2016 Annual Conference

Using student learning outcome assessment data, what impacts adult education graduate students the most on the topic of social issues? In this session, topics will include themes addressed in student portfolios concerning social justice, students’ reactions to social justice education, and their future action plans.

The target audience includes adult educators who address social justice curriculum, social foundations, culture, or cultural competencies and facilitate dialogue around such issues, including: professors in higher education who teach social foundations of adult education; diversity and cross-cultural trainers; practitioners in human resource development; and military educators. This session would also interest persons involved with program learning outcomes and assessment.

Research has demonstrated there is a relationship between beliefs and practices. Educators’ beliefs will impact and influence what they decide is important in practice. Social justice education facilitates the development of culturally responsive educators. Therefore, do graduate students as they progress through an adult education masters degree program grasp social justice theories and make connections between topics concerning social justice, culturally responsive teaching, and social issues affecting adult education programs? Social justice teaching is a difficult journey that involves reflective self-awareness. Prior to graduation, students in this degree program complete reflection papers as a part of a final portfolio addressing their understanding of and impact of social issues within adult education. Over 100 student portfolio reflection papers addressing this outcome were reviewed to reveal students’ knowledge of the topics/theories, reactions to social justice education, and action plans for their future practice.