ANDRAGOGY

(ADULT LEARNING THEORY)

Rajesh Kumar Sharma

Asst. Professor
Himalayan College of Nursing, SRHU
Dehradun

PRINCIPLES
2

The underpinnings of andragogy (adult learning

theory)

ANDRAGOGY: WHATS IN A WORD?

Andragogy (is) the art and science of helping adults
learnbased on certain crucial assumptions about the
differences between children and adults as learners (Knowles,
1968).

How adult learners are different from children

(according to adult learning theory):
More life experience
More independent
Motivated by perceptions of personal need
Greater need to direct a learning experience
Greater need to apply learning

Knowles, M. S. (1968). Andragogy, not pedagogy. Adult Leadership, 16(10), 350352, 386.

PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

EDUCATORS AS ADULT LEARNERS

in the 'real world.

According to a study
adults will commit to learning when the goals
and objectives are considered realistic and
important to them.

Application

Adults

like to drive their learning and will resist

activities they believe question their competence.

Adult

learners need to see the connections and

relevancy of the professional development to
their day-to-day activities.
Adapted from source: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/

PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

EDUCATORS AS ADULT LEARNERS

Adult

learners are practical -- they need direct,

concrete experiences in which they apply the
learning in real work.

Adult

learning impacts ego and therefore

requires respect. Good professional
development provides peer support and
reduces the fear of judgment during learning.

Adapted from source: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/

PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

Adult

learners have a wide range of

experiences, knowledge, self-direction,
interests, and competencies. Learning activities
should accommodate and respect this diversity.

Transfer

of knowledge for adults is not

automatic and must be facilitated. Coaching and
other kinds of follow-up support help adult
learners transfer learning into daily practice to
ensure sustainability.

Source: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/

PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

Adults

need feedback on the results of their

efforts. Opportunities should be built into
professional development activities that allow the
learner to practice the learning and receive
structured, timely, helpful feedback.

Adults

need to participate in small-group

activities during the learning to move beyond
understanding to application, analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation. Small-group activities provide an
opportunity to share, reflect, and generalize
learning experiences.
Source: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/

PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

What motivates Adult Learners?
Adults typically differ from children in their motivations
for learning. Dr. Stephen Lieb in Principles of Adult
Learning discusses the following factors of motivation
for adults:

Desire to maintain social relationships

Need to meet external expectations -Desire to learn how to better serve others
Professional advancement
Escape or stimulation
Cognitive or personal interest

Source:http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm

ANDRAGOGY: APPLICATIONS
How adult learning principles can translate to
instruction:
Teacher = facilitator versus content
deliverer
The adult learner should play a role in
creating and evaluating learning
content
Learning experiences should be
relevant and hands on
Learners (as well as the instructor)
should tap into the experiences of other
learners

Learners need to know

whats in it for me?

SIX ASSUMPTIONS OF ANDRAGOGY

The Learners Need to Know
The Learners Self-concept
The Learners Experience
Readiness to Learn
Orientation to Learning
Motivation to Learn

THE LEARNERS NEED TO KNOW

adults

need to know why they should learn

something.
reason they need to learn something
how it will benefit them

THE LEARNERS SELF-CONCEPT

adults

resent and resist situations in which

they feel others are imposing their wills on
them
previous schooling has made them
dependent learners
move adult students away from their old
habits and into new patterns of learning
help learners who are still moving into the
self-directed mode

THE LEARNERS EXPERIENCE

adults

want to use what they know and be

acknowledged for having that knowledge
case studies, reflective activities, and
group projects will facilitate the use of
learners already acquired expertise
adults self-identity (including habits and
biases) are determined from their
experience

READINESS TO LEARN
adults

must experience a need to learn

something in order to solve real-life tasks or
problems
encourage learners readiness to learn by
designing situations where the student
will encounter a need for their knowledge
or skill
interactive role play will help them see
how an understanding of the topic will
benefit them in the future

ORIENTATION TO LEARNING
adults

are life, task or problem-centered in

their orientation to learning
use real-life examples or situations that
adult learners may encounter in their life or
on the job
allowing flexibility in the design of a lesson
will permit student input on issues that need
to be addressed

MOTIVATION TO LEARN
internal

priorities are more important than

external motivators
increased job satisfaction, self-esteem and
quality of life are important
use activities that build students selfesteem or sense of accomplishment

DESIGNING A LESSON PLAN

17

With adult learning theory in mind

ADULT LEARNERS.

Gain attention

Class: Creating a Professional Web Site

What are your

goals?

Relevance is key

ADULT LEARNERS..

State objectives

Using a template, youll be able

to create a Web site showcasing
your experience and work
samples.

Connect objectives to personal goals

This objective will

help you achieve
the goals youve
identified.

ADULT LEARNERS

Stimulate recall of prior learning

Have you seen Web

sites that you think
are designed well?
Badly?

Tap into the wide range of experiences20

ADULT LEARNERS

Present stimuli
Heres how you create a Web site.
Learning this will help you create
one of your own.

21

Present how-to information over theory

ADULT LEARNERS

Guide learning
Through open-ended questions
Through practice

Through applications with relevance

Connect learning to experiences

22

ADULT LEARNERS

Elicit performance

Mirror real-world performance

23

ADULT LEARNERS

Provide feedback

Let learners self-evaluate

What would
you like to
improve?

ADULT LEARNERS

Assess performance
Objectives
Rubrics

Grade

= no surprises

Assessment thats relevant & fair

25

ADULT LEARNERS

Enhance transfer

Individualized resources

26