Changing Pedagogies in Adult Education Teaching and Learning: Heutagogy an Option

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue XII, December 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Changing Pedagogies in Adult Education Teaching and Learning: Heutagogy an Option

Okorie, Christiana Uzoaru (Ph.D)
Department of Adult and Non-Formal Education, Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt

Abstract
The study investigated the issue of changing pedagogies in teaching and learning of adult education at post graduate level in Nigeria. It was guided by three research objectives and questions. The study built was built heutagogy approach to teaching and learning which is hinged on student-centeredness where student play immediate and on-going role in what they learn, when to learn and how they learn. The study adopted descriptive survey design. Population of the study comprised lecturers in the department of adult education in Universities in South-South Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. Only lecturers who teaches post graduate students were purposively sampled. The researcher used a structured questionnaire designed with google form to gather data for the study. Data was collected via electronic mailing. Findings shows that lecturers that teaches post graduate students in Adult and Non-Formal Education Departments in Nigeria Universities still engage in pedagogical teaching and learning in their post graduate class; they also agreed that there is need to change pedagogies in teaching and learning due challenges involve in the changes associated with the present knowledge economy. But the lecturer’s level of awareness of heutagogy as a teaching and learning approach for 21st century learners is low. The researcher thus recommended that lecturers should avail themselves opportunities of training and re-training in new ways of teaching in the 21st century to meet up with the challenges of present knowledge economy.

Keywords: Pedagogies, Teaching and Learning, Adult Education, Andragogy, Heutagogy

Introduction

In the world we find ourselves today, adults are faced with different challenging issues from global, regional, national and even at local levels. These challenges also call for developing of adults who can survive and strive in the changing global knowledge economy through a lifelong education process. Adult education as lifelong learning is meant to develop and enrich adult with capabilities to effectively and creatively apply skills and competencies to new situations in an ever-changing, complex world, this means that teaching and learning in adult education in the world of today need a change in the pedagogies to a different teaching and learning approach which will produce learners who are well-prepared for the complexities of today’s workplace. Knowles (1970), the father of adult education promotion referred andragogy as a learner-focused pedagogical practices which is different from conventional teacher-oriented, test-driven, lecture-based adolescents or children’s teaching. He further explained that “andragogy is a self-directed learning in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing learning strategies,

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