Andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn.
Where it comes from
German educator Alexander Kapp coined the word in 1833. American adult educator Malcolm Knowles made it famous in 1970.¹ He described adult learners as self-directed, drawing on a rich store of experience, ready to learn what their roles demand and focused on solving problems. In later work he added two more assumptions: adults are driven largely by internal motivation, and they want to know why they should learn something before they start.²
Where it goes wrong
Andragogy is often presented as the strict opposite of pedagogy, with one set of rules for adults and another for children. Knowles softened that view himself. His 1980 revised edition carried the subtitle "From Pedagogy to Andragogy" and treated the two as ends of a range that depends on the learner and the situation.³ Scholars have also noted that his assumptions work better as practical guidance than as a tested theory.⁴
Talent Takeaway
Open your next workshop or team session with the problem the group wants to solve, and ask what people have already tried. You answer the "why" before you begin, and their experience becomes material you can build on.
¹ Knowles, M. S. (1970). The modern practice of adult education: Andragogy versus pedagogy. Association Press.
² Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., III, & Swanson, R. A. (2015). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (8th ed.). Routledge.
³ Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy (Rev. ed.). Cambridge Books.
⁴ Merriam, S. B. (2001). Andragogy and self-directed learning: Pillars of adult learning theory. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2001(89), 3–14.