Andragogy(The Adult
Learning Theory)
Malcolm Shepherd Knowles
was an American educator
well known for the use of
the term Andragogy as
synonymous to the adult
education.
Andragogy
isthe art and science of adult learning, thus andragogy refers
to any form of adult learning.
The term andragogy can be supposedly equivalent to the term
pedagogy. Andragogy in Greek means the man-leading in
comparison to pedagogy, which in Greek means child-
leading. However, it should be noticed that the term
pedagogy is used since the Ancient Greek times while
Alexander Kapp, a German educator, originally used the term
Knowles’s Assumptions of Adult learners
1.Self-concept
As a person matures his/her self
concept moves from one of being a
dependent personality toward one of
being a self-directed human being.
2.Adult Learner Experience
As a person matures he/she
accumulates a growing reservoir of
experience that becomes an
increasing resource for learning.
3.Readiness to Learn
As a person matures his/her
readiness to learn becomes oriented
increasingly to the developmental
tasks of his/her social roles.
4.Orientation to Learning
As a person matures his/her time
perspective changes from one of
postponed application of knowledge to
immediacy of application, and accordingly
his/her orientation toward learning shifts
from one of subject- centeredness to one
of problem centeredness.
Motivation to Learn
As a person matures the
motivation to learn is internal
Knowles’ 4 Principles Of Andragogy
1.Adults need to be involved in the planning and
evaluation of their instruction.
2.Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for
the learning activities.
3.Adults
are most interested in learning subjects that have
immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal
life.
4.Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-
oriented.
Thank you and
Godbless!!
-Miassel