Thoughts on Adult Learning: Andragogy and Adult Ed: Tying a ‘theory’ to practice
by Nadia Kader
As educators, we are responsible for utilizing best practices in the learning environment for our students. Best practices are theoretically backed; behind every best practice teaching method is a theory or multiple theories to ground the practice. Adult education uses many different theories, one of which is andragogy. According to its creator, Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is “the art and science of adult learning.” But what exactly does that mean? This article aims to tie andragogy to practice in the adult education environment.
Knowles outlines four principles of adult learning:
Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction
Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities.
Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact on their lives.
Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
Knowles made five assumptions about adult learners:
Self-concept- adults are self-directed learners
Experience- adults’ experience is a vital resource for learning
Readiness to learn- as a person matures, their readiness to learn changes depending on where they want to grow (new job, new role, personal life changes, community changes, etc.)
Problem-centered- adults need learning to be problem-centered, not content-centered
Motivation to learn- adults are motivated to learn from internal factors, such as a desire to improve themselves or their community
What does andragogy look like in practice? Check out these examples.
English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor
Roni is an ESL instructor teaching a grammar lesson on modal verbs like could and should. For practice, she puts students into pairs to create dialogues where they must give advice and recommendations. She offers possible scenarios like a parent-teacher conference or a job supervisor helping an employee correct a workplace mistake. She also encourages learners to create their advice scenarios. This lesson implements principles of andragogy because learners make choices about their topics, use their experiences to create dialogues, and use the target grammar in conversations relevant to their real lives.
High School Equivalency (HSE) Instructor
Tomas is an HSE instructor who teaches all five subjects: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. For today’s lesson, the activity is for students to read two grocery store flyers advertising sales and decide which store has the best deal. The students decide which items to compare and are encouraged to choose items they buy regularly. Students are expected to present their argument to the class or write an argument and submit it individually. Students are also encouraged to write about their process, mistakes (if any), and conclusions. Tomas allows students to work in groups of three or independently. This lesson implements principles of andragogy because students have the autonomy to choose how they complete the assignment and are expected to evaluate their responses. In addition, this activity applies to their lives because they are comparing grocery items they buy regularly. So, the activity is immediately applicable and problem-centered.
Literacy Tutor
Mike is a tutor at the local literacy program. Mike and his student, Fatma, worked together to create a goal for Fatma to be able to communicate with her doctor and better understand her health. Fatma wants to be able to read the instructions her doctor gave her on how to manage her diabetes. Mike and the student use the doctor’s instructions to practice at the library where they work. In addition, Fatma finds a book with diabetic-safe recipes for homework. She decides to make a recipe in the book as practice and then discuss the process in the next tutoring session. This activity immediately applies to the student’s life and aligns with their learning goal. Fatma planned her homework activity and decided on the evaluation of her learning. Fatma is also intrinsically motivated, as managing her health is her priority.
Program director
Miguel is the director of an adult education program at a university. One of Miguel’s priorities is creating a system for professional development. He outlines basic professional development opportunities that he knows about, such as TSTM and TBR, and other opportunities the university holds for staff. In addition to the mandatory professional development needs, Miguel dedicates time during the quarterly staff meetings for his staff to identify their professional learning needs. The staff works together to review different professional development opportunities and fill out the personal learning plans in the professional learning toolkit. The staff then submits their plans to Miguel, and Miguel fills out the program's professional learning plan based on what the program has identified as the organization's and individual learning needs. The program makes time during every staff meeting for quick updates on professional learning and if there are any support needs. This is an example of two adult learning principles: adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluating of their instruction, and adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact on their lives.
Criticism of andragogy
Over the years, andragogy has had its fair share of criticisms. One issue is whether it is a theory or a framework. Knowles intended andragogy to be a theory used for adult learners, separate from pedagogy. However, a theory needs to be tested, and to be tested, there needs to be a measurable instrument. There is not yet a way to measure andragogy’s effectiveness.
Second, andragogy’s assumptions about adult learners do not consider their socioeconomic realities. Andragogy’s assumptions were created with a white, middle-class American learner in mind. It does not take into account other values and experiences, such as those who experience racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and/or immigration challenges, that can affect learning.
Third, andragogy assumes learning is an individual process. However, we as adult educators understand that learning is a social process, and a common best practice is group or pair work.
Finally, andragogy posits that learning is apolitical. Andragogy assumes that all learning is neutral when our funding can fluctuate based on the current political climate.
