Andragogy

Andragogy is a theory of adult education proposed by the American educator Malcolm Knowles (April 24, 1913 -- November 27, 1997).

Knowles held that androgogy (from the Greek words meaning "man-leading") should be distinguished from the more commonly taught pedagogy (Greek: "child-leading").

Knowles' theory can be stated as four simple postulates :
 * 1) Adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.
 * 2) Experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities.
 * 3) Adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance to their job or personal life.
 * 4) Adult learning is problem-centered rather than content-oriented.

Knowles' work (most notably the book Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers, published in 1975) has been controversial. To some, his proposed system states the obvious. To others, he has merely proposed an adaptation of existing child-learning theories.