Handbooks’ series.
The publishers, Continuum, say: “This title can be ordered from local booksellers or Amazon – or if need be
as print to order ISBN 9780264673189”
2. Adult Education: theory and practice
* Adults Learning (5th edition 2007), Jenny Rogers
Open University Press 2007
Recommended! While offering academic background, this is a much more practical book than it may
appear at first sight - and reflects intelligently not only on the educational process but on all sorts of
practical issues such as flip-chart use, avoiding the temptation to talk too much and even what to do
about mobile phones in sessions! Earlier editions are also good, but the author is clearly a life-long
learner, and each edition includes considerable amounts of new material.
* Teaching Adults - Alan Rogers
Open University Press (3rd edition 2002)
This has become a 'standard text' for those teaching adults in informal as well as formal contexts.
Written originally for practitioners, it aims to develop good teaching practice grounded in
understanding of educational theory and to be a "practical examination of some of the principles of
teaching adults." The sections on theoretical background are clearly written, jargon is explained, and
there are numerous helpful insights on practical approaches.
* Adult Learning, Adult Teaching - J.Daines, C.Daines, and B.Graham
Welsh Academic Press (4th edition 2006)
This doesn't aim to include much theory, and the layout is not exciting - but worth considering as a
basic single volume reference book on adult education with practical reminders and tips. It is clearly
the work of experienced "hands on" practitioners: short manageable chapters have numbered
paragraphs and checklists.
3. Resources including many practical suggestions:
* Participatory Workshops - Robert Chambers
Earthscan 2002
This is a hands on “how to do it” and “dip-in ideas” book - invaluable reference for anyone organising
learning activities / workshops etc (and very good value!). Lots of useable suggestions on topics such
as how to organise groups, how to start sessions, how to organise feedback etc. It is laid out to be
easy to use, with sub-headings, diagrams, bullet-pointed lists etc
* SCM study guide to Theological Reflection - J Thompson with S Pattison and R
Thompson, 2008, SCM
This book operates in the area of overlap between issues relating to theological reflection, adult
education and spiritual direction. Though these disciplines may sometimes use differing vocabularies,
the learning processes advocated here are based on processes that would be advocated by adult
educators. The final chapter (called "a toolkit”) has suggestions for activities and approaches, which
could provide ideas for designing learning with many church members.
* Participative Processes Nigel Pimlott, Frontier Youth Trust 2009
Format and size of a Grove Booklet (and available from Grove)
Subtitled 'approaches that involve and transform’, this useful and cheap booklet is in the format of a
Grove Booklet. It offers a very good introduction to the underlying values and value of using
participative approaches and most content is equally applicable to any work encouraging the
involvement of the whole people of God, not just to youth. It includes short and clear overviews of 7
approaches, though it is not written as a full “how-to” manual, and people unused to working with
experiential processes would probably find it useful to experience some of these to recognise some
of the potential and practicalities
* Participatory Learning and Action: A trainer's guide, J Pretty et al, IIED 1995
Designed initially for training and capacity-building workshops in international contexts, several
diocesan practitioners have praised this highly - especially part 2, which has 101 'recipes' for Games
and Exercises for Trainers for different purposes - all providing ideas and starting points that can be
adapted. Part One has useful and digestible sections on adult learning, being a facilitator, group
dynamics and team building, principles of participatory learning, participatory methods etc. A very
useable focused guide, though now quite expensive.
4. Other reading:
* Will our Children have Faith? John Westerhoff, Third revised edition 2012, Morehouse
(caveat - a previous edition is still available - check which you are getting)
This essay throws out invaluable challenges relating to the part learning plays within the whole the
community of faith. Adult educators may look at the title and ignore the book, but it is worth looking
at - Its thoughts and ponderings (rather than research based theories) are much more relevant to
adult educators than the title would suggest! In the newly published third edition, Westerhoff has
added a section headed 'Update' at the end of each of the original 1970s chapters, and the book
concludes with a reflective 'Afterword' chapter.
* The Reflective Disciple: Roger Walton: 2009, Epworth
A key book for those involved in encouraging the growth of disciples, it raises questions not only
about disciples themselves but about what sort of church enables disciples to flourish. The author
looks at how the church can be a community called to operate with a ‘built-in pedagogical dynamic’.
The book has six chapters which cover themes ranging from discipleship in the New Testament
through to models of the church which might encourage discipleship to flourish today. His ‘touch
stone’ is that of disciples in ‘dialogue’ or ‘conversation’ with the tradition, biblical witness, current
context and personal experience. He advocates a process of ‘faithful reflection’ as a way of engaging
disciples holistically and opening up new insights for living. The publishers blurb states (accurately)
that it "challenges the church to ‘train and release’ reflective and creative disciples by giving attention
to the presence of God in the life of the world and engaging with the divine in the ordinary
* What Prevents Christian Adults from Learning? - John Hull, 1985 (reprint 1991) SCM
This classic book is now out of print, but is available in many libraries. It is not always easy to use – as
it lacks both an adequate index and sufficient sub-headings in the text. But this wide-ranging (and now
slightly dated) analysis is an invaluable and important reminder of many problems that can discourage
learning – and offers important challenges to adult educators working in church contexts.
* INFED - www.infed.org
The online ‘Encyclopaedia of Informal Education’ offers a wide range of informative, articles relating to
aspects of lifelong learning and ‘social pedagogy’. An excellent source of easily accessible information
on educational thinkers and approaches: the entries are usually a page or two long (not-too
cumbersome), focussed and well referenced.