Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

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Introduction to the problem According to the World Education (2018), “adults without a high school diploma are more than twice as likely to be living in poverty as high school graduates and over three times more likely to be unemployed than adults with college degrees” (p. 3). Because of this fact, there are adults within the United States that have made the brave decision to go back to school and better themselves. In order for these individuals to accomplish their goal of obtaining a high school diploma, there are certain characteristics that must manifest for them to be successful. So therefore, an understanding of the theories of Maslow and Rogers will enable their instructors gain insight into the motivations of their students and allow…show more content…
He achieved fame for his pyramid-shaped Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow believed that a person had to first meet the needs at the bottom of the pyramid before he or she could ascend to the next level. The Hierarchy of Needs begins with physiological needs as the base of the pyramid, followed by safety, then belonging-love, self-esteem, and finally self-actualization serves as the pinnacle (McLeod, 2017). According to Tichy (2017), Maslow believed that “one of the main hindrances that…could impact an individual’s ability to progress through the hierarchy of human needs is society itself, particularly in the area of education” (p.…show more content…
Today it is widely accepted by teaching community that a child cannot begin to grow intellectually until his or physical needs have been met. However, when dealing with adults the lower tiers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs have already been scaled and the teacher must realize that he or she is now working with an individual that has achieved self-actualization stage. When dealing with adult learner, Thoms (2001) wrote that it is important to remember that they have established “set habits and strong taste, a great deal of pride, a rational framework…by which they make decisions and have developed group behavior consistent with their needs and have a [desire] to apply what is learned and apply it now” (as cited in Chao, 2009, p. 909). According to Maslow, the self-actualization stage was applicable to adult learning because “it refers to the person’s desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially...The specific form that these needs will take will of course vary greatly from person to person” (pp. 382-383).The adult learners are in class because they want to better their lives, so therefore it is important for the educator to attempt to meet the varied needs of these unique students to ensure their

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