Introduction
The practical value of equity, diversity, power, and meaning in adult education is an inseparable part of constructing a welcoming and influential learning situation. Equity guarantees the same chances for everybody to succeed in education, regardless of their background, while diversity views human differences as a source of richness (Ainscow, 2020). Teachers’ empowerment gives them the ability to act independently, improve their skills, and encourage better relationships among the members of the educational community, as a result, they find satisfaction in their professional duties. This research paper attempts to find out how adult educators get empowered and fulfilled in the midst of the process of promoting equity and diversity. Through the identification of the aspects of empowerment employed by educators and the role of equity and diversity in adult education settings, the research hopes to uncover the insights that can be used to improve practices and policies. The purpose of this research is to make a contribution to a deeper understanding of the processes of empowerment and fulfilment in adult education, ultimately striving towards the creation of more inclusive and empowering learning environments for all learners.
The OECD, in their 2008 policy brief, described equity in education as a measure of educational equality, fairness, and achievement (as cited in Ainscow, 2020). The OECD pinpointed inclusiveness and fairness as the two most indispensable elements of this concept. The provision of universal education, enabling the people to participate and gain equal benefits, means the distribution of equal time, financial resources, and attention. For the purpose of bringing the imbalance to equality and achieving similar outcomes, equity may mean unequal distribution of time, effort and resources. The principle of educational equity includes but is not limited to making sure that racial or ethnic groups of students that tend to be overrepresented in the highest and lowest performing categories in the achievement categories are offered the same opportunities and resources as every other student, striving to enhance the academic performance of all students while eliminating the disparities between the best and worst academic performers, and ensuring that all students have the same access to resources and opportunities (Ainscow, 2020). The expansion of diverse backgrounds and cultures in classrooms is causing a noticeable impact in schools. The rise in diversity carries numerous ramifications. Hence, it is imperative for policymakers and educators to promptly address this matter. Providing an enriched educational experience that is equitable and inclusive is the key to creating a level playing ground that ensures every student is treated fairly in his or her future endeavors. Presently, we have a very unfair society in which students from different levels of academic achievement, well-being, and future employment opportunities are not equal.
The multifaceted concept of empowerment among adult educators encompasses three key aspects: autonomy, competence, and relatedness in work or as a professional, in particular. Consequently, Kozleski and Proffitt (2020) propose that educators should be granted more freedom in designing lesson plans teaching methods and being engaged in their professional development. The teaching approaches with autonomy upfront also provide an opportunity for the teachers to change their instruction styles so that they can better communicate and connect with different learners. Besides the others, competence is another important aspect of empowerment, which is the confidence and proficiency displayed by educationists when it comes to delivering instructional content, evaluating their students’ progress and adaptation to classroom situations. Teachers stand to benefit from a continuous professional training program that emphasizes pedagogical knowledge and the integration of technology and cultural competency, which ultimately leads to higher self-esteem and competence as professionals (Kozleski & Proffitt, 2020). Relatedness means the relationships developed with the other members of the educational institution, for example, admins, students, as well as co-workers. Empowerment of teachers results in positive relationships based on trust, collaboration, and mutual support, which are the ultimate outcomes. These relationships are proof of the teacher’s feeling of belongingness and togetherness in making one (Fuentes et al., 2021).
The role of adult education practitioners is influenced by some of the factors, among them the support by the institutions, professional growth opportunities, and collaboration. The institutions that allow educators more autonomy through involvement in decision-making processes and provision for professional growth can serve as a way to build a climate of empowerment. The professional development programs that focus on building personal skills and coping with the professional demands of educators are the opportunity for them to become more competent and do their job better. On the other hand, the creation of collaborative learning communities would help establish an environment that is both supportive and fosters autonomy and shared problem-solving. In these communities, educators can be involved in the cooperation, mentorship, and transmission of knowledge. Educators are motivated to persist and grow in their profession when their achievements are acknowledged and celebrated, thus strengthening their sense of belonging and contribution to the educational system. The adult educators’ effectiveness can be significantly improved by applying policies that address the range of learning environments and the students’ varied backgrounds. Participants and organizations have the ability to apply many strategies, such as creating participatory learning communities, recognizing teacher achievements, giving attention to culturally responsive teaching practices, and offering professional development opportunities. Institutions can strengthen their skills of being able to meet the needs of adult learners by creating an environment where adult educators will be encouraged to take charge of their own professional development, improve their instructional methods and build a network of professionals within their field (Cochran-Smith & Keefe, 2022). Consequently, adult learners will have wider and higher educational possibilities.
