Abstract
Educational leadership requires more than designing a plan of action and persuading others to adopt the vision. Educational leadership is about encouraging others to be a part of the solutions that persist in innovative ways. Utilizing feedback communication with stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, administrators, community, policy makers) improves initiatives and legal compliance implementation, which is a value-added to organizational excellence. Principled leadership fosters transparency in daily interactions. Educational leadership requires that one consistently communicates the vision to those above and below. Educational leadership must be diligent in both stating visions clearly and following up with written documentation. Evaluation allows others the capability to follow through with graduate programming vision. Working collaboratively with other leaders includes collaborating in the envisioning process. In this way, others feel connected to the process and the solution.
TopIntroduction
When providing innovative instruction to adults, a myriad of strategies must be employed to consider adult learners' needs. Adult educators or trainers must provide methods to strengthen academic education and professional development for adults in the context of IEP. According to Housel (2019), adult instructional classrooms inadequately address adult learners' acute needs in educational and professional training and development programs of adults. For instance, in a qualitative study, Housel (2019) determined predominant premises materialized concerning formalized educational constraints, lack of cognitive ability, and social status considerations. As a result, adult learners' needs contextualization within the scope of Knowles’ (2005) andragogy, which posits how adults learn differently from children.
Andragogy and Intentional Education Practice in Higher Education
Fundamentally, the practice of andragogy and how educators apply andragogy in adult learning practice was initially introduced by Knowles (1984), which promulgated andragogy as a learning theory that described the needs of adult learners unequivocally. The ideas of andragogy are unique to instructional methods of learning in adolescence. Further, there is an accentuation on adult learners as being self-directed in their learning. Additionally, adults are progressively well-suited to assume responsibility for their learning and choices throughout the learning process, given accountability standards in adulthood. Moreover, Merriam et al. (2006) recommended in a theoretical study that adult education instructors reflect upon and accommodate adults' particular needs to meet learners where they are. The particular attributes of andragogy indicate learners exemplify self-directedness and share past experiences in the classroom. Advanced is the notion that formative accomplishment in their professions occurs in adult learners. They can immediately apply theory to practice and are more willing to embrace instructional methods leading to learning communities as they find commonality with their peers.
Further, Brookfield (1984), in a seminal study, indicated that process-task behavior and relationship behavior between students and instructors are essential aspects of adult education. For instance, instructors must be adaptable, and learners must be willing to learn. Additionally, as learners advance through phases of self-reflection, instructors become guides in the learning process. At the collegiate level, regardless of the age (traditional: 18-24 vs. nontraditional: 25 and above) of a learner, task focus is based upon increasing the learner's aptitude; therefore, the instructor must focus on the learner's phase of self-direction (low, moderate, intermediate, high), which enables the learner to progress towards greater levels of knowledge. Likewise, instructor style and learner style create a complex dynamic developing over the course and becomes symbiotic as long as the instructor and learner have mutual respect, communication channels are open, and the learner is self-motivated. Of course, the instructor-learner relationship's success contains many variables, and a simple explanation does not provide the expanse of probable scenarios experienced in classroom settings. Last, learning-preference assessments can help guide the instructor and learner, so learning materials and methods are adapted to optimize learning and instruction. Finally, Knowles (1984) purported andragogy is the paramount theory of how adults learn differently from youth. Knowles (1984) specified six assumptions underlying andragogy: self-concept, experience, readiness to learn depends on need, problem-centered focus, internal motivation, and adults need to know why they need to know information.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Organizational Performance: An operational approach to improve the utilization of knowledge-based frameworks (i.e., organizational member's collaboration, T-shaped skills (traits that make employees valuable), learning, and IT-support).
Continuous Improvement Initiatives: Linking continuous improvement measures and utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodology, root cause analysis, corrective action methods, and data tracking methods improve productivity, quality controls, and increased customer satisfaction in education.
Andragogy: Knowles (1984) specified six assumptions underlying andragogy: self-concept, experience, readiness to learn depending on need, problem-centered focus, internal motivation, and adults need to know why they need to know information.