What Is Andragogy?

ern Kentucky University, Bowling Green. Educators have historically supported the position that learning is a lifelong procedure, but few have acknowledged that learning is accomplished in different ways at various stages of life. Research indicates that a child seven years of age has a different learning pattern than a high school senior, or an adult. Until re-cently, however, the same principles of learning, or pedagogy, were applied to all learning situations regardless of the learner’s maturity. Tere are three important differences between adult and youthful learners: adult learners bring a greater background of life experiences to the learning situation; while the ability of adults to learn does not necessarily change, the rate of learn-ing may diminish; and the adult learner is in the learning situation out of personal or professional need, not compulsion (Houle, 1961). A principal must appreciate these differences to understand how to design and implement effective staff devel-opment activities