Do you see Andragogy's focus on the learning transaction versus goals and content of adult
learning as a strength or a weakness? Defend your position by sharing your personal
thoughts and referencing back to your reading to help support your thinking.
Before reading about Andragogy these last few weeks I think I may have said that it was a
weakness because I believe that focusing on goals can help motivate students to learn. However,
after the readings, I think that it can be seen as a positive. There was one statement in our text
that really stands out to why I have changed my view from negative to positive after reading.
Knowles (2015) stated, “Our position is that andragogy presents core principles of adult learning
that in turn enable those designing and conducting adult learning to build more effective learning
processes for adults.” (pg. 4). I think that if Andragogy is properly followed and the principles
are used to create a supportive learning environment for adult learners then the motivation will
become intrinsic for us as adult learners.
I also believe that while andragogy focuses more on the learning transaction rather than goals
and outcomes, that we can still incorporate these to our teaching adult learners. It is also
mentioned that “It is important to note that andragogy does not prohibit combining it with other
theories that speak to goals and purposes.” (Knowles et al., 2015, pg. 74). We can use the
properties of andragogy to make sure that the design of adult learning leads to success while
using critical theory for social change or performance/ human capital theory to enhance
performance in an organization. Using these theories and methods together can really enhance
our adult learners’ experiences in the classroom.
Sources:
Knowles, Malcolm Shepherd, F., H. I. E., Swanson, R. A., Robinson, P. A. (2020). The adult
learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. (9
th
Edition) Taylor & Francis.
https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781000072914
