Andragogy and Pedagogy

"Pedagogy" literally means "leading children". Pedagogy refers to the art and science of educating children, and is often used as a synonym for teaching.

"Andragogy" was a term coined to refer to the art/science of teaching adults. Andragogy derives from the Greek words "anere" (adult) and "agogus" (the art and science of helping students learn).

Initially defined as, "the art and science of helping adults learn," andragogy has come to be understood as an alternative to pedagogy; a learner-focused approach for people of all ages.

Malcolm Knowles—often referred to as "father of adult learning"—and others theorized that methods used to teach children are often not the most effective means of teaching adults. In The Modern Practice of Adult Education (1970), Knowles defined andragogy as "an emerging technology for adult learning". His four andragogical assumptions were that adults:

1) move from dependency to self-directedness;
2) draw upon their reservoir of experience for learning;
3) are ready to learn when they assume new roles; and
4) want to solve problems and apply new knowledge immediately.

Based on these assumptions, the andragogic model asks that five issues be considered and addressed in formal learning:

• The need to know — letting learners know why something is important to learn.
• The need to be self directing — showing learners how to direct themselves through information.
• Greater volume and quality of experience — relating the topic to the learner's experiences.
• Readiness to learn — people will not learn until ready and motivated to learn.
• A need to have a life centered, task centered, or problem centered orientation - helping learners overcome inhibitions, behaviors, and beliefs about learning.

Whereas in pedagogy, development is based upon a content plan, in andragogy, development is based upon a process design.

In short, pedagogy embodies teacher-focused education. Andragogy has taken on a broader meaning and refers to learner-focused education for people of all ages.