Abstract
In an earlier study, a diverse sample of teachers who taught both adults and pre-adults reported specific differences in how they taught younger and older students. Using the same data base, the present inquiry sought to determine if these differences exhibited a conceptually meaningful underlying structure and, if so, whether or not this structure was similar for school teachers and college instructors. Principal components analysis yielded two orthogonal factors labelled "responsiveness" and "control." The factor structure was similar for school teachers and their college-level counterparts, although discipline was less salient for the latter group. The results resemble the teacher-centered and learner-centered factors identified by prior researchers as well as Knowles's concepts of andragogy and pedagogy. The analysis provided qualified support for the earlier study's conclusion that teachers tend to emphasize learner-centered or responsive behaviors when teaching adults. Future research needs to examine variables other than adult/pre-adult age status that may influence the extent to which teachers of adults engage in responsive as opposed to controlling behavior.
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