A great deal of attention is paid to pedagogy, or the study of education and how to best teach. While some theories of pedagogy may spill over into training and development, of greater importance to organizations and training and development professionals is andragogy, or the theory and practice of educating adults. While pedagogy argues learners depend on the instructor for directing them on what to learn, andragogy posits that adults are self-directed but guided by instructors.

Adult learners are instrumental in their own learning process. They are more proactive in doing the work needed to facilitate learning, and they drive the learning process based on what they believe they need to succeed on the job. Lastly, under pedagogy, teachers assess whether or not the students learn what they are expected to. Adult learners engage in self-evaluation, committing to work continuously until they master what they need to learn.

The workplace includes primarily adults, so adult learning must be at the center of training and development activities. Adult learners are driven by intrinsic motivators to achieve autonomy, mastery, and purpose, and are more likely to be active participants, rather than passive participants, in learning. Technological advances have created opportunities for different ways of learning that are self-determined by the learner to understand, create, and apply knowledge and skills.

Learning entails not only addressing how to solve an existing problem, but also adapting beliefs and actions the learning experience. Self-reflection enables the learner to apply competencies to solve both familiar and unfamiliar problems. Self-determined and self-directed learning should not be limited to exempt employees and those who exhibit high potential for advancement.