Kolb's Andragogy Model Of Teaching

Pedagogy is viewed as the dominant method of teaching in Europe and America. It is defined in Oxford dictionaries as the method and practice of teaching, especially in young children .This model of teaching places the learner as being dependant on the teacher, the learner comes to the activity with little experience to be utilised. (Tumulty,2017). Andragogy is defined as the method and practice of teaching adult learners: adult education. In this model of teaching the learner is responsible for their own learning, they have a diversity of quality experiences and the learners are a resource for each other. Malcolm Knowles introduced Andragogy in 1968, he concluded that adult learners have different needs to children, that they learn if comfortable

( Mobbs,2017) However, to be an effective learner you should also develop the ability to learn in other styles too. Kolb’s learning model is the most popular in use (Tumulty,2017). However, the learning styles of Kolb, Honey and Mumford ignore the differences in learning in different cultures.

Effective training methods Culturally Responsive Teaching is an educational theory that recognizes the importance of including students ' cultural references in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings,1994). One reason acknowledging cultural differences among students is the idea that learning involves transfer of information from prior knowledge and experiences. To assist in this transfer process, it is important to acknowledge the students’ background, and to validate and incorporate their previous knowledge into the process of acquiring new information.(Lynch,2016) If learning objectives are to be reached, there needs to be different approaches to training where participants

Firstly by defining ethnic groups and culture and exploring the difficulties experienced by people within these groups when accessing education and training in Ireland. Learning theories and styles that are popular and successful methods of learning in Ireland were then reviewed. The final part of this essay discussed the need for tutors to be aware of the importance of including student’s cultural references in all aspects of learning. Many teaching aids are outdated with the diverse society we now live in not represented. Working with cultural and ethnic diversity in training in Ireland has many challenges, from students past learning history experiences being different to the Irish methods used, to difficulties experienced by language and cultural barriers. Trainers need to understand the different types of learning preferences and the cultural differences in learners; they need to be prepared to adapt course material to the preferred learning methods of the students and to reflect student’s differences. Recognition of cultural differences provides a positive base for learning. The educational benefits of a diverse learning environment are numerous, there is value in diversity. Learners are introduced to more issues and perspectives, knowledge and skills. We learn from people who have different experiences, beliefs and perspectives to our own. Cultural and