Conclusion
The criticisms of andragogy are valid. Making blanket assumptions about adult learners can seriously affect their learning experience. So, what can we do?
We, as practitioners, need to be mindful that learners contain multitudes. Andragogy gives us a good starting point for assuming that our learners have motivation that we might not be immediately aware of and that they may have ideas of where they want to learn and what to do with their learning. We need to spend a little time with our learners and get to know their goals and support needs. This can be a challenge for big and small programs, as big programs may have too many students to get to know them well, and small programs may not always have the resources to implement solutions to the need.
Students should be addressed across the organization. Examples include:
Orientation may outline students' expectations (class policies, program policies, student agreements, etc.), the information they need to succeed in your program, the goals students want to achieve, the barriers our students face, and how we as a program can address those or partner with organizations that can address those barriers.
Instruction can cover the topics students need to succeed, work with students on their academic goals, create initiatives for psychological safety in the classroom, and give students opportunities to contribute to meaningful classroom conversations.
Program planning involves systematically addressing student needs, such as what offerings students want and need so that we can move forward and what professional learning our staff needs to address programmatic needs. This can include diversity training, deciding on professional learning goals for the program, partnership planning, reviewing student progress, and action plans for program improvement.
Andragogy has a complicated relationship with other theories but can be a starting framework for building an adult learner-centered organization. For some more information on andragogy, please check out the resources below:
Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: Key Differences in Learning. (2022, May 25). Western Governors University. https://www.wgu.edu/blog/andragogy-pedagogy-key-differences-learning2205.html#:~:text=Andragogy%3A%20Adults%20use%20their%20own
Taylor, B., & Kroth, M. (2009). Andragogy’s Transition Into The Future: Meta-Analysis of Andragogy and Its Search for a Measurable Instrument. Journal of Adult Education, 38, 1–11. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ891073.pdf
TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 11: Adult Learning Theories. (2019, April 8). LINCS | Adult Education and Literacy | U.S. Department of Education. https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives/teal/guide/adultlearning
Pappas, C. (2013, May 9). The Adult Learning Theory - Andragogy - of Malcolm Knowles. ELearning Industry; eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
by Nadia Kader
As educators, we are responsible for utilizing best practices in the learning environment for our students. Best practices are theoretically backed; behind every best practice teaching method is a theory or multiple theories to ground the practice. Adult education uses many different theories, one of which is andragogy. According to its creator, Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is “the art and science of adult learning.” But what exactly does that mean? This article aims to tie andragogy to practice in the adult education environment.
Knowles outlines four principles of adult learning:
Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction
Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities.
Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact on their lives.
Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.
Knowles made five assumptions about adult learners:
Self-concept- adults are self-directed learners
Experience- adults’ experience is a vital resource for learning
Readiness to learn- as a person matures, their readiness to learn changes depending on where they want to grow (new job, new role, personal life changes, community changes, etc.)
Problem-centered- adults need learning to be problem-centered, not content-centered
Motivation to learn- adults are motivated to learn from internal factors, such as a desire to improve themselves or their community
What does andragogy look like in practice? Check out these examples.
English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor
Roni is an ESL instructor teaching a grammar lesson on modal verbs like could and should. For practice, she puts students into pairs to create dialogues where they must give advice and recommendations. She offers possible scenarios like a parent-teacher conference or a job supervisor helping an employee correct a workplace mistake. She also encourages learners to create their advice scenarios. This lesson implements principles of andragogy because learners make choices about their topics, use their experiences to create dialogues, and use the target grammar in conversations relevant to their real lives.
High School Equivalency (HSE) Instructor
Tomas is an HSE instructor who teaches all five subjects: reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. For today’s lesson, the activity is for students to read two grocery store flyers advertising sales and decide which store has the best deal. The students decide which items to compare and are encouraged to choose items they buy regularly. Students are expected to present their argument to the class or write an argument and submit it individually. Students are also encouraged to write about their process, mistakes (if any), and conclusions. Tomas allows students to work in groups of three or independently. This lesson implements principles of andragogy because students have the autonomy to choose how they complete the assignment and are expected to evaluate their responses. In addition, this activity applies to their lives because they are comparing grocery items they buy regularly. So, the activity is immediately applicable and problem-centered.
