Andragogy emphasizes the value of the process of learning. It uses approaches to learning that are problem-based and collaborative rather than didactic, and also emphasizes more equality between the teacher and learner.

KNOWLES' 6 PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING

Need to Know The adult learner wants to know why they are learning and how it will apply to their lives.
Self-concept The learner needs to feel they are responsible for their own decisions and lives, and want to choose what to learn rather than having it imposed on them.
Prior Experience Life experience can positively impact the experience by utilizing previous learning, or can bring biases or presuppositions that can get in the way of learning.
Readiness to Learn Learners become ready to learn what they need to know from real-life situations.
Orientation to Learning Learning is problem or task-centered to help learners deal with real-life problems or situations.
Motivation to Learn Learners are most strongly motivated by intrinsic rewards such as growth, satisfaction, and self-esteem.

(Adapted from Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 2012)

At the heart of Knowles’ adult learning model are the fundamental human needs to feel self-directed, competent, and connected.

One of the past criticisms of Knowles’ model is that it seemed to be a “one size fits all” approach to teaching adults, without considering other factors that impact adult learning, namely situations, individual differences, and goals/purposes for learning. In response to this criticism, Knowles “rounded out” his model to include these other factors, and called it the “andragogy in practice” model, which is shown below: