Knowles’ Andragogy: Making Learning Relevant for Adults

Today, it is widely accepted that the needs of young and grown learners are distinct due to developmental differences. The instructional strategies, environments, and content delivery for children do not work for adults, and vice versa.

This well-established distinction would not have been possible without the contributions of Malcolm Knowles and his colleagues in the 20^th century. The theory proposed by Knowles became known as “andragogy” or adult learning theory as a general term.

This article will look at the key principles and assumptions of the same and explore the characteristics of adult learners.

Andragogy: Meaning, Assumptions, and Principles

As stated above, andragogy is the theory and practice of imparting knowledge and skills to adult learners. Teaching adults warrants a separate discipline because their needs, intentions, learning styles, and instructor interactions differ from those of kids.

1. Meaning

In his first article on the subject (1968), Knowles defined andragogy as “the art and science of helping adults learn.”

He elaborated on the two core attributes that best expressed it at the time, which still hold true today. Knowles advocated that adult learners are autonomous individuals who direct the course of their learning on their own. Secondly, he described the role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning rather than someone who simply presents content. In other words, according to Knowles, a “teacher” is someone who creates conditions for adults to guide their learning in the desired direction.

Thus, this interplay of learners who decide what they want to learn and educators equipped to facilitate these needs became the cornerstones of andragogy as a theory.

2. Assumptions

To support the central idea, Knowles proposed several assumptions of andragogy.

1. Self-concept: As stated previously, adult learners are autonomous. They have a definite sense of who they are and guide their learning accordingly. For this reason, self-concept is often used synonymously with self-directedness.
2. Experience: Adult learners also bring valuable life experiences to their learning endeavors. These experiences enhance their interaction with new learning material and provide a basis for building new knowledge networks.
3. Readiness to Learn: In andragogy, adult learners are voluntary participants in learning. The things they decide to learn directly impact the social roles they fulfill or want to fulfill. Thus, all adult education has a concrete developmental purpose and outcome for adult learners.
4. Internally Motivated: Related to readiness to learn is internal motivation. Instead of external factors, internal needs, priorities, and desires form the impetus for adult learners to pursue a subject or skill.
5. Need to Know: Lastly, adult learners only undertake learning that benefits them and has value. In other words, they need to know why learning something new is worthwhile before taking it up.

3. Principles

Andragogy also has four principles that can double as thumb rules for applying the theory to real-life settings. When using Knowles’ adult learning theory:

1. Learners should be involved in planning the instruction and evaluation criteria
2. Learners’ experiences should be used as a learning resource for new learning to build upon
3. The learning should be relevant and have immediate applicability for the learner. Adult learners do not want knowledge they cannot put to use proactively
4. Learning should be problem-centered instead of content-centered

Putting andragogy into practice requires integrating existing learning and instructional design theories and models to fit each batch’s needs. Some tips for the same can be found here.

Being Mindful of Adult Learners’ Characteristics

With andragogy’s emphasis on acknowledging the difference between adult and child learners, it is worth exploring some recurring characteristics seen in adult learners as a whole.

Awareness of these qualities and traits can help instructional designers and instructors be more empathic while designing modules for their adult learners. Additionally, interacting with adult learners becomes easier when they see they are being treated as equals.

Thus, some adult learner characteristics to look out for to create more meaningful learning experiences are:

• Adult learners’ personal experiences are a valuable asset

When working with adult learners, it is imperative to accommodate their personal experiences and expertise. All adult learners have experienced their unique version of the world and typically have technical skills to supplement personal experience. This creates two favorable conditions:

1. 1. adult learners drive enriching classroom discussions creating opportunities for exposure they would not have access to typically.
   2. instructors can use learner experiences as a basis for building new knowledge, making its retention more effective.

• Adult learners can sometimes be less open-minded than children

With experience also comes greater conviction in one’s ideas. Adult learners are firm in their knowledge. However, this firmness can quickly become a barrier to new ideas. Thus, it is advised to treat all learners respectfully as equals to create open dialogues and motivate learners to consider new perspectives.

• Adult learners prefer learning practical skills and tools

This trait also shows up in Knowles’ andragogy assumptions. Adult learners want to be able to apply the skills and knowledge they acquire. Heavy theory without tools for practice and problem-solving like case studies, simulations, and projects will greatly decrease a course’s efficacy.

• Adult learners learn gradually

Adults do not learn as fast as kids because their brains start developing slower with time. However, they learn each new thing more deeply. This is due to the experience discussed before, as well as more developed executive functions that allow them to apply what they learn more efficiently.

• Adult learners need the independence and freedom to decide how their learning turns out

When teaching adults, it is always a good idea to integrate flexibility into courses so learners can pick some aspects of the curriculum and shape their learning outcomes. Adult learners always have very well-defined goals and expectations from their learning journeys. Thus, instructors should let them actualize these goals. This can be done by offering several assessment and project options, diverse internships or buddy programs, optional modules, electives, etc.

• Adult learners often juggle multiple responsibilities

Unlike younger students, adults cannot dedicate 3-4 hours a day 5 days a week. Thus, courses for them need to have flexibility and digestibility. Strategies like just-in-time learning, microlearning, LMS courses, etc., are effective options for adult learners, allowing them to learn when their schedules allow it.

• The quality matters with adult learners

Adult learners have specific standards and expectations for what they want from courses and modules. They are capable of judging whether something is relevant to them or not. Thus, if a course fails to meet their standards, they will be able to pick up on it quickly. Therefore, instructional designers and facilitators must understand their target audience well and cater to them.

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Conclusion

Adult learners are different from children. They are independent and have a good understanding of their learning needs. For adult learning to be effective, the learners need to be treated as equals or peers by the instructor, and courses must impart relevant and practical knowledge for them to implement immediately. If learning does not fulfill these requirements, it will fail to satisfy the adult learner. This has serious implications in a corporate setting, such as low employee retention rates and a stagnant workforce.