Philosophical Orientation to Adult Learning: A Descriptive Study of Minnesota Environmental Education Practitioners

Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Master of Education in Environmental Education in the College of Education and Human Service Professions, University of Minnesota Duluth, 2009. Committee names: Julie Ernst (Chair), Sue Damme, Nate Meyer. This item has been modified from the original to redact the signatures present.Adult education and environmental education (EE) are well-established, separate fields whose intersection requires further research and understanding. To reach the adult audience, EE practitioners throughout the state of Minnesota offer adult EE programs that work toward a variety of EE's goals. This study explored the adult education philosophical orientations of Minnesota EE practitioners using The Philosophy of Adult Education Inventory© (PAEI). As a result, this study also addressed the relationships of adult education philosophical orientation to position, training, and experiences of EE practitioners. Results inform EE practitioners' strategies for designing and delivering adult EE programs.University of Minnesota, Duluth. College of Education and Human Service Profession