Evelin Tamm

Ettekanne Eesti paadipõgenikest, kes 1944 aasta sügisel Rootsi jõudsid. Esitatud 30. 10.2014 Kuressaares peetud ajalookonverentsil "1944. aasta jäljed Saaremaal". Paralleelselt konvrentsiga avasime ka minu ja Mai Raud-Pähni koostatud samanimelise näituse.

An abstract

Contemporary adult educators emphasise the importance of the learners in the process of learning (Jarvis, Holford, Griffin 2001). The information age has changed the role of the educators and the learner centred approaches have become dominant. Self-directed learning as a subject of research has been on the fore front for educational theorists starting from the 1960s (Hiemstra 1994; Jarvis, Holford, Griffin 2001).

Research shows that self-directed learner is more the aim than the starting point of adult education (Cranton 1994; Merriam 2004; Taylor 1997). Educator’s role is to facilitate the learner in the process of becoming critical, reflective and emancipated (Jarvis, Holford, Griffin 2001; Mezirow 2000).

Research in adult education outlines that there are differences in the participation in the lifelong learning between the groups of learners: some groups are excluded of the learning and for many the education provided is not motivating (Bhatti 2006; Preece 2001).

Muted groups are in many cases out of the focus of the provision of learning opportunities although should be on the contrary in the very centre of the interest of adult educators. One of the main issues of the adult educators of today is therefore the question of:
How to listen to the multiple voices of adult learners in order to understand their individual learning needs?

This paper aims at introducing my experience in implementing the voice-centred approach as a qualitative research method in the adult education (also look at the works of Balan 2005; Doucet & Mauthner 2001; Kiegelmann 2000; Woodcock 2005) to other practitioners and researchers. “The voice-centred relational method represents an attempt to translate relational ontology into methodology and into concrete methods of data analysis by exploring individual narrative accounts in terms of their relationships to the people around them and their relationships to the broader social, structural and cultural contexts within which they live. “ (Doucet & Mauthner 2001,5)

Using the voice listening approach I analysed the discourse of the adult learners to find out the supportive factors of transformative learning in the workplace. I conducted in depth interviews with 17 women working in the second biggest bank in Estonia. Using Listening Guide 4 steps (Gilligan 2003, after Kiegelmann 2000) the data was analysed accordingly.

The analyse shows that the working life has transformative influence on the working women and that most of the transformative learning takes place hidden of the formal training activities during informal social interaction and networking.

Based on the research I describe some of the activities to support the women in transformative learning processes at their workplaces and reflect on my experience in using the voice-centred relational method.

References
Baer, J. (1998). Muted Group Theory by Cheris Kramarae. [2008, January 2]. http://www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourses/Papers/App_Papers/Baer.htm
Balan, B. N. (2005). Multiple Voices and Methods: Listening to Women Who Are in Workplace Transition. [2006, March 22]. http://www.ualberta.ca/iiqm/backissues/4_4/PDF/BALAN.PDF.
Bhatti, G. (2006) Social justice and non-traditional participants in higher education: a tale of “border crossing”, instrumentalism and drift, in Vincent, C. (Ed.), Social Justice, Education and Identity, London: Routledge.
Cranton, P. (1994) Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning. A Guide for Educators of Adults. San-Francisco. Josey-Bass.
Doucet, A. & Mauthner, N. (2001) Voice, reflexivity, and relationships in qualitative data analysis: Background paper for a workshop on "Voice in Qualitative Data Analysis. Data analysis: A neglected area?" , [2008, January 2], http://www.coe.uga.edu/quig/doucet_mauthner.html
Merriam, S. B. (2004). The Role of Cognitive Development in Mezirow's Transformational Learning Theory, [2006, February 22] , http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=14744892 .
Hiemstra, R. (1994) Self-directed learning. In T. Husen & T. N. Postlethwaite (Eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Education (second edition), Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Jarvis, P.; Holford, J.; Griffin, C. (2001) The Theory and Practice of Learning, London: Kogan Page.
Kiegelmann, M. (2000) Qualitative-Psychological Research Using the Voice-Approach. [2006, March 22]. http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/2-00/2-00kiegelmann-e.htm.
Mezirow, J. (2000) Learning to Think Like an Adult: Core Concepts of Transformation Theory. In Learning as Transformation. Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. Ed.Mezirow, J. and Associates. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.
Preece, J. (2001) Implications for including the socially excluded in the learning age. Jarvis, P. (ed.), The age of learning: education and knowledge society. London: Kogan Page.
Taylor, E. W. (1997) Building upon the Theoretical Debate: A Critical Review of the Empirical Studies of Mezirow`s Transformative Learning Theory, [2006, January 15], http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&an=EJ555009.
Woodcock, C. (2005) The Silenced Voice in Literacy: Listening beyond Words to a “Struggling” Adolescent Girl, Journal of Authentic Learning, Volume II, Number 1, September 2005.

Even though we talk about education as a path to human freedom, the everyday realities of our children do not meet up the rhetoric. In this article I take a closer look at human condition in the modern society and our ways to teach our children. How to be free and learn in closed educational institutions? This is the main question I ask in this article. In addition to critics I also provide an example of how to do it differently. I write about play and its meaning to human development.

If you would like to read the article in English, let me know and I will translate it.

Education is much more than the teacher-led rationally planned activities. In this critical article I write about chance, intuition and creativity as something that every teachers can embrace instead of pretending as if it is not there. How to change your educational practices according to the changes that happen in the society?

I am currently thinking of translating some of my articles to English. If you are interested about the topics of this article, let me know so I have more motivation.