Participatory Learning in Formal Adult Education Contexts

Formal courses in adult education are most often housed within schools or faculties that include other disciplines such as teacher education, psychology, or training and development. Adult educators teaching these courses may feel obligated to follow the procedures and practices of the institution as well as of the programs with which they are associated. This creates a set of paradoxes and conflicts that are rarely addressed. Adult educators working in formal contexts teach about critical pedagogy and democratic practices without engaging in those practices themselves. This article advocates a participatory learning model based on the historical foundations of adult education theory and practice. The authors explore teaching as a subversive activity, hegemony, critical pedagogy, and power relations. The authors then discuss implications for practice in formal contexts. DOI: 10.4018/javet.2012010101 2 International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology, 3(1), 1-12, January-March 2012 Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Education, particularly adult education, is about learning and teaching where all the social, economical, political, and psychological challenges are countered with love, hope, and knowledge. The key for countering these challenges, however, is collective action in which students and educator take an active role in all aspects of their journey of learning. Even though there are no “how to” types of prescription, there is an historical umbrella called participatory teaching and learning. It is our intention in this paper to advocate a model of participatory learning for formal courses in adult education. Teaching critical pedagogy without engaging in those practices is contradictory and hypocritical. How can we teach ideology critique without critiquing the status quo (for example, lesson planning and grading policies) and engaging in some counter-hegemonic acts (participatory strategies)? When we do this, we are reinforcing the existing reality and feeding hegemony. We base the model of participatory learning on the historical foundations of adult education theory and practice. We discuss teaching as a subversive activity, hegemony, critical pedagogy, and power relations. We then explore implications for practice in formal contexts.