Experiential learning and the pedagogy of interrogation in the education of adults

In the lengthy debate which puts in opposition pedagogy and andragogy, the adult is defined according to his ability to use his gained experience. In this study, we start from the idea that the experiential learning and the pedagogy of the interrogation should be privileged as learning models for the adult age. From this perspective, we propose different reading grills of the experiential learning cycle (based on the model of D. Kolb and on the model of P. Jarvis) in order to outline to what degree the learning at adult age aims at the building of knowledge versus giving meaning to the daily experience. Also, we outline ways of going from the pedagogy of answer to the pedagogy of interrogation, the only one capable of making critical reflection permanent at adult age. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd.