Andragogy is the method and practice of teaching adult learners, emphasizing the unique characteristics of adult education, such as self-direction, practical application, and the incorporation of learners’ life experiences into the learning process. The term “andragogy” was popularized by Malcolm Knowles, an American educator who is often considered the father of adult learning theory. Knowles distinguished andragogy from pedagogy, the traditional method of teaching children, by highlighting the specific needs and motivations of adult learners.

Malcolm Knowles first published his theories on adult learning in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His seminal work, “The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species,” was published in 1973, and it is in this book that he articulated the principles of andragogy, distinguishing it from traditional pedagogy.

The key principles of andragogy as opposed to pedagogy are: 

1. Adults need to know why they should learn. 
2. Adults learn through experience and utilize their prior experience in the process. 
3. Adults want to take responsibility for their learning. 
4. Adults want learning to be immediately relevant to their lives or jobs. 
5. Adults are task-oriented rather than information-oriented. 
6. Adults respond better to internal rather than external motivators. 

See also: 

• Malcolm Knowles 

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