Which term refers to the practice of teaching adults who are self-directed learners?

Which term refers to the practice of teaching adults who are self-directed learners?

• A. Pedagogy
• B. Gerontology
• C. Andragogy
• D. Didactics

Answer: (C)

Andragogy captures the practice of teaching adults who are self-directed learners. It emphasizes that adults bring a wealth of experiences, prefer to take responsibility for their own learning, and are motivated by learning that is relevant to real-life tasks and goals. Instruction under andragogical principles is often problem-centered, collaborative, and leverages what learners already know, allowing them to guide and participate in the learning process. Pedagogy, by contrast, describes traditional, teacher-centered approaches more commonly associated with teaching children, where the teacher directs what and how students learn. Gerontology is the study of aging and older adults, not a teaching method. Didactics refers to instructional methods in general, but the term is not specific to the self-directed, experience-based adult learning framework that andragogy describes.

Andragogy captures the practice of teaching adults who are self-directed learners. It emphasizes that adults bring a wealth of experiences, prefer to take responsibility for their own learning, and are motivated by learning that is relevant to real-life tasks and goals. Instruction under andragogical principles is often problem-centered, collaborative, and leverages what learners already know, allowing them to guide and participate in the learning process.

Pedagogy, by contrast, describes traditional, teacher-centered approaches more commonly associated with teaching children, where the teacher directs what and how students learn. Gerontology is the study of aging and older adults, not a teaching method. Didactics refers to instructional methods in general, but the term is not specific to the self-directed, experience-based adult learning framework that andragogy describes.