Much has been written and discussed about manager training; about their needs, components and other particularities that characterize a process of greater or lesser relevance and effectiveness. However, on rare occasions the problem is approached starting from approaching it as a process based on the discipline that deals with the education and learning of the adult subject, that is, andragogy.
Multiple authors have tried to conceptualize it as a science that, like others, has had its history and development.
The term andragogy is reported to be used for the first time by the German teacher Alexander Kapp, in 1833, with the purpose of explaining Plato's educational theory; as its use is not generalized, it is forgotten. Later Eugen Rosenback, at the beginning of the 20th century, takes up the term again to refer to the set of curricular elements typical of adult education, such as: teachers, methods and philosophy.
Notwithstanding these initial attempts to conceptualize and systematize adult education, “basic integration on adult education began, in Europe and in the United States of (North) America, quite late compared to its equivalent in the field of the pedagogy. It is only at the end of the 1950s when efforts to systematize, articulate and disseminate specific theories about adult human learning began; as well as strategies and methods capable of expressing themselves in terms of didactics for learning that is neither child nor adolescent: the adult ”
Knowles (1970) is considered the father of adult education for developing a more complete theory of andragogy, he considers it as "the art and science of helping adults to learn"
Bernard (1985) sees andragogy as “a discipline defined at the same time as a science and as an art; a science dealing with the historical, philosophical, sociological, psychological, and organizational aspects of adult education; an art practiced in a social practice that is evident thanks to all the educational activities organized especially for the adult ”
Márquez (1998) considers it as "the educational discipline that tries to understand the adult, from all human components, that is, as a psychological, biological and social entity"
For his part, Alcalá (1997) states that the " Andragogy is science and art that, being part of Anthropogogy and being immersed in Permanent Education, is developed through a praxis based on the principles of Participation and Horizontality; whose process, being oriented with synergistic characteristics by the Learning Facilitator, allows to increase the thinking, self-management, quality of life and creativity of the adult participant, in order to provide them with an opportunity to achieve their self-realization ”
As can be seen, Alcalá makes a more comprehensive proposal and conceptualizes his conception in greater depth, explaining that andragogical praxis is “a set of actions, activities and tasks that, when administered applying appropriate andragogical principles and strategies, may facilitate the process of adult learning.
The subsequent decades contemplate a development in that line of work. Adult education is considered as a university profession and the field of andragogy is delimited which, based on studies from the perspective of psychology; it contributes results to conceive practices that use pedagogical and androgynous principles, equipping didactics with instruments to face complex learning processes that involve intellectual, motor and affective aspects.
Andragogy provides the opportunity for the adult who decides to learn, to actively participate in their own learning and intervene in the planning, programming, carrying out and evaluation of educational activities on an equal basis with their fellow participants and with the facilitator; the above, together with an adequate learning environment, determine what could be called good andragogical praxis ”
It can be noted that each definition enriches the idea that andragogy is considered as an educational discipline that takes into account different components of the individual, as a psychological, biological and social entity; a new conception of the human being as a subject of his own history, loaded with experiences within a socio-cultural context; in this case, the recipients and participants in the training process will be characterized by their adulthood, so that these recipients are considered as adult subjects.
The word "adult" comes from the Latin word "adultus" which etymologically means to grow. In the situation that concerns us, it would not explain its full implication if we only consider adulthood as the arrival of the subject at an age that is conventionally between 18 and 70 years, between adolescence and old age; it is necessary to take into account uninterrupted and permanent growth from the psychosocial and ergological point of view; therefore, it is a stage of integration of different development perspectives.
The fundamental thing in this analysis is not the definition of the term, but the knowledge of the subjects as recipients and participants in the educational processes that range from "occasional training or work, at a technical and managerial level, to growth and personal enrichment that promote social mobilization, degree of literacy and career development ”
In this context, adults express their particularities, they “are aware of their educational needs that are mature enough to select whether or not they seek means to educate themselves and in what way, that they are adequately experienced through life and work; which allows them to reason and apply particular knowledge to their range of experience, to be able to choose when and where to study and learn, being able to measure the costs of such learning (costs, either in terms of time, money or missed opportunities). Adults are assumed to have limited time and to balance the demands of family, work, and education. It can also be assumed that they have already acquired their own knowledge and knowledge of the world, sufficient to survive;even if they can't control their environment to their liking… ”
When it comes to adult education we must take into account a series of perceptions that we group into:
1. What are the fundamental characteristics of adults that must be taken into account in the training process?
2. What conditions adult learning?
3. When and where should adult education take place?
4. Who is involved?
5. How do adults learn?
6. What is the proper way to teach or help them learn?
1. When we approach the study of the fundamental characteristics of adults that manifest in a training process we can mention:
to. The self-concept: psychological need to be self-directed.
b. The experience. The accumulated experience serves as a learning resource and as a reference to relate new learning. Using their previous experiences, the participant can exploit and / or discover their talents and abilities.
