Andragogy
Sara
R. Pratt
Ball
State University
Abstract
This paper will review the literature discussing the
adult learning theory andragogy. An
introduction of where andragogy was first established in the adult learning
curriculum. Then it will examine the six
assumptions that andragogy follows. It
will review the critics of andragogy and also the different facts that support
the assumptions of andragogy. It will
then evaluate the implications of this theory and how adult educators can apply
andragogy into current practice.
Andragogy
Introduction
Andragogy is “the art and science of helping adults
learn.” The theory focuses on the adult
learner and his or her life situation in relation to learning (Merriam, S.,
Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L., 2007).
There are six assumptions that describe Andragogy. There are two defining traits within
andragogy. First, the adult learner is
self directed and autonomous. Second,
the role of the teacher changes from the presenter of content to the
facilitator of learning (Savicevic, D., 1991).
Andragogy
has been around for centuries; however, it was not until Malcolm Knowles in
1968, that adult educators used Andragogy as a rallying point to define the
field as separate from other areas of education (Merriam, S., 2001). The topic was introduced in a socio-historic
time where self-directed learning was encouraged and adult learning was
becoming more popular. Also, andragogy
separated from pedagogy, so increased scholarly approaches and strengthened a
group of educators that felt mediocre to similar professions (Savicevic, D.,
1991).
Six Assumptions of Andragogy
The
first assumption is adults are self-directed learners; they are less dependent
on the teacher. With this assumption, the classroom or
learning environment should be one of adultness, both physically and psychologically. The adults in the class room should feel
accepted, respected, and supported within the environment. Also, the adult student can participate in
the planning, developing of lesson plans, and evaluation of the learning
experiences. This assumption has
teachers and adult students working together as mutual investigators of the
learning experience (Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L., 2007).
The
second assumption is adults have an increasing amount of experiences which are
a good resource for learning. Adult
students can share their own experiences with other learners in order to
validate themselves and gain knowledge on the topic. The third assumption is
that an adult’s willingness to learn is tied closely to the responsibilities of
his or her current social role. If the
adult learner needs the information for his current job or it is applicable to
a personal need at home, he or she will be more eager to seek out and learn the
material (Merriam, S., 2001).
Andragogy’s
fourth assumption is that adult learning is more problem centered than subject
centered based learning. That is, adult
learners want to learn useful techniques or gain greater knowledge in a subject
that they can use in their current social role.
The application of knowledge has changed from future relevance like that
of undergraduate work, to immediate relevance, possibly in the workplace (Merriam,
S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L., 2007).
The
most powerful motivators are internal rather than external, is the fifth
assumption. This assumption is presuming
that adults are driven to learn because of self-esteem or desire for increased
job satisfaction. So, in turn, adult
learners are not as provoked by external motivators; such as, job promotion or
increase in pay. The last assumption of
Andragogy is that adult learners need to know why it is important to learn
something. In other words, how this
material is going to benefit them in their current social role (Merriam, S.,
2001).
Critiques of Andragogy
Every since Andragogy has become popular as a theory to
be used in adult education there have been many critics of Malcolm Knowles’
context of andragogy and the six assumptions.
Many researchers question if it is a theory of learning or more of a framework
of teaching adult students (Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L.,
2007).Also, some believe that andragogy is not general, but specific to a
certain population, so it is not applicable to all adult learners (Rachal,
J.R., 2002).
Critics of the six assumptions of Andragogy, believe the
first assumption that adult students are self-directed learners is more of a
desired result than a given outcome.
Some critics believe the second assumption is also more complex than
just adults having a base of experiences that help them learn. Some adults may have had a negative
experience; which may actually act as a barrier for them to learn. Then there are adults who are choosing to
learn something extremely new and may have no previous quality experience to
relate to; therefore, would not fall under the second assumption. In that case, there may even be a child
learner with more quality experiences to draw from then that specific adult
(Savicevic, D., 1991). This leads
critics to believe pedagogy to andragogy is more situation specific then specific
to only adults (Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L., 2007).
The third and fourth assumptions tend to lead to a narrow
view of learning. These assumptions
focus only on the learning that takes place for gaining more knowledge to
contribute to a specific social role and that learning experience’s ability to
be applicable in the immediate future.
