Androgogy

Malcom Knowles merupakan orang yang dianggap pioner dalam memperkenalkan pembelajaran untuk orang dewasa.(http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/knowlesa.htm).

Ia menjelaskan mengapa pembelajar dewasa berbeda dengan pembelajar umumnya. Karena Knowles berasumsi bahwa :

The need to know — adult learners need to know why they need to learn something before undertaking to learn it.

Learner self-concept —adults need to be responsible for their own decisions and to be treated as capable of self-direction

Role of learners’ experience —adult learners have a variety of experiences of life which represent the richest resource for learning. These experiences are however imbued with bias and presupposition.

Readiness to learn —adults are ready to learn those things they need to know in order to cope effectively with life situations.

Orientation to learning —adults are motivated to learn to the extent that they perceive that it will help them perform tasks they confront in their life situations.

Sedangkan perbedaan androgogy dan pedagogy dapat dilihat pada daftar berikut ini:

1. Demands of learning :

Andragogy: Learner must balance life responsibilities with the demands of learning.

Pedagogy: learner can devote more time to the demands of learning because responsibilities are minimal.

2. Role of instructor :

Androgogy : Learners are autonomous and self directed. Teachers guide the learners to their own knowledge rather than supplying them with facts.

Pedagogy : Learners rely on the instructor to direct the learning. Fact based lecturing is often the mode of knowledge transmission.

3. Life experiences :

Androgogy : Learners have a tremendous amount of life experiences. They need to connect the learning to their knowledge base. They must recognize the value of the learning.

Pedagogy : Learners are building a knowledge base and must be shown how their life experiences connect withthe present learning.

4. Purpose for learning :

Androgogy : Learners are goal oriented and know for whatpurpose they are learning new information

Pedagogy: Learners often see no reason for taking a particular course. They just know they have to learn the information.

5. Permanence of learning :

Androgogy : Learning is self-initiated and tends to last a long time.
Pedagogy: Learning is compulsory and tends to disappear shortly after instruction.

(http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/andragogy/index.htm)