Coming to Grips with Complexity in the Formation of Reflective Practitioners

Authors

  • Griff Foley University of Technology, Sydney

Abstract

This article discusses an approach to the professional education of adult educators, developed in a number of undergraduate and post-graduate courses, at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. The approach aims to help adult educators both to analyze the complexities of their work and to devise ways of acting that are both effective and congruent with their values. The article begins by describing this teaching approach. Through an examination of student writing and course evaluations an attempt is then made to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching approach. It is then argued that particular literatures in adult education and associated fields of study contribute to the emergence of the sort of critical thinking about their work that the courses aim to elicit in students. The article concludes by noting that changes in the political economy make it increasingly difficult to teach in the way described here.

Résumé

Dans cet article, l'auteur examine une approche à la formation des éducateurs d'adultes élaborée dans le cadre de cours3 de premier et deuxième cycles à la University of Technology de Sydney, en Australie. Suivant cette approche, les andragogues sont convies a sepencher sur la nature complexe de leur metier, ainsi qu'à explorer des moyens d'action qui soient à la fois efficaces et congruents avec leurs valeurs personnelles. L'approche d'enseignement est d'abord décrite. Puis, les travaux des étudiants, de même que leurs évaluations de la qualité de l'enseignement, sont analysés dans le but de déterminer le bien-fondé de l'approche. Il semble que certains écrits en éducation des adultes et dans des domaines connexes favorisent chez les étudiants l'émergence d'une réflexion critique du type visé par le programme. On conclut cependant qu'en raison de changements récents dans l'économie politique, ce type d'enseignement devient de plus en plus difficile à mettre en pratique.

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Published

1995-11-01

How to Cite

Foley, G. (1995). Coming to Grips with Complexity in the Formation of Reflective Practitioners. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 9(2), 55–70. Retrieved from https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/index.php/cjsae/article/view/2089

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (1995)

Section

Perspectives

License

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