The critics feel that these assumptions ignore the complexity of why
adults want to learn (Merriam, S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L., 2007). Similarly, the fifth assumption only focuses
on internal motivation; however, required participation learning in the career
field has become more popular and does not line up with the internal motivation
assumption. The sixth assumption has
also been criticized because studies have shown that some adult learners join
an education opportunity just for the sheer enjoyment of learning. Whereas, the sixth assumption focuses on adults
that need to know why it is important for them to learn the material.
The researcher, Sandlin, viewed andragogy through
critical, feminist and Africentric theoretical orientations to show the
consequence of andragogy’s lack of attention to the context in which learning
takes place. Through the critical
perspectives, andragogy is assuming that all learners look and learn the same,
mainly white, middle-class individual learners.
Since andragogy is ignoring the relationship between self and society it
does not take into account of how our culture impacts an adult’s way of
learning and development. Sandlin
believes that andragogy supports the status quo and imitates society’s
disparities (Sandlin, J., 2005).
Basically, andragogy ignores various social groups within its assumptions.
Support of Andragogy
Merriam and et al believe that using a broader range of
research in adult learning can better show how andragogy is pertinent to adult
learners. Surveys have shown that a
large portion of adults are engaged in self-directed learning opportunities and
a majority of those are planned by the adult learner. Also, many adults have surveyed that their
participation in a certain learning experience is closely related to their role
at work or as a family member (Merriam, S., 2001).
Andragogy Applied to Practice
Andragogy is the most learner-centered theory out of all
the other educational programming. It
focuses on allowing the learner to be a part of all aspects of their education;
which should create a climate in which an adult can learn to the utmost of his
or her ability. An adult educator can
use the six assumptions as a guideline for how they facilitate learning in
their adult classroom environment.
In order for an educator to support adults as
self-directed learners, an educator can include his or her students in the
objectives of what is to be learned in the course and how the learners will be
evaluated on learning the information.
The adult learner will be able to communicate their expectations and
allow the educator know what is important to the adult learner to learn.
Using small group discussions encourages adult learns to
share their experiences with their classmates.
This validates their experiences as valuable information and increases
the retention and application of the material being learned. Also, encourage class discussion can help
adult learners better understand new concepts from different perspectives.
When an educator allows the student to express their
expectations of the course and the items they hope to learn, most likely the
educator will learn why the student is participating in the learning
opportunity. The educator can then know
how this material is connected with the student’s current social role and how
the student will be able to immediately apply the information into their own
life. The educator can better assist the
adult learner with making the experience more catered towards their immediate
learning needs.
Next, the educator needs to discover adult learners’
internal motivators to taking this learning opportunity. Many internal motivators are linked to
increased self-esteem because of gaining additional knowledge or the adult
learner feeling that they can better perform their social role after acquiring this
additional information. Lastly, the
educator needs to let the adult learner know why it is important for them to
learn the information provided to them. An
educator can do this by drawing on classroom discussion and previous
experiences that have brought them to this learning opportunity; or by showing
how this learning opportunity is important for the specific adult student.
Andragogy is one of the most scrutinized and debated
adult learning theories out there; however, it is also one of the most accepted
and put into use in the adult classroom.
Andragogy provides an adult educator a framework of how to view their
adult students and approach learning. It
is just one piece of the puzzle of the complexity of adult learners and their
motivation behind additional education.
References
Merriam,
S., Caffarella, R., & Baumgartner, L. (2007), Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide, p83-92.
Merriam,
S.B. (2001). Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult Learning
Theory. New
Directions for Adult and Continuing Education (issue 89), p3-13.
Rachal,
J.R. (2002). Andragogy’s Detectives: A Critique of the Present and A Proposal
for the Future. Adult Education
Quarterly, Vol. 52 (issue 3), p210-227.
Sandlin,
J. (2005). Andragogy and its discontents: An analysis of andragogy from three
critical perspectives. PAACE Journal of
Lifelong Learning, 14, p25-42.
Savicevic,
D.M. (1991). Modern Conceptions of Andragogy: A European Framework. Studies in the Education of Adults, Vol.
23(Issue 2), p179-202.
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