Andragogy

The term andragogy refers to a set of principles and assumptions about adult learners, the learning environment, and the learning process. Educational research, measurement, and evaluation require a firm understanding of the underlying instructional theories guiding best practices. This entry provides an overview of andragogy including its core assumptions of the learner and learning environment, key outcomes and criticism, and methods of assessment.

Originating from the Greek root andra (meaning adult) and agogus (meaning to lead), the concept of andragogy can be traced back to Alexander Kapp, a German educator, in the early 1800s; however, it was not until the late 1960s that andragogy was popularized by the work of American educator Malcolm Knowles. Although typically associated with adult learning, andragogy describes adulthood as a psychological, rather than a chronological, milestone in which the learner develops a self-concept striving toward independence.

Knowles defined andragogy as the “art and science of helping adults learn” (1980, p. 43). Central to andragogy are six core assumptions that adult learners:

• 1.
  need to know the why, what, and how of the educational experience;
• 2.
  strive toward a self-concept of independence, autonomy, and self-actualization;
• 3.
  have invaluable resources from their previous experiences that can enrich their current educational endeavors;
• 4.
  develop readiness to learn based upon the relevance of the current scenario to their current developmental tasks;
• 5.
  have an orientation to learning that is grounded in real-world scenarios of personal importance; and
• 6.
  are internally motivated by goal attainment and problem resolution.

Furthermore, andragogy outlines four assumptions about the learning environment. These assumptions are as follows:

• 1.
  The teacher is a facilitator of a coconstructed experience of learning focused on self-directedness, autonomy, and self-actualization;
• 2.
  Instructional methods such as experiential exercises, problem- and case-based learning, role-playing, simulations, Socratic questioning, and field experiences help students identify gaps between what they know, what they don’t know, and strategies for how to fill in these gaps;
• 3.
  Real-world scenarios are the organizing structure for the learning process; and
• 4.
  Scenarios should be scaffolded according to the desired learning outcomes and current developmental level. Andragogical methods focus on the development of cognitive complexity and self-directed learning skills rather than the simple remembering of facts.

[Page 92]The evaluation of student learning outcomes when using instructional methods grounded in andragogy can be evaluated objectively through methods such as multiple choice exams but are best assessed using multiple strategies including portfolios, case presentations, role-playing, and clinical scenario exams. Andragogical methods are especially effective in increasing learners’ situational interest, cognitive complexity, clinical reasoning, lifelong learning skills, satisfaction, long-term retention, performance on free-recall tasks, performance on short answer and essay tests, ratings by supervisors on clinical observations, and performance on clinical or case-based portions of exams. Andragogical methods may be less effective when the short-term recognition of facts and concepts is needed for multiple-choice and true–false portions of exams.