Psychology and Andragogy to Help an Adult Person

Psychology and andragogy to help an adult person Psychology as the science of the laws of development and functioning of the psyche, and as the science of the psychological interaction of human beings with surrounding components of the environment, focuses on understanding psychological processes, states, traits and their manifestation in activity, behaviour and conduct. The functioning of the psyche is determined by the whole complex system that is the human being. The bodily, social and spiritual aspects of individual life determine the psyche of a specific person. And conversely, all components influence one another. The psychological approach is based on emphasising phenomena at the level of individual, personality-based investigation. (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006.)

Andragogy is the science of the upbringing and education of the adult person. Education of the adult person, taking into account the level of psychological and social maturity and life experiences, is understood primarily as social and emotional influence on adults. The significance of small groups for the development and growth of individual people who learn in groups is also emphasised. Psychological qualities can be understood, observed and developed during the educational and instructional process throughout the entire life of an individual. In education, the psychological distinctiveness of adults who are in a specific developmental stage of their personality is emphasized, and individual particularities related to learning are equally important.

We understand andragogy as the science of ways to prepare people to understand, accept, adopt and realise their own life developmental and self-developing (developmental) tasks. The andragogue-educator of adults, or adult educator, should actively learn in their professional preparation how to motivate, activate, lead and manage people in fulfilling their life developmental tasks (i.e., clusters of related tasks for individual stages and phases of development). (M.Machalová, 2004,2006.)

The relevance of psychological preparation of andragogues is clearer if we take as the main task of andragogy the examination and conceptualization of ways to help an adult person cope with changes in their life. Some psychologists claim that the process of adult education can be considered synonymous with other forms of psychological intervention.

Knowledge from psychology is applied in educational practice through the conceptual, managerial, instructional, counselling and social activities of andragogues. Precisely andragogical counselling is likely to continue expanding into the entire field of adult education. Psychological knowledge is presented to adult learners by adult educators. Even if their expertise lies outside psychology, they always act psychologically—that is, through their personality.

The aim of psychological preparation of adult educators and likewise adult learners was included in the following processes (M. Machalová, 2001, 2004, 2006):

• The process of developing self-understanding of adult educators and adult learners (through knowledge and experiences in the educational process).
• The process of personality formation of adult educators and adult learners (through activation and participation in the educational process).
• The process of developing sensitivity and attentiveness to one’s own person and expanding self-awareness among adult educators and adult learners.
• The process of motivation and action aimed at the optimal self-realisation of adult educators and adult learners.
• The process of developing psychological culture of the personality of adult educators and adult learners.
• The process of connecting and creating synergy between teaching adults and adult learning (adult educators and adult learners), in terms of personality needs, socialization needs, life plans, goals and value orientation of the personalities involved.

Psychology of the adult person in the process of education

Psychological knowledge is part of the educational process already at the stage of attracting people to education. By attraction we mean not only the decision to attend an educational event, but also the willingness and desire to stay in and complete a specific educational event. In the context of lifelong learning this is a personality’s readiness for repeated “entries” into the educational process, that is, the readiness to engage in permanent learning with concrete goals and outcomes throughout life. (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006.)

Motivation of individuals to engage in permanent learning is influenced by their prior learning experiences, especially at lower levels of education. If these experiences are predominantly negative, it is likely that an adult person’s decision-making will be influenced by psychological barriers. This can significantly affect both the decision to participate in an educational event and persistence in education.

What do adults fear? (M. Machalová, 2001, 2004, 2006):

• They have low self-esteem because of failure in their education and learning in childhood and youth.
• They fear the new situation, such as a group of unknown people, the lecturer, or the venue of the event.
• They fear the difficulty and demands of the educational event, including the amount and complexity of information.
• They fear a possible negative attitude toward them, criticism, suppression of autonomy, denigration, rejection of their opinions and expressions, and lack of respect for their personal way of knowing and learning.

Adult educators have the duty to respect that the adult person is, or is moving toward, independence and autonomy. To date, the adult person has accumulated many varied experiences, from which they draw and by which they can enrich other members of the learning group as well. An adult person is motivated when they can link what they already know and have learned to handling new tasks. They need to apply their knowledge and skills, and their competencies, in solving new tasks and problems.

In adult education it is desirable to consider the specifics of adult psychology (M. Tennant, 1988):

• Adults are able to think through and regulate their own behaviour in relation to educational activities; they are therefore not merely pawns in a play of various environmental influences and stimuli.
• Adults should be viewed in their social context, that is, in interaction with other people.
• Adults are able to perceive themselves and more or less assess how they can function in an educational situation.
• Adults are prepared to change their knowledge and behaviour regarding their education if they expect to be personally effective, that is, that their expectations of success will be met. This convinces them that they are capable of successfully realising the education they need to achieve a particular goal.
• Adults expect their educational expectations and outcomes to be met and assume that the knowledge they gain will be useful for their life.