Adult learning orientation focuses on life; therefore, what is appropriate for learning are real situations to be analyzed and lived according to your personal life project and accumulated experiences; In these circumstances, training becomes very important if it matches your expectations and personal needs.
Coupled with the experience, the adult tries to preserve experiences, knowledge, beliefs, paradigms that were useful to them at one time; but they are no longer and, therefore, they become a source of internal resistance of the individual.
Given these circumstances, a basic requirement for learning is "unlearning".
“Unlearning is simply removing what we have learned that no longer serves us and leaving room so that what we need to learn can easily enter our brain. To do this, the human being must give himself the opportunity to see himself as the holder of a point of view on any aspect and develop the awareness of the existence of many more points of view that may be as or more valid than the perceived for him. This obviously requires postponing critical judgment, which is not a long-standing custom in most adults, much less when they have a high intellectual level; for the more you have invested in learning certain information, the greater the commitment to defend this information against new information (…). Unlearning is a link between learning and relearning ”
c. Promptness in learning. Adults set out to learn what they need to know or be able to do to fulfill their role in society. They see training as a process to improve their ability to solve problems and face today's world; in this way they can develop models of behavior in given situations that facilitate their adaptation to particular circumstances in which they may find themselves at a given moment.
d. The orientation for learning. The orientation of adults for learning tends to search for the solution to the problems that present themselves in real life; with a perspective of seeking immediacy for the application of the acquired knowledge; whose objectives respond to your needs and expectations.
It must be added that the adult has a wide historical, social and cultural baggage, as a social entity integrated into certain ways of life; builds their own knowledge with the help of the trainer who becomes a learning facilitator if they take into account that adults “work, they don't have time, they tire faster, they are more motivated, they have no note-taking or study habits and they like to participate "
2. Among the main determining factors of adult learning we find:
to. They form heterogeneous groups in: age, interests, motivations, experience and aspirations.
b. The student role is marginal or provisional.
c. The general interest revolves around job promotion, well-being, and self-esteem.
d. The objectives are clear and concrete, chosen and valued.
and. Achievements and successes will be eagerly or eagerly desired.
F. There is concern about failure.
g. Possible susceptibility and insecurity in the face of criticism.
h. You often carry the weight of frustrating learning experiences that convince you that you are unable to acquire new knowledge.
i. Heterogeneous, sometimes contradictory sources of knowledge.
j. Greater concentration in classes, which favors the use of time in classes.
k. It has compensation mechanisms to overcome deficiencies and resources of the experience.
l. It needs alternation and variability due to its relative capacity for prolonged intellectual effort.
3. Great attention must be paid to the training environment. Adults prefer to select the place to carry out the training actions. Fundamentally they choose places that are related to their needs. A large part of the training takes place at workplaces or in places where they can associate positively, whether in meeting places, in postgraduate classrooms, etc.
4. To comment on those involved, let us rely on an andragogical model that includes three fundamental components:
to. The adult participant: We have already referred in previous comments.
b. The androgogue. That is, the formator; becomes the facilitator of the process, makes interpersonal interactions viable and organizes educational activity, it can also be; consultant, information transmitter, change agent, tutor, etc; he is a person - resource considered as another participant in the continuous learning process.
c. The group. Training can occur relatively autonomously and personally; but it also occurs in an intersubjective and social space. Thus, adult learning should not be understood as an isolated phenomenon, but as an experience that takes place in interaction with other subjects, so that “knowledge is not just a matter of thought and people; but of relationships that these people maintain; learning (getting to know) implies maintaining functional relationships ”
Since the unit of analysis of adult learning is the processes of social interaction, each participant can become a resource for the other and this exchange provides a dynamic transaction of knowledge.
These components of the model should not be understood as isolated entities; but in constant interaction within an intersubjective and social space, so that adult learning is transformed into an experience of the individual that occurs in interaction with a context or environment; from this thesis it follows that the "cognitive activity of the individual cannot be studied without taking into account the relational, social and cultural contexts in which it is carried out"
5. Adults do not necessarily have to attend a training program with the aim of learning. Despite the importance of interformation, many of them will continue learning from their own experience, doing things for themselves, observing and imitating others; they will dedicate themselves to reading following procedures described by other people.
Adults have different learning styles; some prefer to do it in groups, others individually, some opt for experimentation and others require advice; On-the-job training is becoming more and more interesting.
For each approach, it is necessary to have programs tailored to them that suit the styles of the participants who will be more receptive when they perceive that the objectives of the training program respond to their needs and expectations.
