Abstract
Of the many factors affecting our lives today, the ever-changing landscape of education is at the forefront. Learning is a complex behavior which involves cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. While pedagogy is the art and science of teaching children, andragogy is the art and science of teaching adults. The term pedagogy came into use in the seventh century. It wasn't until the 19th and 20th centuries that what we know as traditional learning theories—behaviorism, humanism, cognitivism, social cognitivism, and constructivism—were recognized. They were derived from the investigative tools of theorists—Pavlov, Skinner, Piaget, Freud, Maslow, Rogers, and Thorndike—to understand the nature of learning. In 1970, Malcolm Knowles promoted andragogy as a model of assumption that serves as a basis for an emergent theory. Today, the way of differentiating adult learners from children learners is through the process of andragogy.
TopLeadership Competencies
Among the basic concepts used in adult learning are the eight competencies of leadership: intellect and judgement, personal preferences, self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, relationship-management, self-determination and personal conscience (Merriam & Bierema 2014). These eight competencies of leadership are further broken into four categories; Rational Intelligence Spiritual Intelligence, Personal Intelligence, and Emotional Intelligence. The journey to excellence in leadership is organized and continual beginning with intellect and judgement/logic and progresses to personal conscience, which demonstrates understanding inner confidence, self-assessment, and self-awareness. This journey is never the same for any two individuals, it is a journey of personal development and growth. The essence of leadership is initiated by insights of individuals finding their own solutions (Merriam & Bierema 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: Intrinsic is performing an activity for its own sake rather than from the desire for some external reward. The behavior itself is its own reward. In extrinsic motivation, people engage in behavior because you expect to get something in return or avoid something unpleasant.
Innovative: New, original, creative ideas.
Learning Environments: Physical locations, contexts, and cultures in which learning occurs.
Autonomy: The ability to make one’s own decisions.
Leadership Competencies: Skills and behaviors which contribute to superior performance.
Traditional Learning: In a classroom setting where a moderator regulates the flow of learning.
Outcomes: The end results, the way things turn out.
Self-Awareness: Consciousness of one’s own thoughts, feelings, and being.