Malcolm KnowlesAugust, 1913 – November, 1997

The Early Influences• Father and Mother

• Teachers • Miss Utely – 4th grade, recognized Malcolm’s academic ability

• Mr. Sargeant – Principle promoted self-concept

• Miss Anderson – High school English teacher

• Boy Scouts• Scout-master – leadership and ambition

• Experiences at Harvard• Edward R. Murrow interview for student delegate scholarship

Malcolm Knowles believed that people are naturally curious and the task of education is to help learners realize their “need to know.”

Learning needs to be relevant and experiential so that the learner will connect with the content and it will last.

The challenge for educators is to remove barriers to learning motivation such as negative self-concept, inaccessibility of opportunities, & time constraints

Although his field of study was Adult Education, Knowles’ theories apply to all learners, regardless of age.