Andragogy

Andragogy is the theory and practice of education of adults. The word is a combination of andro (from Ancient Greek: ἀνήρ, anēr, genitive ἀνδρός, andros, "man") and ἄγω (ágō), meaning "to lead", it arose from the practice of pedagogy to address the specific needs in the education of adults as opposed to the education of children.

Definitions

Two primary understandings of ‘andragogy’ currently exist:

1. The science of understanding (= theory) and supporting (= practice) lifelong and life-wide education of adults.
2. In the tradition of Malcolm Knowles, a specific theoretical and practical approach, based on a humanistic conception of self-directed and autonomous learners and teachers as facilitators of learning.

Interpreted broadly throughout the academic literature, the term also invites such definitions as ‘adult education practice,’ ‘desirable values,’ ‘specific teaching methods,’ ‘reflections,’ and ‘academic discipline,' with many authors claiming it to be better than traditional adult education.

The term has been used by some to allow discussion of contrast between self-directed and 'taught' education.

Andragogy Principles

Seven Principles of Adult Learning:

• Adults must want to learn They learn effectively only when they are free to direct their own learning and have a strong inner motivation to develop a new skill or acquire a particular type of knowledge.
• Adults will learn only what they feel they need to learn Adults are practical in their approach to learning; they want to know, “How is this going to help me right now? - Is it relevant (Content, Connection and Application).”
• Adults learn by doing Children learn by doing, but active participation is more important among adults.
• Adult learning focuses on problems and the problems must be realistic Children learn skills sequentially. Adults start with a problem and then work to find a solution.
• Experience affects adult learning Adults have more experience than children. This can be an asset and a liability.
• Adults learn best in an informal situation Children have to follow a curriculum. Often, adults learn by taking responsibility by the value and need of content they require to understand and the particular goals it will achieve, being in an inviting environment and having roles as a active participant in the learning process makes it efficient.
• Adults want guidance Adults want information that will help them improve their situation or that of their children. They do not want to be told what to do. They want to choose options based on their individual needs.

History

Originally used by Alexander Kapp (a German educator) in 1833, andragogy was developed into a theory of adult education by Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy and was popularized in the US by American educator Malcolm Knowles. Knowles asserted that andragogy (Greek: "man-leading") should be distinguished from the more commonly used pedagogy (Greek: "child-leading").

Knowles collected ideas about a theory of adult education from the end of WWII until he was introduced to the term "andragogy." In 1966, Knowles met Dusan Savicevic in Boston. Savicevic shared the term andragogy with Knowles, and explained how it was used in the European context. In 1967, Knowles made use of the term "androgogy" to explain his theory of adult education. Then, after consulting Merriam-Webster, he corrected the spelling of the term to "andragogy" and continued to make use of the term to explain his collection of ideas about adult learning.

Knowles' theory can be stated with six assumptions related to motivation of adult learning:

1. Need to know: Adults need to know the reason for learning something.
2. Foundation: Experience (including error) provides the basis for learning activities.
3. Self-concept: Adults need to be responsible for their decisions on education; involvement in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.
4. Readiness: Adults are most interested in learning subjects having immediate relevance to their work and/or personal lives.
5. Orientation: Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
6. Motivation: Adults respond better to internal versus external motivators.

In most countries of Europe the Knowles discussion played, at best, a marginal role. ‘Andragogy’ was, from 1970 on, connected with the in existence coming academic and professional institutions, publications, programs, triggered by a similar growth of adult education in practice and theory as in the USA. ‘Andragogy’ functioned here as a header for (places of) systematic reflections, parallel to other academic headers like ‘biology’, ‘medicine’, ‘physics’. Examples of this use of andragogy are the Yugoslavian (scholarly) journal for adult education, named ‘Andragogija’ in 1969; and the ‘Yugoslavian Society for Andragogy’; at Palacky University in Olomouc (Czech republic) in 1990 the 'Katedra sociologie an andragogiky' was established. Also Prague University has a ‘Katedra Andragogiky’; in 1993, Slovenia’s ‘Andragoski Center Republike Slovenije' was founded with the journal ‘Andragoska Spoznanja’; in 1995, Bamberg University (Germany) named a ‘Lehrstuhl Andragogik’.

