Adult learners are considered to be self-directed, but learners of all ages need other people to reach their full potential. In spring 2021 the Sivis Study Centre studied non-formal adult education activities for sustainable development in eight Finnish voluntary organisations. We discovered that when it comes to adopting the principles of sustainability, and the subsequent lifestyle changes and the search for solutions to wicked problems like climate change, learners’ peers, families and other people have a vital role. Peer learning is particularly important: learners can make sense together of, for instance, what they have learned at a course. A peer group can offer support in achieving change and dealing with emotions such as climate anxiety, which are often neglected in learning. The training activities offered by voluntary organisations are shorter than before and focused on conveying facts; we should ask what kind of learning follows. By supporting peer learning during and after our educational activities, as educators we also foster transformative learning and Bildung and enable collective action for a sustainable future. We say that Bildung requires individual autonomy – perhaps paradoxically in this quest we need each other.
Our research report can be downloaded in Finnish here.
The report was published by the Sivis Study Centre and its project on sustainable Bildung for the voluntary sector. The project is funded by the Bildung+ programme at Sitra.Read more about the programme here.
