First developed by Alexander Kapp in 1883, the term Andragogy was popularized by Malcom Knowles in 1980 as an adult learning model. Although andragogy is not considered a learning theory, it has become synonymous with adult education (Finlay, 2010). Knowles characterized andragogy as a model for good teaching that facilitates the process for adults to acquire knowledge and skills. Knowles developed four principles of andragogy based on five assumptions of the characteristics of adult learners, which differ from those made of pedagogy, or child learning (Pappas, 2017).

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The 5 Assumptions of Adult Learners:

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Knowles originally made four assumptions of the characteristics of adult learners. In 1984, the fifth was added. They are:

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1. Self-Concept

As a person matures his or her self-concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being.

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2. Adult Learner Experience

As a person matures, he or she accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource for learning.

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3. Readiness to Learn

As a person matures his or her readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to the developmental tasks of his or her social roles.

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4. Orientation to Learning

As a person matures his or her time perspective changes from one of postponed application of knowledge to immediacy of application. As a result, his or her orientation toward learning shifts from one of subject- centeredness to one of problem centeredness.

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5. Motivation to Learn

As a person matures the motivation to learn is internal (Pappas, 2017).

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The 4 Principles of Andragogy:

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Knowles suggested 4 principles to apply to adult learning. They are:

 

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 (Pappas, 2017)