Apathy is one of the biggest and most important problems in adult education and learning. Apathy can be defined as a lack of interest in activities or interaction, which I believe is very visible throughout a school day. Students of all ages suffer from a lack of interest in the material they are being taught. However, this problem appears to be much more prevalent among adult learners. Researchers have identified many causes behind classroom apathy, ranging from the expectation of getting high grades to a lack of communication between teachers and students. Many teachers will use the same methods throughout their careers, creating an outdated method of teaching that is the root of the problem. If teachers and students worked together, they could open new doors in learning, such as new methods of classroom communication that would make learning more relevant and enjoyable for everyone. In many academic contexts, instructors are viewed as authority figures. Students are often expected to sit quietly and absorb the information provided by the teacher, even if they generate no interest in the topic or how the teacher presents it to the class. Due to this, students create a lack of interest in what they are learning and simply memorize what is required of them to get the desired grades. This practice is detrimental to students because they do not retain any of the information presented to them. Simply memorizing material is an ongoing problem among adult learners, with vital deep-level learning failing to take place, creating widespread apathy in adult learning. As many students see a lack of interest in their education, teachers and educators must...... middle of paper ....... October 20, 2012. Works Cited Freire, Paulo. “The Banking Concept of Education.” Composing Knowledge: Readings for Academic Writers. Ed. Rolf Norgaard. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's (2007) Print. Essex, Belinda and Sean O'Toole. “The adult learner really can be an overlooked species.” Australian Journal of Adult Learning (2012) Print. Kohn, Alfie. “What does it mean to be well educated? » Senior Leadership (2003) Print.Tagg, John. “Why learn? What we can actually teach students. About Campus (2004) Print. Cleary, Michelle Navarre. “How Antonio Got His Degree From Here: Improving Adult Student Success with Individualized Writing Instruction.” Journal of Basic Writing (2011) Print. “Principles in Practice: Assessing Adult Learning Institutions.” » CAEL: The Council on Adult and Experiential Learning. CAEL. (2005) Wednesday. October 20, 2012.