Overview

Teaching a 40-year-old is different from teaching a 4-year-old. Kids learn because they have to. Adults learn because they want to. Andragogy is the science of teaching adults.

Core Idea

The core idea is Self-Direction. Adults are independent. They resent being treated like children. They want to know why they are learning something and how it will help them solve a real problem.

Formal Definition

The method and practice of teaching adult learners. Coined by Malcolm Knowles. Contrasted with Pedagogy (teaching children).

Intuition

  • Pedagogy: “Open your book to page 10 because I said so.” (Subject-centered).
  • Andragogy: “I need to learn Excel because my boss wants this report by Friday.” (Problem-centered).

Examples

  • Corporate Training: You don’t lecture employees. You give them a workshop where they solve a real business problem.
  • Duolingo: Adults learning a language for a trip. They are motivated by the goal (ordering beer in Spain), not by a grade.

Common Misconceptions

  • Adults can’t learn: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” False. Neuroplasticity exists until death. Adults just learn differently (slower processing, but more context).
  • Transformative Learning: Learning that changes your worldview. (e.g., An adult realizing their political beliefs were wrong).
  • Experiential Learning: Learning by doing. Adults have a lifetime of experience to draw from.

Applications

  • Medical School: Moving from lectures to “Problem-Based Learning” (diagnosing a fake patient).

Criticism / Limitations

  • Structure: Sometimes adults do need structure. If you are learning Brain Surgery, you don’t want “self-direction.” You want a strict curriculum.

Further Reading

  • Knowles, Malcolm. The Adult Learner.