Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
Andragogy presently finds itself in the crossfire of criticism from
different directions and angles. Some critics perceive Andragogy
• as a discipline founded on assumptions without the necessary empirical base, while others ridicule its lack of theoretical foundation. The underlying reason for the overall dissentment among critics can be ascribed to the absence of a well founded conceptualisation of Andragogy as a scientific construct. Should Andragogy be clarified both theoretically and conceptually, and redefined in terms of its purpose and objectives, much of the criticism would be stifled.
In order to provide a frame of reference within which Andragogy could be evaluated, it was found necessary to inquire about and
examine the nature and characteristics of such scientific constructs as typologies, models, theories and paradigms. Besides
doing that, theories of learning receive attention in order to get
a background and overview of the theoretical roots of Andragogy.
Another important aspect which needs attention, is a thorough investigation of Andragogy as phenomenon.