Relevance of Andragogical Approach Over the Pedagogy of Management Education

Relevance of Andragogical Approach Over the Pedagogy of Management Education

Prof. Bhagwati Prakash Sharma *

Introduction:

            Majority of the B-Schools in India have been employing the pedagogical model of instruction, comprising programmed and teacher directed method of education. The Pedagogical model of instruction was originally developed in the monastic schools of Europe in the Middle Ages. Pedagogy is derived from the Greek word “Paid” meaning child, plus “agogos” meaning leading. As such, young boys were received into the monasteries and taught by monks according to a system of structured instruction that required these children to be obedient, faithful and efficient servers for the church (Knowles 1984). Hence, pedagogy has been defined as the art and science of teaching children. It is based on the assumption that learners need to know, what the teacher teaches them (Hiemstra & Sirco 1990). The result is a teaching and learning situation that actively promotes dependency on the instructor (Knowles: 1984). But, unlike children, the adults with their maturity, experience, and self directed approach to the problem solving, depict least interest and involvement in the pedagogical approach of instruction, suited more to teach children, resulting into poor compatibility of the learners to cope with the ever newer real life problems and challenges, emerging out of the rapidly changing scenario.

Meaning of Andragogy and Underlying Assumptions

            The growth and development of andragogy as an alternative model of instruction has helped to remedy this situation and improve the teaching of adults (Hiemstra & Sisco: 1990). According to Julie et. al, andragogy is the art and science of helping adults learn. Malcolm Knowles (1978, 1990) while introducing the concept of adult learning for the first time has argued that adulthood can be said to have arrived, when people behave in adult ways and adopt independent approach in viewing things, solving problems and exploring ways to solve the same. By this criteria a student even at degree level itself, be treated adult and needs to be educated with andragogical approach. Burns (1995, P. 233) also opines the same by saying that, at adulthood people are self directing. Hence, the andragogical approach in management education

 

*Director, Pacific Institute of Management, Udaipur. e-mail: bpsharma131@yahoo.co.in

has to be more and more students centered, experience based, problem oriented and collaborative to facilitate learning instead of merely transmitting the theoretical concepts of textbooks through lectures, audio visual techniques and other programmed instructional pedagogy. According to Knowles (1978, 1990) adult learning is special in a number of ways and is based upon the following assumptions.

• Adult learners bring a great deal of experience to the learning environment. Educators can use this as a resource.
• Adults expect to have a high degree of influence on what they are to be educated for,

and how they are to be educated.

• The active participation of learners should be encouraged in designing and implementing educational programs.
• Adults need to be enabled to see applications for new learning.
• Adult learners expect to have a high degree of influence on how learning will be evaluated.
• Adults expect their responses to be acted upon when asked for feedback on the progress

of the program.

Distinctive Attributes 

Based on the above assumptions of adult learning, the pedagogical approach of transmitting knowledge in management education can be distinguished from the andragogy on following four counts:

(i)                 Teacher Learner Roles

(ii)               Learning Resources and Techniques

(iii)             Motive

(iv)             Focus

Table 1.  Distinction between Pedagogical model of instruction and the andragogical learning:

Bases of Distinction	Pedagogical Instruction Method	Andragogical Learning
Teacher Learner Roles	·         Teacher has the sole responsibility for structuring and programming the instructional format and the knowledge to be transmitted to every learner. ·         Role of learner is passive and teacher dependent.	·         Role of learner is self instructional and self directed. ·         Role of Teacher is to facilitate learning by encouraging and nurturing this self directed need for learning
Learning Resources & Techniques	·         Learners have little or no opportunity to share their experiences ·         Learners have to depend upon and assimilate the knowledge possessed by the teacher. ·         Main technique is verbal and electronic transmission of information.	·        Learners’ actions and experiences constitute an important resource ·         Adult learning techniques are: (i)        Action Learning (ii)      Experientrial Learning (iii)     Project Based Learning (iv)    Self Directed Learning ·         Main Technique is facilitating learning by experience.
Motive	·         Learners have to learn, as the teacher expects him to learn, what he has transmitted ·         Fear to fail in the exam is the main driving force for learning ·         Learning is standardized and structured, presuming that the entire group of learner is similar in its learning needs and its readiness to learn.	·         Learners learn, what can meet their needs to help them cope with the demands arising out of their present and future works in a dynamic set up. ·         Learners learn because they feel the need to learn ·         Learning should be structured to meet the learner needs and organized according to his ability and eagerness to learn.
Focus	·         Learning is subject based with emphasis on fixed curriculum most of which they may find of no immediate relevance. Such learning may have a promise of deferred gratification	·         Learners seek to acquire the competence needed to meet their diverse problems of real world. It should enhance their immediate achievement potential.

