Although the theory of andragogy and the theory of pedagogy refer to learning, they have different philosophies. A narrow definition of the theories defines andragogy as a practice and method used in teaching adults while pedagogy is used in educating children. However, there is a lot more to the two theories as seen in the current empirical research.
The main difference between the two theories is that, in pedagogy, the teacher transfers knowledge to the children in a manner that forces the learner to be dependent on him/her. The child becomes dependent upon the educator’s method of understanding. The teacher does everything he/she can do to maintain the dependency on the side of the learner. The dependency of the learner on the teacher in gaining knowledge makes the teacher feel comfortable.
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On the other hand, although andragogy allows for some form of dependency during certain times and moments, the teacher tries all he/she can to help the learner move away from dependency and become self-directed. Therefore, andragogy values a system of education that places self-dependency higher than dependency, and hence a learner becomes self-directed. Studies show that most people, especially adults, have been conditioned to be dependent upon the teacher when it comes to education.
When preparing for a lesson, a pedagogy mindset thinks of the content to be covered rather than what content is to be acquired by the learner which is the mindset andragogy theory applies. Research shows that andragogy theory is usually directed towards problem-solving, getting experience, and self-actualization. On the contrary, the pedagogical theory makes the learner depend on the teacher for guidance, acquisition of knowledge, and evaluation. Although andragogy is a good teaching method, it most applies to adults because they have more control over their learning experience since they are self-motivated. It is easy to use the andragogy method in teaching adults because studies show that they are more cooperative than children. Therefore, when teaching children, it is important to apply both andragogy theory and pedagogical theory in transferring knowledge.
