ANDRAGOGY
Andragogy is defined from the Greek words "anere", for adult and "agogus", the art and science of helping students learn and is widely used by adult educators to describe the theory of adult learning. This term offers an alternative to pedagogy which is mainly focused on the techniques for teaching children. The andragogic model asks that five issues be considered and addressed the learning process:
Letting learners know why something is important to learn
Showing learners how to direct themselves through information
Relating the topic to the learner's experiences People will not learn until ready and motivated to learn
A need to have a life centered, task centered, or problem centered orientation
(Glossary Terms, 2005,http://www.neiu.edu/~dbehrlic/hrd408/glossary.htm, 20th October 2005) History Andragogy (adult focused learning) has only recently been distinguished from traditional pedagogy which is orientated mainly for children for three main reasons. Malcolm Knowles (1973, as cited in Kidd, p.32) states that these three reasons for this distinction and these are that firstly adult education has been viewed as a luxury and secondary activity in our culture in the past, where as today adult education is rapidly becoming a central concern and need in our culture. Secondly adult education has undergrown enormous growth and therefore it is reaching out to more people and more organisations have recognised it as a primary activity. Finally up top this point adult education has been relativity ineffective at completing its mission in education adults.
Current Situation For at least two decades studies have tried to understand the motive that prompt adults to under go further education as either full time or part time students. Robert Love (1973, as cited in Kidd, p.32) argues that these reasons are often complex but on a whole there are two factor which tend to be present before an adult undertakes an enrolment in an institution of study. These are firstly the student/adult has an awareness of education as a positive value in solving problems and secondly at the same time they have a belief that education is some how equated with happiness and success.
