Current Perspectives, Research Findings, Synthesis And...

Current Perspectives, Research Findings, Synthesis and Analysis According to Knowles (1973), self-actualization is the goal of adult education. Knowles would champion the term and use of andragogy for adults. Post-secondary higher education for adult learners is a need that can be addressed by broadening accessibility and through the use group learning. Eventually, this objective is met in 1976 by the University of Phoenix by focusing on addressing an appropriate pedagogical learning approach called collaborative; which is â€Å"viewed as a pillar of adult education† (Harasim, 2012, p. 128). An alternative approach to pedagogy and andragogy was raised by Knudson in 1980, as he proposed replacing the term with humanagogy (Holmes †¦show more content†¦An additional perspective was proposed by Davenport as he believed the two terms need not be mutually exclusive as both have value but needed to be tested empirically for validity and conceptual clarification (Holmes Abington-Cooper, 2000). â€Å"The literal and original definition of pedagogy and andragogy also can allow for both teacher-centered and learner-centered activities. Both the child leader and the adult leader may be at different times directive and nondirective, authoritative and facilitative, etc. (Davenport, 1987)† (Holmes Abington-Cooper, 2000, para. 30). Rachal was also in agreement with Davenport that the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, in addition, also not dichotomous (Holmes Abington-Cooper, 2000). According to Holmes Cooper (2000), pedagogy has little to do with children learning and is concerned more with their obedience to adhere to the instruction of the teacher (Samaroo et al., 2013). There is no concern for how adults learn or are taught. Pedagogy is an authoritarian model that assumes the â€Å"adult knows what the child needs to know† (Samaroo et al., 2013, p. 90). Another alternative perspective is of another combined approach to pedagogy and andragogy which is pedandragogy (Samaroo et al., 2013). Pedandragogy while a main proponent is self-directedness, it calls for the creation and development of learning tools to promote self-engagement; this model associates student engagement