In defence of andragogy.

This paper supports the continued use of the term andragogy in Project 2000 nurse education programmes. It is argued that the theory of andragogy, and its supporting philosophy, methods, and research, are consistent with both the means and ends of contemporary nurse education. Some of the recent pressure felt in relation to use of alternative terms, such as critical pedagogy, are linked to wider socio-political influences and it is argued that it is essentially a sign of the times that andragogy has now come under threat. The call, from some, for a return to pedagogy is also seen as an attempt to reassert an increased degree of control over the student by those educationalists. This article is also a response to the article by Philip Darbyshire (1993) which questions the viability and relevance of the term andragogy.