In the teaching process, where the teacher and the learners are involved, psychological aspects are the factors that prepare, encourage, facilitate or obstruct the learning process in many different ways. A teacher/trainer in adult education must know about these, must be aware of their importance and must be able to discern them so that s/he can coordinate the class and design courses that can be successful towards the set objectives.

While it is true that each individual learner needs a different approach to open up to learning, there are teaching approaches that can apply to a whole group and affect their learning to the right direction and accomplishment.

The teaching process, which involves designing, preparing and coordinating a given class, must be at the level that will generate accurate predictions for the outcome of teaching and integrate the widest possible range of psychological aspects to the benefit of all actors involved in learning. Whether in the classroom or in the computer laboratory these aspects can be predicted and controlled accordingly to maximise the effect of teaching and lead the learners to success.

In this unit we will attempt to describe the most common psychological aspects that are involved in adult education to enable the teacher to recognise them and appreciate their value.

1. Trust

Trust is a moderator of positive association between the teacher and the class. First of all, it can create good rapport between the teacher and the learners who may come to education with certain fixed ideas and suspicions. Secondly, it forms the social dimension of teaching because it improves the quality of the teacher’s social relationships with the learners. Moreover, it boosts the job satisfaction in the workplace.

To gain the learners’ trust, a teacher/trainer must be sincere, determined, and collaborate with the learners on the basis of a teaching-learning contract that can be established from the beginning of a course. If the learners have to pursue their targets in learning, so has the teacher hand in hand with them pursue the set targets on their behalf.

2. Affective support

It is known that outside class and between teaching sessions students communicate with each other either in person or by using social media to collaborate, exchange ideas, express their feelings, share experiences. In this way they strengthen the peer affective support and this keeps them together in an informal setting. To sustain this affective support during the course, a teacher must encourage them to work on projects, which is an authentic task that will sustain peer support.

3. Group dynamics & teamwork

When the short-term or mid-term projects are designed in small groups then the group dynamics emerge; one learner from the group inevitably leads the group and the other members contribute accordingly to accomplish the task. During the preparation of the project many more dynamics can emerge from the members of the group that were not the ‘leaders’ initially. The teacher can use the results of the projects to praise their work and enhance their confidence sending a direct signal that teamwork is valued. There are several ways to do so. The teacher can invite some colleagues to class to attend the presentation of the projects and evaluate them. Another way is to choose the best project or the best three projects to publish in the school newsletter. In all cases the teacher must give some publicity to this and praise them for their work. These simple activities can not only reinforce the value of teamwork but they can also enhance the relationship between teacher and learners.

4. Web-based e-learning – motivation of learners

When a course involves e-learning when time and space are not restricted and the traditional affective support is missing, the teacher must use motivation to sustain the rapport that has been established with the learners. This motivation aspect, which is fundamental at all stages of learning, can be achieved if the teacher regularly communicates with his/her students by sending them group-mailing messages, for instance, if it is asynchronous teaching material. In synchronous type of e-learning, the teacher is there during tutorials and can motivate them in the way that would do as if they were in a traditional class by audio or video messages; praising them, designing a motivational message and showing it on screen, for example.

If the class practices interactive activities in the computer laboratory, then the teacher can motivate them and reinforce teamwork by setting small projects to work in pairs. In any case the teacher must use the lab time to sustain the unity of the class.