Educating Rita

5/11/2010.

Educating Rita

In the movie Educating Rita, the movie shows the changes which Rita gradually went through while she attended the Open University; learning English Literature . Rita went to University not to get education that would get her a better job or more pay, but an education that would open up for her a whole new world. Rita wants to be a different person, and live an altogether different life than she was living . The movie explores some concepts which drive adult learners to go back to school and pursue higher education. I will discuss four concepts which relates to me as an adult learner.

According to Zemke, (1981) adults have been found to engage in learning for a variety of reasons. For example, Rita desired to learn more about herself by learning literature. Despite Rita desire to learn literature, her motivation is challenged many times; for example, the incident where her father puts pressure on her to start a family by humiliating her in the public. Zemke, (1981) states that, just as stress increases as life-change events accumulate the motive to cope with change through engagement in a learning experience increases. One incident ,which helped Rita motivation increase to learn was when Denny her husband burned her books, and homework. The challenging events she encountered increased her motivation to learn. I have always wanted to go back to school for higher education but I had no motivation, and I have always had an excuse . Some of the reasons which have motivated me to join school again as an adult learner are, job advancement, and to have more job opportunities in the future.

Another issue that is shown in the movie is the concept of social clock effects. Social clock is the time schedule of the normal sequence of adult –life experiences, such as the timing of marriage, college graduation, and retirement .( Bjorklund & Bee ,2004 ,p .7). In the movie Rita says that, I’m...