Knowles, Holton, and Swanson (2001) is the latest version of a book on andragogy, or adult learning. Chapter Four (Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, chap four) starts by noting that many of the great educators known throughout the world (Confucious, Lao Tse, the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Cisero, Evelid, and Quintillian) were known as teachers of adults. However, many of the dominant theories of teaching are directed towards children (pedagogy). The concept of andragogy, or the teaching of adults, was first mentioned in Germany in 1833, but did not come into its own until it was developed in Yugoslavia and Hungary in the 20th Century. The chapter gives a very detailed history of this development and andragogy’s introduction to the U.S.
The points of main interest to me were the major differences in how education could be different for children and adults. Children need to know because they need to get through school; adults do because they want to improve their lives. Children’s self-concept is that they are dependent on someone (like their teachers); adults’ is they are responsible for themselves and can do whatever that takes. Children’s role of experience is that the teacher has the experience to impart to the learners; adults have experience, and they want to build on it. Children’s readiness to learn comes from their teachers telling them what to study in order to pass whatever goals lie before them; adults want situations they can use in real life. The orientation to learning for children is the material (or subjects) they need to pass; adults need and want life/task/problem-centered foci. Finally, the motivation for children is external (their parents’ pressure, their teachers and the resulting grades); adults’ is internal. They want to improve the quality of life and get better jobs.
It is important to note that these concepts are not black and white. Sometimes issues such as grading plays a part in the education of adults. Some of the andragogical concepts are finding their way into pedagogical environments. Maybe our goal is to find the best of both worlds.
Let me finish by saying that if you work with adults, then you should know the material in this (or earlier versions) of this book.
Reference
Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2001). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier.
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