Theories of adult Learning

Andragogical approach in learning helps to overcome many of the limitations encountered by lecture and audio-visual presentation based classroom teaching. Over dependence on this latter approach results in poor learning. Classroom learning is often dubbed as inefficient method of education. According to Stewart (2001: p 184) half the people in class often secretly work on their “real” jobs; half are so relieved not to be doing their real jobs, they have turned their minds entirely off. Half already know, half the stuff being taught. Half will never need to know more than half of it. Hence andragogical approach draws its strength from the following major theories of adult learning:

1.                  Action Learning

2.                  Experiential Learning

3.                  Project Based Learning

4.                  Self Directed Learning

Their relevance can be better understood from Table 2, an abridged form of the table created by Mandy McEntyre and Jenn Pahl(2006).

Table 2. Learning Theories Related to Adult Learning– an abridged table created by Mandy McEntyre and Jenn Pahl 2006).

Approach	Theory Summary	Pros of the Theory
Action Learning	Participants work in small groups on a real project/problem and learn how to learn from that activity.	·         Small groups learn by solving real world problem. ·         Diverse group dynamics  includes members with expert knowledge which allows each member to significantly contribute. ·         Group members benefit from learning coaches who act as organizers, facilitators, and overall motivators.
Experiential Learning	A holistic learning approach in which the learner utilizes his/her experiences and learning strengths in the process of constructing knowledge. More commonly referred to as “learning by doing”.	·         Learning takes place through direct involvement and reflection. ·         Learners bring their own life experience to the learning situation. ·         “Hands-on” aspect increases motivation and material retention.
Project Based Learning	Participants work in small groups to solve a challenging, interdisciplinary problem using group chosen strategies and activities.	·         Allows for participants to participate in cooperative learning activities which help to build teamwork and collaboration skills. ·         Participants are able to participate in learning scenarios directly applicable to the real-world.
Self-Directed Learning	An informal learning process in which an individual takes on the responsibility for his/her learning process by identifying their learning needs, setting goals, finding resources, implementing strategies, and evaluating their results.	·         Can be easily implemented in daily activities. ·         Students are motivated by internal/external motivation. ·         Self-Directed Learning is a reflective and action-oriented process. ·         Learning can be linked with other students.

Pedagogy and Andragogy : Two ends of the Spectrum.

Andragogy is though, a distinctive model for educating adult students of business studies, but need not be seen as dichotomous with pedagogical approach. Rather, the two approaches (Pedagogy and andragogy) are to be seen as two ends of a spectrum to be used in proper blend (Knowles: 1980). The pedagogical and andragogical techniques that can be appropriately blended for optimum learning. The components of the two models are as under:

Lectures

Special Readings

Slides

Audio Tapes

Video Tapes

Films Television

Presentations

Discussions

Participatory Teaching

Conference

Vestibule School

Case study

Role Play

Simulation

In basket simulation

Business/Management Games

Projects

Experiential Learning

Syndicate Method

Discussion Method

E-Teaching Learning

Outward Bound Learning

Sensitivity Method

Fish Bowl Exercise     

The approaches on top of the aforesaid list constitute the pedagogical model of teaching and on moving towards the bottom one finds the techniques based on andragogical approach promoting facilitative learning.

References :

Burns, R. 1995 The adult learner at work Business and Professional Publishing, Sydney

Burns, S. 1995 ‘Rapid changes require enhancement of adult learning’ HRMonthly June, pp 16-17.

Hiemstra, R., & Sisco, B. (1990). Individualizing instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Knowles, M.S. (1968). Androgogy, not pedagogy! Adult Leadership, 16, 350-352, 386.

Knowles, M.S. (1975). Self-directed learning. New York: Association Press.

Knowles, M.S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education (revised and updated). Chicago: Association Press (originally published in 1970).

Knowles, M. (1984). The adult learner: A neglected species. Houston: Gulf Publishing.

Knowles, M.S.(1986). Using learning contracts. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Knowles, M., & Asspcoates/ (1984). Andragogy in Action. Applying modern principles of adult education. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Knowles, M.(2002). Lifelong learning: A Dream. Creating the future: Perspective on Educational Change, v. January. October 10, 2003.

 http://www.newhorizons.org/future/Creating_the_Future/crfut_knowles.html.

Stewart, T.(2201). Mystified by training? Here are some clues. Fortune, v. 143,p.184.

Stewart, D.W.(1986a) Adult learning in America: Eduard lindeman and his agenda for lifelong learning. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing.

Stewart, D.H. (1986b). Prespectives. Lifelong Learning: An Omnibus of Practice and Research, 9(5), 2.