Unit 02 (IDAELL)

UNIT 02 : Philosophical Approaches in Adult Education

In the second Unit of this course, you will be introduced to the theory that foregrounds the praxis of adult education. The term ‘andragogy’ was coined in 1833 by Alexander Kapp, a German grammar school teacher, to describe the educational theory of Plato and to differentiate the art and science of teaching children (pedagogy) from the art and science of teaching adults (andragogy).

The understanding of the history of adult education and associated theories would be incomplete without a clear reading of such figures as Malcolm Shepherd Knowles (self-directed learning theory), Paolo Freire (Conscientization theory) and Jack Mezirow (transformative learning theory). One will also learn of the symbiotic relationship between feminist discourse and adult education.

After reading this module, you should be familiar with:

  • the main philosophical approaches to adult education
  • key theories and thinkers in the field of adult education
  • the contemporary issues in adult education at the global level
Last modified: Friday, 13 June 2014, 4:17 PM