On this formal level ‘above practice’ and specific approaches, the term andragogy could be used relating to all types of theories, for reflection, analysis, training, in person-oriented programs as well as human resource development.

Academic discipline

In the field of adult education during recent decades, a process of growth and differentiation emerged as a scholarly and scientific approach, andragogy. Andragogy refers to the academic discipline(s) within university programs that focus on the education of adults; andragogy exists today worldwide. The term refers to a new type of education which was not qualified by missions and visions, but by academic learning including: reflection, critique,and historical analyses.

Dusan Savicevic, who provided Knowles with the term andragogy, explicitly claims andragogy as a discipline, the subject of which is the study of education and learning of adults in all its forms of expression’ (Savicevic, 1999, p. 97, similarly Henschke, 2003, Reischmann, 2003).

Recent research has expanded andragogy into the online world, finding that using collaborative tools like a wiki can encourage learners to become more self-directed, thereby enriching the classroom environment. It gives scope to self-directed learners. Andragogy helps in designing and delivering the solution focused instructions to self-directed The methods used by andragogy can be used in different educational environment. E.g.: Adolescent Education

Differences between Pedagogy and Andragogy

	PEDAGOGY	ANDRAGOGY
LEARNER:	—The learner is dependent on the instructor, the teacher schedules all the activites on how, when and where it should take place . —Teacher is the one who is responsible for what is taught and how it is taught. —Teacher evaluates the learning	—Learner is self-directed,and moves towards independence. —Learner is responsible for the learning. —Self-evaluation is seen
LEARNER'S EXPERIENCE	—There is little experience which could be gained from this kind of learning. —Method is didactic	—There is large quantity of experience gained.— Method used is problem solving, discussion, service-learning
READINESS TO LEARN	—Standardized curriculum set which will be based on the societal needs	—Curriculum is more application based and it revolves around life.
ORIENTATION TO LEARNING	—Here it is a process of acquiring subject matter	—Here learning is for performing tasks,solve problem.
MOTIVATION	—Motivation is by external pressure,and there is lot of competition for grades.	—It is driven by internal motivation.Includes self-actualisation, self-confidence etc

Critique

Knowles himself changed his position on whether andragogy really applied only to adults and came to believe that "pedagogy-andragogy represents a continuum ranging from teacher-directed to student-directed learning and that both approaches are appropriate with children and adults, depending on the situation." Hanson (1996) argues that the difference in learning is not related to the age and stage of one's life, but instead related to individual characteristics and the differences in "context, culture and power" within different educational settings.

In another critique of Knowles' work, Knowles was not able to use one of his principles (Self-concept) with adult learners to the extent that he describes in his practices. In one course, Knowles appears to allow "near total freedom in learner determination of objectives" but still "intended" the students to choose from a list of 18 objectives on the syllabus. Self-concept can be critiqued not just from the instructor's point of view, but also from the student's point of view. Not all adult learners will know exactly what they want to learn in a course and may seek a more structured outline from an instructor. An instructor cannot assume that an adult will desire self-directed learning in every situation.

J.R. Kidd goes further by claiming that principles of learning have to be applied to lifelong development. He suggested that building a theory on adult learning would be meaningless, as there is no real basis for it. P. Jarvis even implies that andragogy would be more the result of an ideology than a scientific contribution to the comprehension of the learning processes. Knowles himself mentions that andragogy is a "model of assumptions about learning or a conceptual framework that serves as a basis for an emergent theory." There appears to be a lack of research on whether this framework of teaching and learning principles is more relevant to adult learners or if it is just a set of good practices that could be used for both children and adult learners.

External links

• Learning Links Dartmouth College, United States

See also

• Alternative pathways in education
• Heutagogy
• Pedagogy
• Self-directed learning
• SQ3R
• Study circle

Further reading

• Loeng, S. (2012). Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy – an andragogical pioneer. Studies in Continuing Education, doi:10.1080/0158037X.2012.749850
• Reischmann, Jost (2005): Andragogy. In: English, Leona (ed): International Encyclopedia of Adult Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan. S. 58-63. (.pdf-download)
• Smith, M. K. (1996; 1999) 'Andragogy', in the Encyclopaedia of Informal Education.
• Sopher, M. J. (2003). An historical biography of Malcolm S. Knowles: The remaking of an adult educator (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Continuing, Adult and Vocational Education.