Adult Approach

Running Head: A CogNitive Developmental Approach to Adult Learning

A Cognitive Developmental Approach

to Adult Learning

Ray S. Jones

2000

Abstract

This paper explores cognitive psychological development adapting to it an organizational learning approach in an original way in order to derive a possible application for individual adult learning. The cognitive development model of Robert Kegan (1994, 1982) is superimposed on the narrative form of organizational learning (Tenkasi & Boland, 1993) with the purpose of extracting implications for the individual learner. A social psychological cognitive perspective based upon scripts common to the meaning making approach provide a structure for these implications.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to explore one current and appealing model of cognitive psychological development, adapting to it an organizational learning approach in a way that I believe has not been proposed before, and from this derive a possible application for individual adult learning. I will begin with an examination of the cognitive development model of Robert Kegan (1994, 1982). Then, from a proposal to consider narrative as a form of organizational learning (Tenkasi & Boland, 1993), extract implications for the individual learner. Tenkasi and Boland had argued that cognitive psychology is the wrong framework from which to approach learning. However, they only discussed the computer metaphor model of cognition (Varella, 1991), which is not a universally accepted model. Yet, when Tenkasi and Boland’s approach is considered from a social psychological cognitive perspective, many new possibilities arise. It is these possibilities that I believe can affect adult learning. The basis for this argument is derived from Abelson’s (1976) theory of scripts, the importance of which appear to be a common meaning making approach with direct implications for training design. Kolb’s (1971, 1984)...