Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: Teaching Adults vs. Teaching Kids
By Monica Chung When it comes to teaching, one size definitely doesn’t fit all. Kids and adults learn differently, what works for one group can totally flop with the other. That’s where the concepts of pedagogy and andragogy come in. These terms might sound intimidating, but they’re really just fancy ways of saying “teaching kids” and “teaching adults.” The real magic is understanding what sets them apart and when to use each approach. What’s Pedagogy? Let’s start with pedagogy. This is all about teaching kids, which makes sense because the word comes from the Greek words for “child” (paid) and “leader” (agogos). In pedagogy, the teacher is the boss—they decide what to teach, how to teach it, and when it’s time to move on. Looking back at my school days, I can clearly remember how structured everything was. For example, in elementary school, my teacher, Mrs. Thompson, taught us multiplication tables. She’d write them on the chalkboard, walk us through step-by-step, and then give us hom...