Andragogical Tendencies of Excellent Extension Educators

Extension agents frequently teach adult audiences, who require a different approach than youth audiences. Andragogy has been frequently used to frame research in Extension. However, it is not clear if Extension professionals apply andragogical principles in practice when teaching programs. We used Knowles’ theory of andragogy and the Personal Adult Learning Style Inventory to investigate the andragogical tendencies of Extension agents who were nominated as exceptional teachers in State. Our study results suggest that the agents viewed as exceptional teachers in State embrace an andragogical philosophy when it does not conflict with their understanding of their job responsibilities.