In this programme, we will try to avoid big words and technical jargon, but some terms are central to the programme and cannot be avoided. Flip the cards to see the difference between these two terms. The clue is in their Greek origins:
The difference is important because we have all been to school as children, so our default model is pedagogical, and is not the most appropriate for adult learning.
Some of the key principles of andragogy are:
- Why and How: For adult learners, it’s crucial that they know the “why” of what they are learning. Being able to answer, “Why is this principle important to my life?” is essential for adults to understand “how” they can apply new knowledge. For example, if an individual wants to increase their income and advance to a leadership position at work but can’t do so without a specialised degree, then the degree becomes a vehicle for their professional goal.
- Experience: Adults enter a new learning environment with experience that informs their identity and abilities. It’s important to consider this life or career experience as a key part of the learning process when teaching adults. For example, a registered nurse has hours of experience in patient care. Their ability to understand and solve a problem in healthcare is significantly greater than that of a first-time nursing student.
- Self-concept: Most adults have moved from dependent to independent learning, a state that greatly impacts self-awareness and autonomy.
- Readiness: Since most adult learners are already in the workforce, their education needs to be approachable, flexible, and readily applicable. For example, working parents may be looking to access learning late into the evening after they have completed their domestic and work responsibilities
- Problem Orientation: A focus on practical problems and solutions is imperative to engaging and effective adult learning environments. Many adult learners aren’t looking for hypotheticals but actual skills that can help them in their current careers.
- Internal Motivation: For andragogy to be most effective, it’s important to give adults internal motivation by recognising their success and promoting increased self-esteem and confidence. With a more nuanced and advanced hierarchy of needs than children, adult learners place more value on self-actualisation.
Differences between adult learning and your memories of school:
| Adult learning (Andragogy) | Adult learning (Andragogy) | |
| Dependence | Adults are independent and desire to be self-directed and empowered in their learning. | Children are dependent on the teacher to facilitate and structure their learning. |
| Learning Reasons | Adult learning centres on the necessary skills or knowledge to further personal and professional development | Teaching children centres on the essential stages that a child must accomplish before being able to move on to the next stage. |
| Learning Resources | Adults use their own experiences and the experiences of others to gain a better understanding of the curriculum at hand. | Children are dependent on the teacher for all learning resources. The teacher’s role is to create and incorporate engaging methods for knowledge retention |
| Learning Focus | Child learning is a subject-focused model with a prescriptive curriculum. | Children gain motivation from external sources such as praise from parents and teachers, orf from tangible rewards |
| Motivation | Adults gain motivation from internal, self-motivated sources such as self-esteem, confidence and recognition. | The teacher acts more as a facilitator and mentor, encouraging collaboration, mutual respect, and openness with learners. |
| Teacher’s Role | The teacher acts more as a facilitator and mentor encouraging collaboration, mutual respect, and openness with learners. | The teacher acts more as an expert, bestowing knowledge, skill, and structure to learners |