Adult Learning for Transformation: Educating for Justice

This course will examine historical and contemporary models of non-formal adult education (NFE) in order to analyze the educational foundations and pedagogical principles of this education and to suggest how it might contribute to transformative learning. Non-formal education, also known as popular education, describes organized educational activities that occur outside of formal educational structures and in fact, challenges teacher-centered learning in favour of active participation of the learners. Adopted by many faith communities to transmit faith or develop justice-seeking relationshps, NFE continues to be an important part of faith communities and agencies that work for justice. The pedagogy of NFE has depended on such theories as experiential learning models (David Kolb); adult learning principles (Malcolm Knowles); constructivism; the social dimension of learning (Vygotsky); conscientization (Freire); dialogue education (Vella); transformative learning (Mezirow, Cranston). Popular education, whether in the Civil Rights movement or in various Canadian settings such as the Antigonish Movement, the animation socio-culturelle in Quebec, Catalyst and the Doris Marshall Institute, Grindstone Island or Frontier College in Ontario, has shaped our current practices in adult education and in turn helped shape critical pedagogy in formal education (Giroux).