We agree with M. Tennant. Our long-standing experience in many and very diverse groups of adult education in Slovakia and abroad supports our conviction in the truth of these statements. We also attach to them a summary of the psychological foundations of adult education, which adult educators should keep in very high consideration (M. Machalová 2004, 2006). It is important to realize that the first priority in adult education is:

• The personality of the adult person, who thinks, feels and acts. (Personality system.)
• Knowledge of how the adult person learns, the style of their knowing and learning. (Cognitive subsystem of personality.)
• Knowledge of the adult person’s subjective prerequisites for learning effectively. (Ability and overall capacity to learn. - Performance subsystem of personality.)
• Knowledge of motivation to learn and to be educated in the adult person. (Motivational subsystem of personality.)
• Knowledge of the social circumstances of the adult person’s learning and education. (The social environment of the person.)

In our work on adult education, or work on andragogy, that is, education and instruction of adults (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014 and others), we give great attention to the biodromal approach in adult education. This is because the knowledge of biodromal psychology, without dispute, belongs to the foundations of adult education. Characteristics of psychological development in individual life stages and in life transitional periods, including characteristics of life developmental and developmental tasks, are essentially connected with the meaning of adult education, with concrete goals, contents and methods of adult education. If we do not know a person’s life course and do not respect the unique personal history of adult participants in education, we will likely be at a loss in assessing their possibilities and limitations in achieving the desired outcomes and in respecting their psychological performance. Education rises or falls on adults’ abilities to learn, on their psychological performance, and on the integrated ability of the adult person to learn and to be educated. (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2014 and others.)

For this reason, adult education is primarily focused on the personality of participants in education, not on processes, methods and the assessment of adults in the educational process (i.e., in the educational—here, andragogical—process).

The education group is a model of a social and psychological microenvironment and provides irreplaceable stimuli for adult learners. The group has a motivational effect (adults’ striving to present themselves, as well as competition within the group), an activating effect (cooperation and group learning within the group), a socialising effect (acquiring or changing social patterns of behaviour within the group), and an effect on self-knowledge and self-esteem (feedback during education between learners and educators mutually).

Counselling activity is also part of adult education. As an expert and specialized, at the same time institutionalized, activity it has become established also due to the multiplicity and variety of stimuli, choice possibilities and the difficulties people face when making decisions under conditions of “information overload” and the rapid and permanent changes in contemporary life conditions.

Within the system of andragogical practice, according to us (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006, 2013, 2014), andragogical counselling can be applied in these areas:

• In the area of adult professional life (andragogical counselling in the intersection with vocational counselling - concerning the choice, retention and change of occupation and employment).
• In the area of social conditions and life situations of adults (andragogical counselling in the intersection with social counselling and social work, educational social counselling and educational social work).
• In the area of cultural and interest-based activity of adults (andragogical counselling in the intersection with cultural-educational work).

Psychological knowledge about the adult person should be taken into account in counselling activity in any of the above-mentioned life areas of adults. Preference for a particular type of psychological knowledge depends on the specific content and type of activities that are dominant for adult life domains.

In counselling focused on people, interdisciplinary collaboration is always present. If we consider andragogical counselling, many findings, procedures and approaches of psychological counselling are used within it, but the object of counselling activity differs. For andragogy, counselling is dominated by activity focused on the adult person in the process of their education and upbringing. Andragogues act as counsellors for questions related to the education and upbringing of adults. They help adult clients orient themselves, make decisions, deal optimally with situations and conditions, plan their activities and formulate goals in the areas of professional development, social life and self-development. At the centre of andragogues’ professional attention are events and activities of further education, lifelong learning, and areas of professional, social and interest-based adult education. (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006.)

Andragogical counselling is advisory guidance (direction) of people so that they decide to educate themselves, stay in the educational process, learn how to learn throughout life, and be capable of applying the results of their education—knowledge, skills and competencies—in important areas of their life and in lifelong professional and social development. (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006.)

Psychological counselling is counselling support aimed at solving a person’s psychological problems. It is based on the conviction that the best therapy for the client is deep human understanding of the client and an effective therapeutic relationship between client and psychotherapist. In psychological counselling, psychological help is provided to the client focused on personal problems related to life tasks, adaptation, socialisation and personalisation of the person. (M. Machalová, 2010.)

In both andragogical counselling and psychological counselling, counselling action is aimed at the whole person who, in the process of life development and growth, must master specific developmental and growth tasks for every life period. The main goal of counselling is to guide people toward meaningful life and toward human health, in the sense of “good living.” (M. Machalová, 2010.)

A priority of counselling in andragogy is to lead people toward orientation in their own personal situation together with possibilities, needs, circumstances and conditions of their education (or andragogical education). Andragogical counselling is carried out in the following ways:

• Individual counselling through the counsellor–client relationship.
• Group counselling through counselling activities focused on the group and through direct counselling guidance of group members.
• Mass counselling through counselling activities focused on larger groups—communities—via intermediary persons, mass media, surveys, and also direct counselling guidance of community members.

Andragogues fulfil the role of advisers, consultants and socio-therapists in solving problems of adults related to their educational, professional and social areas of life. In andragogical counselling, educational means are used, that is, means of educational and upbringing influence. In counselling, people are guided to overcome barriers in their education, including informational, situational, institutional and psychological barriers. This counselling also supports personal, social, economic and educational motivation of adult people toward lifelong learning and lifelong adult learning. (M. Machalová, 2004, 2006.)

Author: Prof. PhDr. Mária Machalová, CSc. References

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