Topic 1: What is Andragogy and how is it relevant to training and development?
Andragogy is the term used to describe ‘the art and science of teaching adults’ (Delahaye, 2011). It focuses on the post-school vocational education, where the adults learning needs are the main importance and also should allow them to take responsibility for their own learning (Delahaye, 2011). In this sense, the differences between andragogy and pedagogy are related to not only the way content is taught, but also the progression of learning. Andragogy is relevant to training and development as concerns with the practical issues of trainers are coming into existence in relation to an effective way of using resources and the most suitable training methods (Jones, 1980). Therefore, as advances in knowledge are increasing, training and development programs need to be constantly altered and maintained to ensure that employees (adults) are processing this information.
Andragogy is conceptualised in literature through conducting research to address what exactly is andragogy and what are the main issues in accordance to training and development. In relation to police training and development, police officers valued four distinct areas – engagement, practicality, affiliation, and efficiency (Olivia, 2009). Firstly, police officers valued classrooms that were ‘interesting and inspiring’ (Olivia, 2009), as they preferred trainers who were enthusiastic and engaged their students. Police officers also preferred the content being delivered that can be applied to their own real-life experiences on the job. Officers really emphasised the importance of the classroom environment in relation to social interaction and classroom layout. Police officers that were involved in the training and development session wanted a chance to interact with others, including the trainer. This allowed for them to learn from eachothers’ experiences