Research Guides: ADLT 601: Adult Learning & Development: Recommended Article Sources

Search Term Examples

Enclose phrases (two or more words) in quotation marks

"adult education"
"adult basic education"
"adult learning"
"adult development"

"informal education"
"non-formal education"
"incidental learning"
"experiential learning"
"communities of practice"
"transformative learning"

"job training"
"industrial training"
"on the job training"
"corporate education"

[theory name]
[theorist]
theory AND practice

Theory into Practice - Special Issue

Fifty Years of Theory into Practice: Learning from the Past, Looking to the Future
Special Issue, v52 supp1 (2013), of Theory into Practice includes a long piece on teaching and learning theories.

1. Recommended Starting Points

ERIC and Education Research Complete have substantial coverage of adult, career and vocational education in a variety of educational settings. Both have materials by and for educators on theories, applications, and techniques.

ERIC via ProQuest
Premier database for education research. Includes bibliographic records and select full-text for journal articles, curriculum materials, and more.
ERIC via ed.gov
Click on the Thesaurus tab (it will turn green) to browse and/or search for terms to use in your ERIC searches. The Thesaurus will help you discover synonyms.

ADLT 601 - ERIC Tips
Tips for finding search vocabulary using the ERIC Thesaurus and for searching the ERIC database

Education Research Complete
Smaller than ERIC, but a necessary complement/supplement to it. Includes references from some publications that rarely address educational issues and consequently are not included in ERIC.

ADLT 601 - ERC Tips
Tips for searching the Education Research Complete (ERC) database

2. Cognitive and Psychological Aspects

PsycINFO (PsycNET)
How individuals and organizations learn; testing of learning theories.

ADLT 601 - PsycINFO Tips
Tips for finding search vocabulary using the APA Thesaurus and for searching the PsycINFO database