The Concept of Educational Need: an Analysis of Selected Literature

This study explores the concept of need in adult education literature in view of assessing its usefulness for practitioners and clarifying the issues which remain to be debated by researchers and practitioners alike. Several major uses of the term need are high lighted and McKinley's classification of diagnostic models sum marized. The following key issues are raised and discussed: whether need refers properly to both individuals and systems; who can best perceive need; the problem of shifting needs; and the critical relationship between needs and the operational philosophy of an institution. It is concluded that need assessment literature stresses technological at the expense of philosophical and normative considerations; that need assessment based solely on felt needs or on prescriptive needs is generally ineffective; and that need assess ment procedure generally favors adjustment and not education for transformation.