Andragogy

 Versus  Pedagogy,  Malcolm  S.  Knowles.  

 
Andragogy    (From  Wikipedia)  consists  of  learning  strategies  focused  on  adults.  It  is  often  
interpreted  as  the  process  of  engaging  adult  learners  with  the  structure  of  learning  experience.  
Originally  used  by  Alexander  Kapp  (a  German  educator)  in  1833,  andragogy  was  developed  into  a  
theory  of  adult  education  by  the  American  educator  Malcolm  Knowles  (1913  –  1997).  Knowles  
asserted  that  andragogy  (Greek:  "man-­‐leading")  should  be  distinguished  from  the  more  commonly  
used  pedagogy  (Greek:  "child-­‐leading").  Knowles'  theory  can  be  stated  with  six  assumptions  related  
to  motivation  of  adult  learning:  
 
• Adults  need  to  know  the  reason  for  learning  something  (Need  to  Know)  
• Experience  (including  error)  provides  the  basis  for  learning  activities  (Foundation).  
• Adults  need  to  be  responsible  for  their  decisions  on  education;  involvement  in  the  
planning  and  evaluation  of  their  instruction  (Self-­concept).  
• Adults  are  most  interested  in  learning  subjects  having  immediate  relevance  to  their  
work  and/or  personal  lives  (Readiness).  
• Adult  learning  is  problem-­centered  rather  than  content-­oriented  (Orientation).  
• Adults  respond  better  to  internal  versus  external  motivators  (Motivation).  
 
 The  term  is  sometimes  used  to  make  the  contrast  between  self-­‐directed  and  'taught'  education.  
 
“Andragogy  assumes  that  the  point  at  which  an  individual  achieves  a  self-­‐concept  of  
essential  self-­‐direction  is  the  point  at  which  he  psychologically  becomes  adult.  A  very  
critical  thing  happens  when  this  occurs:  the  individual  develops  a  deep  psychological  
need  to  be  perceived  by  others  as  being  self-­‐directing.  Thus,  when  he  finds  himself  in  a  
situation  in  which  he  is  not  allowed  to  be  self-­‐directing,  he  experiences  a  tension  
between  that  situation  and  his  self-­‐concept.  His  reaction  is  bound  to  be  tainted  with  
resentment  and  resistance.      It  is  my  own  observation  that  those  students  who  have  
entered  a  professional  school  or  a  job  have  made  a  big  step  toward  seeing  themselves  
as  essentially  self-­‐directing.  They  have  largely  resolved  their  identity-­‐formation  issues;  
they  are  identified  with  an  adult  role.  Any  experience  that  they  perceive  as  putting  them  
in  the  position  of  being  treated  as  children  is  bound  to  interface  (sic)  with  their  learning  
(Knowles,  1978:56).”  
http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-­‐knowl.htm    

In  its  broadest  meaning,  'self-­‐directed  learning'  describes,  according  to  Malcolm  Knowles  (1975:  
18)  a  process:  “...  in  which  individuals  take  the  initiative,  with  or  without  the  help  of  others,  in  
diagnosing  their  learning  needs,  formulating  learning  goals,  identifying  human  and  material  
resources  for  learning,  choosing  and  implementing  appropriate  learning  strategies,  and  evaluating  
learning  outcomes.”  

Knowles  puts  forward  three  immediate  reasons  for  self-­‐directed  learning.  First  he  argues  that  there  
is  convincing  evidence  that  people  who  take  the  initiative  in  learning  (proactive  learners)  learn  
more  things,  and  learn  better,  than  do  people  who  sit  at  the  feet  of  teachers  passively  waiting  to  be  
taught  (reactive  learners).  'They  enter  into  learning  more  purposefully  and  with  greater  motivation.  
They  also  tend  to  retain  and  make  use  of  what  they  learn  better  and  longer  than  do  the  reactive  
learners.'  (Knowles  1975:  14)  

A  second  immediate  reason  is  that  self-­‐directed  learning  is  more  in  tune  with  our  natural  processes  
of  psychological  development.    

'An  essential  aspect  of  maturing  is  developing  the  ability  to  take  increasing  responsibility  for  our  
own  lives  -­‐  to  become  increasingly  self-­‐directed'  (Knowles  1975:  15).  

A  third  immediate  reason  is  that  many  of  the  new  developments  in  education  put  a  heavy  
responsibility  on  the  learners  to  take  a  good  deal  of  initiative  in  their  own  learning.  'Students  
entering  into  these  programs  without  having  learned  the  skills  of  self-­‐directed  inquiry  will  
experience  anxiety,  frustration  ,  and  often  failure,  and  so  will  their  teachers  (Knowles  1975:  15).  

To  this  may  be  added  a  long-­‐term  reason  -­‐  because  of  rapid  changes  in  our  understanding  it  is  
no  longer  realistic  to  define  the  purpose  of  education  as  transmitting  what  is  known.  The  main  
purpose  of  education  must  now  to  be  to  develop  the  skills  of  inquiry  (op  cit).