Page 193 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Training Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 193
andragogical knowledge and skills for teachers in mainstream education ...
the connections between their experiences and class discussions and assist
students create a classroom climate where they feel invested in each oth-
er’s learning. Students need to be encouraged to help each other to present
and develop their ideas while they are in the process of being formed and
shaped (Gitterman, 2004).
All the above-mentioned andragogical assumptions, approaches
and methods are already widely used in the field of adult education, sec-
ond-chance programmes, evening schools and also community-based pro-
grammes. Parallel to the development of these humanistic and pragmatic
approaches to learning and educating in adult education, there have been
similar indices of such development in mainstream education in the past
two decades in some Western countries. Gehring (2000) states that some
developments of new curricula in mainstream education contain certain
aspects of andragogy in a way that acknowledges students’ concerns and
engages them in the process of self-directed discovery. This approach is
known as the learner-centred approach and we further describe it in the
following section.
Adult education principles (the learner-centred approach)
in mainstream education
The learner-centred approach to teaching and learning is a reflection of an-
dragogical practices already used in adult education. Like andragogy, the
learner-centred approach couples a focus on the individual learner (their
heredity, experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, talents, interests, capaci-
ties and needs) with the process of learning (McCombs, 2001). These prin-
ciples emphasise the active and reflective nature of learning and learners
(APA, 1997). There are 14 learner-centred principles that the APA (1997)
categorised into four research-validated domains important for learning:
metacognitive and cognitive factors that reflect the andragogical assump-
tions of the need to know and readiness to learn (e.g. personal relevance
of goals, importance of developing higher-order learning strategies and
strategic thinking), affective and motivational factors, that reflect the an-
dragogical assumptions of self-directed learning and intrinsic motivation
(e.g. the importance of the individual’s interests, goals, beliefs, emotions
and effort), developmental and social factors, that reflect andragogical as-
sumptions of readiness to learn and problem-centred learning (e.g. learn-
ing is most effective when it addresses the individual’s developmental stage,
social roles and belonging tasks), individual difference factors, that reflect
193
the connections between their experiences and class discussions and assist
students create a classroom climate where they feel invested in each oth-
er’s learning. Students need to be encouraged to help each other to present
and develop their ideas while they are in the process of being formed and
shaped (Gitterman, 2004).
All the above-mentioned andragogical assumptions, approaches
and methods are already widely used in the field of adult education, sec-
ond-chance programmes, evening schools and also community-based pro-
grammes. Parallel to the development of these humanistic and pragmatic
approaches to learning and educating in adult education, there have been
similar indices of such development in mainstream education in the past
two decades in some Western countries. Gehring (2000) states that some
developments of new curricula in mainstream education contain certain
aspects of andragogy in a way that acknowledges students’ concerns and
engages them in the process of self-directed discovery. This approach is
known as the learner-centred approach and we further describe it in the
following section.
Adult education principles (the learner-centred approach)
in mainstream education
The learner-centred approach to teaching and learning is a reflection of an-
dragogical practices already used in adult education. Like andragogy, the
learner-centred approach couples a focus on the individual learner (their
heredity, experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, talents, interests, capaci-
ties and needs) with the process of learning (McCombs, 2001). These prin-
ciples emphasise the active and reflective nature of learning and learners
(APA, 1997). There are 14 learner-centred principles that the APA (1997)
categorised into four research-validated domains important for learning:
metacognitive and cognitive factors that reflect the andragogical assump-
tions of the need to know and readiness to learn (e.g. personal relevance
of goals, importance of developing higher-order learning strategies and
strategic thinking), affective and motivational factors, that reflect the an-
dragogical assumptions of self-directed learning and intrinsic motivation
(e.g. the importance of the individual’s interests, goals, beliefs, emotions
and effort), developmental and social factors, that reflect andragogical as-
sumptions of readiness to learn and problem-centred learning (e.g. learn-
ing is most effective when it addresses the individual’s developmental stage,
social roles and belonging tasks), individual difference factors, that reflect
193