Literacy Tutor
Mike is a tutor at the local literacy program. Mike and his student, Fatma, worked together to create a goal for Fatma to be able to communicate with her doctor and better understand her health. Fatma wants to be able to read the instructions her doctor gave her on how to manage her diabetes. Mike and the student use the doctor’s instructions to practice at the library where they work. In addition, Fatma finds a book with diabetic-safe recipes for homework. She decides to make a recipe in the book as practice and then discuss the process in the next tutoring session. This activity immediately applies to the student’s life and aligns with their learning goal. Fatma planned her homework activity and decided on the evaluation of her learning. Fatma is also intrinsically motivated, as managing her health is her priority.
Program director
Miguel is the director of an adult education program at a university. One of Miguel’s priorities is creating a system for professional development. He outlines basic professional development opportunities that he knows about, such as TSTM and TBR, and other opportunities the university holds for staff. In addition to the mandatory professional development needs, Miguel dedicates time during the quarterly staff meetings for his staff to identify their professional learning needs. The staff works together to review different professional development opportunities and fill out the personal learning plans in the professional learning toolkit. The staff then submits their plans to Miguel, and Miguel fills out the program's professional learning plan based on what the program has identified as the organization's and individual learning needs. The program makes time during every staff meeting for quick updates on professional learning and if there are any support needs. This is an example of two adult learning principles: adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluating of their instruction, and adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact on their lives.
Criticism of andragogy
Over the years, andragogy has had its fair share of criticisms. One issue is whether it is a theory or a framework. Knowles intended andragogy to be a theory used for adult learners, separate from pedagogy. However, a theory needs to be tested, and to be tested, there needs to be a measurable instrument. There is not yet a way to measure andragogy’s effectiveness.
Second, andragogy’s assumptions about adult learners do not consider their socioeconomic realities. Andragogy’s assumptions were created with a white, middle-class American learner in mind. It does not take into account other values and experiences, such as those who experience racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and/or immigration challenges, that can affect learning.
Third, andragogy assumes learning is an individual process. However, we as adult educators understand that learning is a social process, and a common best practice is group or pair work.
Finally, andragogy posits that learning is apolitical. Andragogy assumes that all learning is neutral when our funding can fluctuate based on the current political climate.
Conclusion
The criticisms of andragogy are valid. Making blanket assumptions about adult learners can seriously affect their learning experience. So, what can we do?
We, as practitioners, need to be mindful that learners contain multitudes. Andragogy gives us a good starting point for assuming that our learners have motivation that we might not be immediately aware of and that they may have ideas of where they want to learn and what to do with their learning. We need to spend a little time with our learners and get to know their goals and support needs. This can be a challenge for big and small programs, as big programs may have too many students to get to know them well, and small programs may not always have the resources to implement solutions to the need.
Students should be addressed across the organization. Examples include:
Orientation may outline students' expectations (class policies, program policies, student agreements, etc.), the information they need to succeed in your program, the goals students want to achieve, the barriers our students face, and how we as a program can address those or partner with organizations that can address those barriers.
Instruction can cover the topics students need to succeed, work with students on their academic goals, create initiatives for psychological safety in the classroom, and give students opportunities to contribute to meaningful classroom conversations.
Program planning involves systematically addressing student needs, such as what offerings students want and need so that we can move forward and what professional learning our staff needs to address programmatic needs. This can include diversity training, deciding on professional learning goals for the program, partnership planning, reviewing student progress, and action plans for program improvement.
Andragogy has a complicated relationship with other theories but can be a starting framework for building an adult learner-centered organization. For some more information on andragogy, please check out the resources below:
Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: Key Differences in Learning. (2022, May 25). Western Governors University. https://www.wgu.edu/blog/andragogy-pedagogy-key-differences-learning2205.html#:~:text=Andragogy%3A%20Adults%20use%20their%20own
Taylor, B., & Kroth, M. (2009). Andragogy’s Transition Into The Future: Meta-Analysis of Andragogy and Its Search for a Measurable Instrument. Journal of Adult Education, 38, 1–11. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ891073.pdf
TEAL Center Fact Sheet No. 11: Adult Learning Theories. (2019, April 8). LINCS | Adult Education and Literacy | U.S. Department of Education. https://lincs.ed.gov/state-resources/federal-initiatives/teal/guide/adultlearning
Pappas, C. (2013, May 9). The Adult Learning Theory - Andragogy - of Malcolm Knowles. ELearning Industry; eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
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