Adult Learning/Andragogy

Synonyms

Adult leaning; Facilitated learning

Definition

Although Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (1913–1997) has been linked most closely with the word andragogy, the term had a long history before he became associated with it. In 1833, Alexander Kapp, a German grammar teacher used it to describe Plato’s educational theory and later, in 1921, social scientist, Eugen Rosenstock stated that “adult education required special teachers, special methods, and a special philosophy” (Knowles et al. 1998, p. 59) and used the term on several occasions. Swiss psychologist, Heinrich Hanselmann used the word in his book Andragogy: Nature, Possibilities and Boundaries of Adult Education published in 1951, while in 1957, Franz Pogeler, a German teacher published Introduction to Andragogy: Basic Issues in Adult Education (Knowles et al. 1998, p. 59). A number of European educators also mentioned andragogy in their work, among them Dusan Savicevic, a Yugoslavian adult educator, who discussed the concept...