VietTESOL International Convention 2026

This study reports on Phase 1 of a study on university EFL lecturers’ andragogical competency at one tertiary ELT institution in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. ‘Andragogy’ emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Europe to focus on methodologies in teaching adult learners. The concept was later expanded and has become a foundational framework in adult education, workplace training, higher education, and continuous professional development (Henschke, 2021; Fogelberg, 2024; Clair, 2024).

The results drawn from the self-assessment questionnaire based on an andragogical competency and ASEAN University Network (AUN) Quality Assurance (QA) Outcome-based Education framework, show that the Cambodian EFL lecturers at the institute (n=42) have demonstrated great andragogical competency in aspects such as attitude that furthers students’ learning (m=4.57), specific approaches (m=4.23), subject knowledge and lifelong learning (m=4.40), knowledge about how students learn (m=4.24), knowledge about teaching and assessment (m=4.29), educational goals and organization (m=4.26), holistic view of education (m=4.10), applying teaching skills (m=4.42), continuous improvement and development (m=4.15), leadership and organizational ability (4.09), and AUN-QA Outcome-based Education (m=4.30). The study also reveals that the lecturers’ challenges in teaching at the institute were at the moderate level (m=2.90). The lecturers’ most serious challenge was the students’ diverse backgrounds and varying willingness to share (m=3.76), followed by their struggle to balance learners’ diverse responsibilities (i.e., work, family, and study) with course demands (m=3.28).

The implication of this study is that the institute’s continuous professional development and program improvement toward regional recognition have strengthened the lecturers’ andragogical competency. The authors argue that lecturers’ implementation of andragogy in teaching adult learners warrants a more in-depth study, preferably through qualitative case studies employing multiple data collection methods.