In this context, adult learning is located, which according to Cazau (2001) is based on:
to. Learn to know. Develop skills, abilities, habits, attitudes and values that allow the adult to acquire the tools of understanding as a means to understand the world around him, communicate with others and value the importance of knowledge and research.
b. Learn to learn. Develop skills, abilities, habits, attitudes and values that allow you to acquire or create study and learning methods, procedures and techniques so that you can select and process information efficiently, understand the structure and meaning of knowledge so that you can discuss it, negotiate and apply. Learning to learn is a tool that allows the adult to continue learning throughout life.
c. To learn to do. In this way you can develop your abilities to innovate, create strategies, means and tools that give you the possibility to combine theoretical and practical knowledge with socio-cultural behavior, develop skills for group work, the ability to take initiative and take risks..
d. Learn to be. That we can compare with the know-how that is based on the development of physical, intellectual, affective and social integrity; taking into account the relationships it establishes with the entire environment; both labor and in society; and ethics of the subject as an adult, as a worker, as a member of a family, as a student, as a citizen.
6. As a result of research efforts to create a discipline particularly dedicated to adult education, there is a revival of active learning methods, both formal and informal.
Taking advantage of the particularities that characterize the adult subject, his way of learning, etc; The use of the project method, also called the problem method, is recommended and expanded. It is conceived as "a plan of activities designed for educational purposes, according to a work schedule, to be developed in real conditions, in tangible and concrete socio-labor and cultural contexts"
The idea of the project method is associated with practice, innovation and flexible, open forms of organization, mainly oriented to solving specific problems.
The learning project is distinguished by the following aspects.
to. Relationship with the surrounding world. The learning is done taking into account problem situations in the physical and social environment of the formand.
b. Relationship with the interests of those who learn. It must be related to the particular interests of the students.
c. Orientation towards product development. Product in the broad sense of the word that contributes to improving the physical and social environment; because learning and action are integrated.
d. Interdisciplinary work. Since the problems that arise can be multi-causal, a single scientific discussion is not enough to solve them; so they need to use various subjects to approach the situation from different points of view.
and. Social relationship. Unlike learning in the workplace itself, in learning projects the social relationship of learning in the cooperative approach, in the distribution of work, in the interpretation and assessment of the product with other activities that are carried out is noted. in interaction with groups.
F. Multidimensional relationship of learning purposes. In the project-based learning situation, learning ends are pursued in various dimensions that are mutually supportive: knowing and power, thinking and acting, perceiving and deciding, remembering and producing.
g. Possibility of generalizing. Learning projects are instruction; they organize didactic situations and life situations; so that the adult prepares and learns for action.
The design of any training device must start from the proposal of objectives that respond to real learning needs.
Notwithstanding the great diversity of approaches that adult education receives, it is necessary to adjust to the national conditions and the policies that are developed so that the training of adults, and in the case that concerns us, managers; play a role that increasingly contributes to the economic, political and socio-cultural development of the country.
It is not by skipping stages and applying outdated idioms and models that higher levels of learning, growth and development will be achieved. It is necessary to think about pertinent ways of teaching in concrete social, political and economic contexts.
Andragogy offers us a flexible alternative to apply its principles and achieve teaching-learning methods in correspondence with current and future needs.
When designing a training device we must take into account the laws of andragogy that Calderón (1998) states:
• Exercise: It is remembered with greater clarity and for a longer period of time what has been repeated and exercised, especially linked to the solution of a practical activity, since this increases the level of motivation of people. Therefore, the methods selected to execute the study programs must ensure the active participation of the students. There is research that shows that it is memorized: 90% of what is done, 70% of what is spoken, 50% of what is seen and heard, 30% of what is seen, 20% of what is heard and 10% of what is read.
• Effect: The experiences associated with satisfactory results are better understood and memorized than those associated with failure. It is not better learned if the incapacity of the individuals is constantly demonstrated. That is why the objectives must be formulated according to the possibilities of achieving them and that allow them to manifest potentialities and develop capacities.
• Primacy: Because the first experience produces a stronger and more indelible impression than the subsequent ones, it is important to approach the contents from that angle. This law originates from the maxim that it is easier to teach than to erase what has been learned.
• Intensity: All learning must be associated with experiences that cause an emotional impact since they teach more. Routine, monotonous experiences cause interest to wane and learning to be hampered.
• Usefulness: The knowledge learned and the skills developed are better remembered and consolidated if they are associated with the activities that the students will later carry out during the exercise of their profession.
Taking the ideas of Kraft (1995), let us also remember that:
to. Adults commit to learning when methods and goals are considered realistic and important and are perceived to be of immediate use.
b. Adult learning always has a personal implication that leads to development, self-concept, concern, judgment, self-efficacy.
c. Adults want to have autonomy and be the origin of their own learning, that is, they want to be involved in the selection of objectives, content, activities and evaluations.
d. Adults are reluctant to learn in situations that they believe question their competence or are imposed.
and. Adults' motivation to learn is internal; what can be done is to encourage and create the conditions that promote what already exists in adults.
F. Adult learning is fostered through behaviors and training activities that demonstrate respect, trust and concern for the learner.
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