Malcolm Knowles Five Assumptions

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Malcolm Shepherd Knowles was best known for being a well known American Educator. His best work was coining the term “Andragogy,” with respects to adult education. Knowles believed that andragogy was the main science and art of adult learning; which is how grown people think and then learn materials. He believed that andragogy referred to any and all forms of adult learning. Malcolm Knowles made four assumptions about the characteristics of adult learning in the 1980’s. A few years later in 1984 he added the fifth assumption. The first assumption is called “self-concept.” Knowles believed that “when person matures his or her self concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being.” The second assumption, the “Adult Learner …show more content…
He believed that the adults need to “be involved in the planning and evaluation of their instruction.” Knowles believed that “adults experiences and mistakes provided the basis for their learning activities.” His next principle was that “adults are most interested in learning subjects that have immediate relevance and impact to their job or personal life.” His last principle was that “adult learning is problem-centered rather than content oriented. Experimental learning basically means “learning from experiences.” David Kolb was an American Psychologist who proposed this idea. Kolb was greatly influenced by the great works of Dewey, Lewin, and Piaget. Kolb believed that experimental learning is defined as “the