Adult learning in various academic disciplines

This study was concerned with understanding how learning occurs and knowledge is organized and processed by professors in various academic disciplines in higher education. The study focused on university professors in four different academic content areas to examine the preferred approaches to learning within and between disciplines. Although the university structure and the development of the college disciplines have been studied, there has been very little research done on the impact of the academic discipline on learning and teaching in higher education. Knowledge of the consequences of the disciplines on learning would be helpful information for the total educational community. The sample for this study was purposive. Twelve university professors were selected from four different disciplines for this research. The design chosen for this inquiry was a naturalistic study using qualitative study methods. The criteria for selection of the professors were teaching experience in one of the four academic disciplines; peer recognition from within the academy for professional expertise, insight, and interest in their own learning and the learning of their students; depth and breadth of their professional experiences to contribute to the data of interest; and interest in the project. The four college disciplines selected for the study were physics (hard science), history (humanities), musi