Learning at an adult stage has become critical because, in the present corporate world, there is an increasing demand to have a diverse workforce. With such considerations, there is an increasing culture of adult learning and adult education globally. As a result of such demand, there is a need to understand the differences that exist between the adult style of learning and children's learning. Note that learning differs at different ages, and so, there is a big difference between how children learn and how adults learn. Understanding the theories of andragogy, mostly the assumption it makes about how adults learn and how they should learn, is critical in understanding the differences between andragogy and pedagogy.
Theories of Andragogy
There are several theories developed by adult learning experts that attempt to explain fundamental principles about adult learning. The fundamental points from such theories revolve around the nature of interactions and settings where an adult can thrive while learning. Malcolm Knowles is one of the people behind the theory of andragogy. According to the theory developed by Knowles in the 1960s, the core to adult learning is the self-directedness. The theory postulates that while teaching adults, the teacher needs to understand that adults do not need the direction and constant instructions as those of the pedagogy. In this sense, five assumptions underline the andragogy theory by Knowles Malcolm (Smith, 2017). The first assumption is that adults are self-directed learners. In this sense, adults do not need constant directions or instructions, which are typically part of the pedagogy leaning. In this case, these individuals need slight directions because they are self-directed. The second assumption is that adults use their past experiences as a resource for future learning. The core of this assumption is that adults have undergone numerous experiences at the workplace and other places where they have had a chance to learn. In this case, they draw from such experiences and make leaning better and efficient in the future. Another assumption is that adults apply their knowledge from different experiences to solve problems. The fourth assumption is that an adult's learning has its roots from their social roles in society. The last assumption is that adults have an intrinsic motivation to learn. According to Hägg & Kurczewska (2019), understanding such motivational factors can be a positive approach to teaching adults. Another theorist that also had a contribution to the field of andragogy is Jack Mezirow. Jack is behind the theory of transformational earning at the adults' level of teaching and learning. The secret behind the transformation leaning is the perception of oneself. For instance, positive perception about learning or an individual's mode of leaning, according to Jack, is critical in transforming the way such a person learns. The theory is essential during adults leaning as it helps them reflect upon their past experiences, engage in different opinions sharing, and also allow the student to develop a sense of acceptance. Such a transformation of thought and perception thus makes it easy to learn at their age.
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Andragogy vs. Pedagogy
The first difference that exists between andragogy and pedagogy is due to the degree of dependence. Adults learn mostly through self-direction as they draw from their past experiences and their intrinsic motivation to help them learn better. On the other hand, children or young students tend to rely on their teachers or instructors as well as reading materials as their source of knowledge. Another difference is the level of instructions for acceptance. In most cases, young learners find it difficult to challenge their teachers or leaning materials about what they learn daily. The reason is that most of the young learners have less experience. In this manner, they are yet to gather enough knowledge that can help them challenge instruction from their teachers. Further, these learners have no research experience. As a result, they have limited knowledge that can help them challenge the instructions (Muduli, Kaura & Quazi, 2018). The teaching approaches between the pedagogy and andragogy is also another point of difference between the two approaches, for instance. Adults teachers tend to be approach oriented and not result-oriented. They tend to focus on the means of arriving in the result and not the result. On the other side, the teachers at the pedagogy level tend to consider both approaches and the outcomes as all these matters at the early stage of learning. The evaluation approach also differs. Ozuah (2016) states that among adults, the teachers evaluate the approaches and the individual learner while among the young learners, they evaluate what the students have learned.
Planning to teach adult learners
The most important thing to understand while planning to teach adults is to understand the nature of students the teacher is about to handle. Understanding these students is critical during planning because it provides the teacher with adequate knowledge to understand the materials that are needed and how the classroom should be set to enhance learning. Further, understand the students is the path through which the teacher will come with a good teaching approach that suits the students. The teacher also needs to understand that they have the power to take control of the classroom while handling adult students. The difference between andragogy and pedagogy lies in the five assumptions by Malcolm Knowles. This assumption underlines the difference between adults and children. Malcolm assumes that children differ from an adult because they have a difference in challenging the instructions, dependence, and level of knowledge application during their leaning process.
References
Hägg, G., &Kurczewska, A. (2019). Who is a student entrepreneur? Understanding the emergent adult through the pedagogy and andragogy interplay. Journal of Small Business Management, 57, 130-147. Muduli, A., Kaura, V., &Quazi, A. (2018). Pedagogy or andragogy? Views of Indian postgraduate business students. IIMB management review, 30(2), 168-178. Ozuah, P. O. (2016). First, there was pedagogy, and then came andragogy. Einstein Journal of Biology and Medicine, 21(2), 83-87. Smith, M. (2017). Using andragogy to teach pedagogy: expecting heutagogy-using against-the-grain teaching practices for desired outcomes.
