Author/s: Catherine Jenkins
Edition: Volume 51, Special edition, December 2011
Summary: Adult educators have strong beliefs. This will surprise no-one, but where do their beliefs come from, and how do they influence future development of their teaching practice? Drawing on my PhD research, I explore the multi-directional relationship between teaching beliefs and practices, considering the influence of past traditions of adult education and personal philosophies of teaching.
Through interviews, journaling and a focus group, ten practitioners from Melbourne’s Centre for Adult Education explored the sticky questions of how their philosophies developed and how these
philosophies interconnect with more recent notions of good practice Some research suggests that teaching practice is fundamentally shaped by beliefs that are stable and resistant to change, yet these practitioners revealed a dynamic, multi-directional relationship between teaching beliefs and practices. They were influenced by their own past experiences of learning and some of the broad traditions of adult education, yet arguably of greater interest was .
Keywords: teaching, beliefs, practices, CAE, experiences
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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 51_4_Special Edition. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.