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how is training adults different from teaching students ?

### How is Training Adults Different from Teaching Students?

When it comes to education, there is often confusion between the terms “teaching” and “training.” Although closely related, these two concepts serve distinctly different purposes and appeal to different audiences, especially when comparing adults to students. To understand the differences, let’s dive deeper into the unique aspects of teaching students versus training adults.

#### Learning Goals and Methodology

Teaching generally focuses on imparting theoretical knowledge and a broad range of subject content. This type of education is geared towards students, particularly in academic settings, where the goal is to foster a comprehensive understanding of a subject through methods like lecturing, discussion, and reading.

On the other hand, training is more about practical application, aimed at adults and professionals, intended to equip them with the specific skills they need to perform tasks or improve their work performance. Training is characterized by hands-on experience, simulations, and problem-solving tasks.

#### Adult vs. Student Learners

**Motivation and Relevance:**
Adults are often intrinsically motivated to seek out training that they can directly apply to real-world situations. Adults want to know how what they are learning can benefit them immediately, whereas students may be motivated more by grades, curiosity, or a broader worldview that education can provide.

**Behavior and Discipline:**
Adults tend to have a stronger sense of self-motivation and discipline. They can structure their own learning goals and are usually well aware of what they want to achieve through the training. Student learners, on the other hand, may need more guidance and oversight to maintain a routine and focus on the subject matter.

#### Adaptation of Content and Teaching Strategies

Knowing how to adapt your approach when transitioning from teaching students to training adults is critical to a program’s success. Consider the following strategies:

– **Customization and Personalization:**
Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach in traditional student-centric teaching, adults need personalized or tailored training that takes into account their individual needs, experiences, and learning goals. This requires a more tailored and adaptive approach to the design of the course.

– **Instructor as a Facilitator:**
When training adults, the instructor’s role shifts from being a traditional lecturer to a facilitator of learning. This means that the teacher is more of a guide who helps the adults learn from their own experiences and apply what they learn to different contexts.

– **Respect for Life Experience:**
Adult learners bring a wealth of life and work experience to the training environment that junior learners do not have. Training programs should build on this wealth of experience, encouraging learners to draw on these experiences and see how they can be applied to new learning and knowledge acquisition.

– **Engagement Through Relevance:**
Engaging adult participants requires content to be immediately relevant to their daily lives, work, or industry. Adults are more likely to be engaged and motivated if they see the immediate value and application of the knowledge or skills they are learning.

#### Conclusion

In summary, the fundamental difference between teaching students and training adults lies in the ultimate learning goal, the relationship between the teacher and the learner, and the methods employed. Whereas teaching is more focused on theory, knowledge, and conceptual understanding, training is about developing skills and abilities that can be directly transferred into real-life scenarios. Thus, understanding these distinctions and tailoring your approach as an educator can significantly enhance the effectiveness and success of your education or training programs.

Whether you are embarking on teaching a new group of students or training a cohort of professionals, understanding your learners and adapting your methods accordingly can lead to more effective and life-changing educational experiences.