Introduction
Malcolm Knowles is among the people who contributed to the education and psychology field by introducing the concept of andragogy. While only a little information and details are known about this man, he can be recognized as one of the most educated people due to his number of degrees and experience working for different universities. Up to his last years, Malcolm Knowles was eager to contribute to the field of education. The magnum opus in his career is the theory of andragogy, which is contrasted with pedagogy.
Biography
Malcolm Knowles was born and raised in Montana, the United States. He graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1934 (Miles & Dave, 2018). According to his recollection, in the early 1940s, he first became aware of the unique requirements of adults older than first-year college students and older individuals looking to expand their perspectives (Miles & Dave, 2018).
The man later earned a master’s degree in 1949 from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in adult learning in 1960 from the University of Illinois (Miles & Dave, 2018). He created the first integrated education course for adults in Chicago. In the following decade, the educator held a position at a university in North Carolina.
He continued working in the industry after retirement until the 1990s, several years before his demise (Miles & Dave, 2018). It is estimated that he produced nearly 200 essays on the practice and philosophy of adult learning (Miles & Dave, 2018). His publications are utilized as manuals in education programs globally.
The Theory of Andragogy
As for his magnum opus, in the 1980s, Malcolm Knowles developed the notion of andragogy. The reason behind creating the given theory is to differentiate pedagogy, which comprises techniques and methods of teaching children, and the field of andragogy, which is based on adult education. In his work, Malcolm Knowles wrote that children and adults learn differently and, therefore, need different approaches (El-Amin, 2020).
The andragogy hypothesis, developed by Malcolm Knowles, aims to address some of the drawbacks of pedagogy for adult learners (El-Amin, 2020). Malcolm wrote that adult students, unlike child students, need more experience and grasp the necessity behind some tasks. Moreover, the educator claimed that students, unlike their younger counterparts, do not need much instruction but should instead rely on practice. Knowles made this statement because, before his points and concepts, adults and children were taught using the same frameworks. In this sense, andragogy is a science discipline that investigates all aspects of education and how to educate adults best.
In contrast to pedagogy, the concept of andragogy is that the teacher does not have all the information. As a result, adult students should be encouraged to participate in class discussions by sharing their personal perspectives (El-Amin, 2020). As a result, the learning environment is far more stimulating, encouraging, and interactive. In addition, Malcolm Knowles’ concept of andragogy continues to be a crucial theoretical foundation for professionals in adult education and undergraduate and graduate students (El-Amin, 2020). Therefore, Knowles helped meet students’ requirements by establishing unique teaching methods.
Conclusion
Hence, Malcolm Knowles’ notion of andragogy, in contrast to pedagogy, is his major accomplishment. Montana is where Malcolm Knowles spent his childhood. He had a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.
Malcolm Knowles created the concept of andragogy in the 1980s. Malcolm Knowles’ andragogy hypothesis seeks to overcome some of the problems with education for adult learners. Andragogy is based on the idea that the instructor does not have all the knowledge, unlike pedagogy. As a result, Knowles developed distinctive teaching strategies that assisted in meeting the needs of adult students.
References
El-Amin, D. A. (2020). Andragogy: A theory in practice in higher education. Journal of Research in Higher Education, 4(2), 54. Web.
Miles, D. A. & Dave, D. (2018). Autonomous learning as a transformative experience. In A. C. Clemons, D. P. Peltz (Eds.). Multicultural andragogy for transformative learning (pp.9-30). IGI Global.