EDU-537 Understanding Adult learning Theories

What is adult learning

How do the Principles of Androgogy apply to instructional coaching

Understanding Adult Learning Theory Christine Sassano EDU-537

Also known as andragogy is the "science and art of helping adults learn" (Tezcan, 2022).

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Andragogical strateges to engage adult learners

Teaching Strategies for coaching the adult learner

Differences

When thinking about how to assist a teacher, these strategies come to mind Feedback Collaboration Engagement

• Andragogy
• Pedagogy

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Malcolm Knowles explains his 6 principles of learning

4. Readiness to learn: Many adults are prepared to learn. This willinginess to learn helps them to be able to become a better adult in the future. 5. Orientation towards learning: As adults our orientation towards learning is about life. We realize that by learning we are bettering ourselves as well as taking what we learn and applying it to our real-life situations. 6. Motivation to learn: While adults sometimes react to extrinsic motivations ( higher pay, different jobs (better) ) we are more instrinsically motivated, we want to better ourselves fo us or our family.

1. Need to know: learners especially adults want to know why they should before they will learn something 2. Learners self-directedness: Adult learners will take ownership and responsibility for their learning, they will organize their experiences in ways that are beneficial to them. 3. The role of learners' experience: Adults will participate in educational activity with prior experience than that of a child. These experiences will differ in quality of the skills beging brought as well as how much knowledge (quantity ) they bring.

Instructional coaching

Instructional coaching's main focus is on "cultivating a culture of growth and collaborative partnerships between instructional coach and the teacher"( Hu & Tuten, 2021). Within coaching, it is our job to take into consideration the characteristics of our adult learners, we need to create an environment that is conducive to connecting learning to what the teacher already knows.

Within instructional coaching, andragogical approaches are best. Why? because if we think about it educators are designed to implement curriculum in ways tthat benefit the students they are teaching. Sometimes in order to help our students, we have to help ourselves. "using andragogical principles are the keys to developing an engaging learning eperience for mature adult learners " ( Zorn-Arnold & Conaway, 2016).

When thinking of how Malcolm Knowles principles apply to instructional coaching, the principles that came to mind are, role of experience, self-directedness, and readiness to learn.

• Roles of experience applies because each teacher will come with their own knowledge and expertise in a particular area or grade level. We should except the knowledg and help grow it.
• Self directedness can apply as well because " cooperative partnership between the coach and the teachers where teachers chose thier own learning" (Hu & Tuten, 2021).
• This will also tie in with readiness to learn, if we allow the teacher to chose where to start, then helping them from there will be beneficial for both parties.

Teaching strategies for Adult Learners

Feedback: This is a vital part to helping adults learn. We need concise, constructive feedback, This allows us to know our areas of strength and also areas we need to improve on. Collaboration: this is important because we have to be able to effectively collaborate with each other. Coach to teacher or teacher to teacher. Engagement: Teachers want to be engaged, if we are not mentally stimulated we will be lost. When coaching, visuals are a big help, activities that allow us to have hands on experience will also help. Teachers need to feel as if they are apart of the process, not just going through motions.

"Andragogy can be defined as ‘a scientific discipline that studies everything related to learning and teaching which would bring adults to their full degree of humaneness" (McGrath, 2009).

Adult learning Strategies

Implementation Once adult learners are taught a subject, or new skill. They should be able to apply what was learned. This can be done through activities, or even work based assignments.

Self-relflection Allowing adult learners to reflect on their practices, help guided them in their learning. When we self-reflect we end up catching somethings that we may not have noticed before.

Differences Between

Andragogy

• Adult focused
• Art and Science of helpings adults learn
• Self-Directed: depend on own experiences to guide their learning
• Role of experience is a resource used in their learning.
• Seek out useful information

Pedagogy

• Child-focused
• Art and Science of helpings children learn
• Not self- directed: depend on teacher
• role of experience is limited
• Subject centered

" It is clear that andragogy can be highly motivational, as adult learners are more goal oriented than younger learners; this is why offereing them meaningful learning experiences can make a real difference in achieving learning outcomes" (Pappas, 2015).