Which concept is NOT listed as a characteristic affecting adult learning?

• A. IQ score
• B. Need to know
• C. Self-concept
• D. Experience

Answer: (A)

In adult learning, instructional approaches are shaped by characteristics that reflect how adults learn best. They bring a wealth of experience into the learning process, they want to know why they should learn something (the relevance and usefulness), and their self-concept tends to be that of self-directed, responsible decision-makers who control their learning. These factors—need to know, self-concept, and experience—guide how material is presented and how learning is structured, making the content meaningful and applicable.

IQ score, while related to cognitive ability in a broad sense, isn’t listed as a characteristic that influences how adults learn in this framework. The adult-education model focuses on motivation, relevance, and lived experience rather than a single intelligence measure, so IQ is not used to tailor adult learning in the same way the other factors are.