What is andragogy, and how might the approach help in teaching FYC?

Andragogy is a term coined in 1833 by a German teacher named Alexander Kapp. Kapp used it to describe elements of Plato’s education theory. The word andragogy is rooted in the Greek words andr- (man) and agogos (leading). Kapp’s definition was disputed and fell out of use until a report was written by Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy in 1921 that argued, “adult education required special teachers, methods, and philosophy”; as a result he used the term andragogy to refer to these special requirements. Decades later, Malcolm Knowles redefined andragogy with five assumptions that adult learners differ from child learners: self-concept, experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation to learn. Knowles’ explanation of these assumptions is:

•          Self-concept: Maturation leads to a focus on being a self-directed human being instead of a dependent personality
•          Experience: Maturation also brings experience that becomes a resource for learning.
•          Readiness to learn: Learning becomes focused on the developmental tasks of a person’s social roles.
•          Orientation to learning: With maturity, a person starts to apply the knowledge they’ve gained and their learning style shifts from one of subject-centeredness to problem centeredness.
•          Motivation to learn: Maturity brings the internal motivation to learn.

I agree wholeheartedly with the distinction between child learners and adult learners. In America, as children, we aren’t given a choice about going to school; instead, structured learning is a forced activity that begins around age 4. Most of us don’t question why schooling is required, we just participate. Frankly, I enjoyed the routine of it all: waking up at the same time each day, eating breakfast, walking to the bus stop with my friends, riding the bus, etc. Until it was almost time for me to graduate from high school, I perceived school as something you “just do.” Maybe I felt this way because school was easy for me. I enjoyed learning, and like most children, soaked up information like a sponge.

College introduced me to the ability to choose what I wanted to learn, where I wanted to learn, and in many cases, how I wanted to learn. Like many of my classmates, the main reason I chose to go to college was to learn skills that would allow me to work in a career that was mentally stimulating and offered financial stability. It was during my time as an undergraduate that the assumptions Knowles outlines about adult learners applied to me. Most of my professors pushed us to consider how our lessons related to real-world scenarios. They encouraged us to apply the knowledge we gained not just to situations in academia, but also to current events. We learned so that we may help solve the world’s problems and teach others how to do so.

Andragogy is the best approach to take with First-Year Composition as it forces students out of their comfort zone and pushes them to think about their role as an adult and possibly, a future leader. For many students, applying the knowledge they’ve learned is difficult; after all, K-12 doesn’t teach you how to think outside of the box. I think of early adulthood as being at a crossroads in life: either you decide that you’re done learning, and have no use for additional knowledge; or, you keep an open mind and recognize that knowledge doesn’t have a “fill level.” I believe having the motivation to learn is the most important assumption Knowles makes. If the subject matter that FYC students at Texas Tech study isn’t related to current events, or issues their age group are facing, I think it will be nearly impossible to keep their interest.

*Background information on andragogy from: http://infed.org/mobi/andragogy-what-is-it-and-does-it-help-thinking-about-adult-learning/