An Insight into the Orientation to Adult Learning of Medical Facilitators/Educators: An Institutional Study

Abstract

Dilutpal Sharma*, Sandeep Bhattacharya, Rakesh Dewan, Shalini Bhalla and Mousumi Sharma

Background: The term andragogy is defined as the art and science of helping adults learn. Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching children. The approach or orientation to teaching can be pedagogical or andragogical. Educators in various settings utilize the assumptions of andragogy, which are learner’s need to know self-concept of the learner, prior experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning and motivation to learn, in their educational efforts either fully or in part.

Aim and objective: To determine and compare the orientation to adult learning of facilitators/educators of a Medical University in India in teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Materials and methods: The personal adult learning style inventory is used to assess the understanding of orientation to teaching of facilitators. The study population consists of facilitators who are both undergraduate and postgraduate teachers in the Faculty of Medical Sciences (179 in total) of the University. Psychometric analysis is performed from the data collected viathis questionnaire/inventory.

Observations and Results: Both pedagogical and andragogical orientations to teaching are found in teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the facilitators of the Medical University. An increasing trend towards andragogical orientation is observed from phase I (score 99.2/150) through phase II (score 102.1/150) to phase III (score 115.5/150) in teachings of undergraduate students of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course. The andragogical orientation to teaching is well observed in postgraduate teachings (score 124/150).

Conclusion: Facilitators of the university are well oriented with the principles of andragogy when it comes to facilitating postgraduate students. However, in case of undergraduate teaching, the facilitators have to adopt both the approaches, more pedagogical approach in phase I and an increasing trend towards the andragogical orientation is observed across the phases of undergraduate MBBS course in India.