Recent global research shows an inclination towards a broad-based training of educators that will enable them to deliver in an inclusive setting in adult education (Campbell, 2021). This evolution is not limited to the traditional idea of adjusting the school system to meet the needs of students with special needs. Rather, it includes the consideration of complex social issues which encompass, among others, migration, language diversity and intergenerational poverty. Therefore, there has been an increase in demand for the reform of teacher education programs in the field of adult education. These reforms are centred on the mission to produce a curriculum that embraces all types of learning styles and the strategies for addressing the concerns of educational equity and access. In response, teacher educators are at the forefront of multiple initiatives to establish definitions of inclusive teaching practices, which are applicable in an adult learning context and incorporate the diverse abilities and backgrounds of adult learners (Killam et al., 2023). This emphasizing inclusive education is another step towards the goal of promoting professional empowerment and fulfilment within adult education. The successful implementation of these initiatives will be realized by empowering teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to interact with students from different backgrounds. Subsequently, this will create an inclusive learning environment where the learners and the educators can grow. This is why it is important because in the past the programs that were targeted and specialized have been used to solve the problems among the marginalized communities. Sims & Fletcher-Wood (2021) affirm that teacher education programs should not focus on diversity issues when student diversity is seen as a distinct subject. Therefore, teacher education initiatives aiming to promote inclusive education perceive the importance of providing teachers with adequate training to work effectively with students coming from different backgrounds.
However, the fact remains that a considerable number of teachers still find it puzzling or even hard to identify the most suitable teaching method that may work for varied learning styles of learners. Beyond this, teacher preparation programs world over are usually faced with the problem of being considered ineffective in meeting the expectations of educators in terms of efficiently interacting with learners of different cultural backgrounds (Min et al., 2022). Although research does not yet show a clear picture of the impact of teacher education on classroom practice, the current studies into inclusive education in the classroom have demonstrated that inclusive pedagogy is not an elective specialization but should be regarded as a very important part of all teachers’ training (McNair et al., 2021). Thus, the circumstances impose innovative ways of training teachers and the allocation of resources for the purpose of professional development to the extent to when teachers will be able to provide the highest quality inclusive education to students coming from different backgrounds. Nonetheless, there is an ongoing discussion on the exact criteria of inclusive and high-quality education especially at the different levels.
Student and teacher equity is a reciprocal process: when teachers have no problems with understanding their students’ strong points and weak points, they are able to better fit their lesson plans and methods to those needs and help their students achieve their maximal potential. Moreover, it is important to bring the social and cultural contexts, as well as the teacher’s identity, to the educational experience. The goals of such initiatives should be to develop students’ academic skills, create classrooms where every student feels included, help teachers develop professionally, and support their students to conquer all the challenges they may face (Carter et al., 2019). Educators who embrace asset-based pedagogy in the sphere of education use students’ cultural treasure, and they teach according to students’ natural learning way. The teaching process of students can be greatly facilitated when the teachers can cooperate with one another based on their shared perceptions and plan jointly to preserve the students’ cultural heritage and enhance their potential. PLCs can, therefore, improve their teaching strategies and develop more engaging lessons with their students when they collaborate around these common aims. As Voelkel and Chrispeels (2017) put it, the professional learning community (PLC) and the collective efficacy of teachers can enhance the academic achievement of students.
Research has demonstrated that professional development through professional learning communities (PLC) can be very effective for educators’ professional growth, and it can also have positive effects on the development of students (Tam, 2015). Based on current research, professional learning communities (PLCs) are advantageous for teacher professional development when they possess the following attributes: an objective that the group is working on together and the emphasis on student learning; the group’s collective focus on the outcome and the reflective conversation; collaboration and group participation; structure that guides the team’s practice; the trust between them and the leadership; the support from stakeholders; and the objective and the personal backgrounds, experiences, and objectives of each member (Kozleski, 2020). In an ideal situation, PLCs are those that actively contemplate and incorporate the participants’ identities and the work context in the product being made. Moreover, equity-based community planning provides an opportunity for educators to address the real concerns concerning the exclusion of historically and traditionally oppressed youth within schooling, as well as deficit perspectives. Not only that, but teachers are also competent in handling inquiries that are based on real-life classroom experiences. In a context of education, PLCs present an opportunity for professionals to explore their own research and theory to support their attempts of improving students’ learning and results. This professional development model is about educators who have active self-reflection of their social positions and how such positions affect how they interact with students and their methods of teaching in the classroom. The use of PLCs as a vehicle for equity will enable improving teacher collective efficacy while keeping a student-centered approach.
Conclusion
The present study accentuates the significance of equity and diversity in adult learning as an imperative pillar of education for all that fosters inclusive and empowering learning communities. equity in access to education and the recognition of different backgrounds are imperative for the creation of a diverse educational experience. Besides that, the process of empowering educators through autonomy, competence and relatedness is also a crucial component in the improvement of the efficacy of adult education. Professional development processes can be sustained and supported by conducive institutional structures, which in turn will enable teachers to see the unique needs of their students, and strive to promote mutual growth. Through the application of inclusive pedagogies combined with the fostering of collaborative learning communities, which were discussed earlier, equity and diversity are furthered. Stakeholders should seek to champion for a continuous endeavor in transforming adult education to cater to the various needs of the learners, making sure that all individuals of any background have a fair chance in their education.
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