top of page

Andragogy

Is an approach oriented towards adult learners. It contrast with pedagogy where children's responsabilities and previous learning experiences are often considered as irrevelant. Andragogy focuses on adults' circumstances (responsabilities, time constraints) and present state of knowledge.
The initiator of andragogy Malcom Knowles (1913 - 1997 ) proposed 6 assumptions for adult learning during his career : 
  • The need to know - Adults appreciate to know why they learn something. They want to know the kind of benefices they can gain from learning it, or the consequences they could face from not learning it. 
​
  • Self-concept -Adults often feel responsible for their learning decisions. They want to take ownership on what to learn, when and how.
​
​
​
​
​
​
  • Experience - Adults have much more diverse backgrounds than children. Therefore there are more opportunities to connect new informations to older ones.  Thus constructivist principles are relevant. Learning is more efficient if associated with, built upon their present understanding. Nevertheless adults are also much more likely to have developed false assumptions and bias concerning certain subjects. Unlearning is sometimes required.​​
​
  • Readiness to learn - Adults learners will start the learning process from different competence level and thus different needs for assistance. They will also need more or less encouragement depending on their level of self-confidence.​
​
​
​
​
​
​
  • Orientation to learning - Adults tend to appreciate learning that is useful to their particular circumstances. It needs to be timely and relevant to the other (often more important) aspects of their lives.
 
​Design best practices :
Try to involves learners as much as possible in the set up of learning goals, plans. etc. Maximize autonomy, minimize instructions. Give them the opportunity to explore the content without the assistance of the teacher.
​Design best practices :
Create tasks, activities, content, suitable for people with diverse abilities, background and self-confidence.
​Design best practices :
Learning should be focused on problem-solving for an easier application to real life situations. Experiential learning and project-based learning are thus very relevant.
Kolb's learning cycle for experiential learning:
Having or Doing an experience 
Active experimentation
​
Planning, trying out new model
Abstract conceptualisation
​
Creating a new mental modepl of the experience
Observations
​
Reflection on the experience
  • Motivation to learn - Adults' motivations to learn tend to be more intrinsic than extrinsic. They tend to invest their time and attention in learning for enjoyment, self-satisfaction and need for agency.
Even though emprical evidences have shown the efficiency of andragogy, some of its assumptions are questionned. It is argued that some adults can have high level of dependancy, and would not be able to provide insight on the direction of the learning process, whereas some children can be very autonomous and self conscious on how they learn. Both adults and children benefit from experiential learning, but andragogy could mislead teachers to think that it would be unadapted for the second group. In this case the dichotomy between adults and children is counterproductive and its principles can simply serve as a good teaching framework for almost anyone.

further reading & references :

​

© 2020 by Robin Peixoto.

bottom of page