Andragogy was the first adult learning model to identify adult learners' characteristics and provide a pragmatic framework for responding to them. It is still considered a foundational and significant contribution to understanding adult learners despite substantial critique over the last 50 years. Current research supports the notion that…

This article discusses the teachers' role in self-directed learning (SDL) -- a central concept in adult education. We explore the use of Socratic questioning to develop critical thinking, which is the outcome of SDL in problem-based learning (PBL). In particular, we analyse 11 adult learners' reflective journals in relation to a Socratic seminar.…

Objective: Increasing degree completion in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly engineering, is a national priority. With an aspiration to increase the number of STEM graduates by one million in the next 10 years, more research is needed to understand the role of community colleges in achieving this…

This study describes adult learners' understanding in learning Islam using andragogy approach in which the study was conducted in Kampung Siglap Mosque and Al-Zuhri Higher Learning Institute. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) educate his companions of who are adults from the shackles of "jahiliyyah," spiritual and intellectual…

This longitudinal study examines the perceptions, attitudes, and preferences of the adult learners in higher education institutions in the United States. Based on these aspects, this study allowed for an insight into how higher education institutions can create programs to better meet the needs of their adult learning population. This study was…

This paper revisits the term "andragogy" (adult education) and develops a new concept based upon an analysis of the skills and dispositions of 21st century learners in initial teacher education through the lens of adult education: "digital andragogy." In order to engage and retain students and revitalise education courses by…

Given the current global economic situation, industries have been forced to examine their efficiency and effectiveness, and this is also true for adult education programs. Many programs, whether public or private, face budget downsizing which leads to questions of how to effectively instruct the adults they serve. This article provides an overview…

A generational shift is occurring in training environments worldwide, a shift that promises to bring with it a dramatic and long-lasting impact. Just as years ago, those of the Baby Boomer generation passed the torch to Generation X, today the process is starting anew with Generation X and those who have come to be known as the Millennials.…

Online learning, according to a recent Department of Education meta-analysis (Means et al. 2009), is equal to and sometimes better than traditional face-to-face instruction, while hybrid education is best of all. Students seem eager to reap those online benefits; the March 2009 "Digest of Education Statistics" reports that the U.S. college with…

The online educational environment is increasingly being used by adults and should be designed based on the needs of adult learners. This article discusses andragogy, an important adult learning theory, and reviews three other adult learning theories: self-directed learning, experiential learning, and transformational learning. During this…

Adult learners require teaching strategies that reflect their sociological and psychological characteristics. Adults can be defined, according to Babcock, as either traditional or nontraditional learners, with nontraditional students being those attending college after age 22. The needs of these learners vary depending upon their age, with older…

This paper presents an overview of research on adult learning and suggests strategies for helping adult students to learn. In the first section of the paper, learning and memory are discussed and factors needed for adults to learn the hows and whys of adult motivation are then discussed. The paper next covers the setting of adult learning and the…

Reviews the research on nontraditional (adult) college students. Discusses the recent growth of this student population, adult student characteristics and life situations, learning motivation and achievement of adult students, adult students' preferences in the classroom, and principles of andragogy. Contains 61 references. (SV)

Discusses adult education and the demographic changes that will make corporate training and higher education more geared toward adults in the future. Discusses characteristics of adult learners; the concept of andragogy and instructional design models; and collaborative teaching and training. (LRW)

This book presents an overview of the body of knowledge about adult learning, including the context in which it takes place, who the participants are, what they learn and why, the nature of the learning process, the development of theory in adult learning, and other issues relevant to the practice of adult learning. The book takes into account…