Approaching Theory in Adult Education

Approaching Theory in Adult Education: Humanism and Andragogy An analysis of adult learning theory serves as the springboard from which educators can begin to build a useful theoretical framework that focuses on the field of contemporary adult education. Both humanism and andragogy as theoretical approaches offer distinctive strengths and weaknesses, both function as a point of reference for practitioners. This paper examines the synthesis of humanistic and andragogical theory as an integrated approach in adult education, training and professional development.
Introduction
This paper attempts to explore two major theories of adult learning (humanism) and adult education (andragogy). Much about adult education as a discipline and the current context within which it operates is dependent upon an understanding of humanistic learning. Similarly, fostering adult education has brought education practitioners into conflict with some of the prevailing beliefs about andragogical practices. Therefore, educators who make a deliberate choice to cultivate humanistic adult learning should explore the underlying assumptions inherent in both humanistic and andragogical learning theory.
Brief History Adult education is a hot topic. There are thousands of books and articles written on variations of the subject and a wide body of research from which educators and learners draw guidance. In reality, however, no single theory or set of theories provides the primary foundation for adult learning and adult education. Education theories originate from an integration of a wide range of disciplines, encompass a myriad of overlapping concepts and embody a broad variety of features. Similarly, education practitioners represent a diversity of academic fields and backgrounds, which also lends to an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for understanding and contributing to education theory. The principles of adult education theory mirrored many of the

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