Testing Andragogy with Adult Learners Internationally in the USA, Brazil, and Australia
Abstract
University Faculty have occasionally been asked if they model the kind of teaching they ask of their teacher candidates and the adult educators with whom they work in the public arena and the market place. On the one hand autonomous individuals or self-directed learners resist learning conditions that are incongruent with their self-concept. However, on the other hand, autonomous individuals or self-directed learners flourish with learning conditions that help them realize their unique potential. Nonetheless, not all adult learners are self-directed. Depending on their knowledge and experience with the content, an adult learner can actually be in two stages of learning at one time. This has again been shown to be the case in the experiences of the authors in the USA, Brazil and Australia. This paper describes each of the authors' journey in continuing to realize how to reach and teach various learners based on where they are in their understanding.