Authors :
Dr. Soumyajit Roy; Md Mahasin Ali
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 2 - February
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/49wuhrxj
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/2w33u3r9
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26feb299
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
How college and university students, who are at the budding stages of their adulthood be taught? Should it be somewhat different from ‘pedagogy’ – a term whose literal meaning implies ‘leading a child’? Can Malcolm Knowles’ theory or model of andragogy – the alternate theory for adult learners - offer some insights? Scholars across the world are debating and carrying out studies to find answer to these questions by various ways. The results when out, will someday bring about a discernible change in the way we approach higher education. However, the extent to which andragogical principles can serve the purpose should not be left to be decided by a teacher when he meets students in the first class. This study done in classrooms of colleges and universities in and around Kolkata tries to ascertain this difficulty level. A modified version of Wolfson’s (1998) ‘Andragogy Difficulty Index’ is used on 183 students sampled incidentally. Findings reveal that from the students’ perspectives, incorporating these in our classrooms will be a welcome change, because no matter whatever the system espouses, the mindset and practices of these students are quite aligned to andragogy.
Keywords :
Andragogy, Pedagogy, Higher Education, Teacher Education, Methodology.
References :
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- Hartree, A. (1984). Malcolm Knowles’ Theory of Andragogy: A Critique, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 3:3, 203-210, DOI: 10.1080/0260137840030304
- Hashim, R., Ahmad, H., & Nor Aini Ahmad. (2010). Measuring Andragogy: A case of e-PJJ students at INED, UiTM. 2010 International Conference on Science and Social Research (CSSR 2010). https://doi.org/10.1109/cssr.2010.5773753
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- Jinks, A. M., Boreham, N. C., & Webb, C. (1998). A study of attitudes to student-centred learning and teaching, and concepts of andragogy in senior nurse educationalists in England. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, 50(3), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636829800200057
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- Knowles, M. (1975). Self-Directed Learning: A Guide for Learners and Teachers. Chicago, IL: Follett Publishing Company.
- Knowles, M. S. (1984). Andragogy in Action. Applying Modern Principles of Adult Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
- Knowles, M. S. (1984). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (3rd Edition). Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing.
- Knowles, M., Holton, E., & Swanson, R. (2005). The adult learner: the definitive classic in adult education and human resource development. (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Elsevier.
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- Wang V. (2004). Full time adult credential students' instructional preferences at California State University, Long Beach: pedagogy orandragogy?. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science, 5(3), 365–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02841024
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- Wolfson, J. W. (1998). The application of Knowles’ adult education principles to a principle of accounting course. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 46(2), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377366.1998.10400345
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How college and university students, who are at the budding stages of their adulthood be taught? Should it be somewhat different from ‘pedagogy’ – a term whose literal meaning implies ‘leading a child’? Can Malcolm Knowles’ theory or model of andragogy – the alternate theory for adult learners - offer some insights? Scholars across the world are debating and carrying out studies to find answer to these questions by various ways. The results when out, will someday bring about a discernible change in the way we approach higher education. However, the extent to which andragogical principles can serve the purpose should not be left to be decided by a teacher when he meets students in the first class. This study done in classrooms of colleges and universities in and around Kolkata tries to ascertain this difficulty level. A modified version of Wolfson’s (1998) ‘Andragogy Difficulty Index’ is used on 183 students sampled incidentally. Findings reveal that from the students’ perspectives, incorporating these in our classrooms will be a welcome change, because no matter whatever the system espouses, the mindset and practices of these students are quite aligned to andragogy.
Keywords :
Andragogy, Pedagogy, Higher Education, Teacher Education, Methodology.