Evaluating the Relevance of Learner Identity for Educators and Adult Learners Post-COVID-19

Oct 15, 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a major disruption to education and intensified entrenched inequalities across and within societies. In response, the paper argues that learning must move beyond imparting curriculum content toward enabling learners to “learn how to learn” and to understand what it means to become and be a learner. “Learner Identity” is treated as an emergent construct connected to learning how to learn. The paper evaluates its relevance for educators and adult learners in a post-COVID-19 context.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

COVID-19 impacts on education and adult learning

Adult and community education foundations

21st century learning and competency-based models

Learning "how to learn" and learner identity

Evaluating the Relevance of Learner Identity for Educators and Adult Learners Post-COVID-19 suzanne parkinson, fiona brennan, seán gleasure, and eoghan linehan Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented impact on our world. Ina short period of time, it has exposed deep and entrenched inequalities between and within societies and has prompted a radical rethink of the purpose and function of education. It is clearly no longer sufficient to impart learners with mere curricular knowledge. It is imperative that learners learn ‘how to learn’ and understand the process of becoming and being a learner. ‘Learner Identity’ is an emergent construct linked to learning ‘how to learn’. This paper interrogates the relevance of learner identity for educators and for adult learners in a post-COVID-19 world. Keywords: Learner Identity, Learning ‘How to Learn’, 21st Century Learning, Core Competencies, Adult Learners Introduction An overwhelming majority of the world’s enrolled learners experienced the temporary closing of educational facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic (Viner et al., 2020). Approximately 200 countries closed schools with over 90% of learners, ranging from early years through to higher education, facing some sort of disruption to their education (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 2020) . The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably caught education systems and learners off guard and in a short space of time exposed gaps, inequalities and limitations in developing preparedness among learners for times of pandemics and emergencies. Teacher-led learning became obsolete overnight and key questions were asked about the ‘what’,‘how’ and‘where’ of learning (Zhao, 2020). The questions arising have resonated within adult and community education contexts for sometime. Must all learners follow a predetermined curriculum about which they have no voice? Can’t learners be provided with opportunities to pursue their own interests and needs? Can’t learners be allowed to design their own learning? With educational systems worldwide transitioning from face-to-face teaching to online instruction, the issue of ‘how’ learners learn best emerged as a controversial talking point. Limitations of traditional ways of teaching, where learners are the recipients of what teachers teach exposed vulnerable, ill-equipped learners in an online world where teachers were not available to teach. Key attributes in learning were missing for students including learner agency, learner autonomy, selfregulation, responsibility and ownership of learning. The issue of ‘where’learning takes place also entered the debate. In pandemic-times, learning can no longer be defined by what happens in a classroom or a homework space. Learning can take place anywhere and the need to acknowledge the multifaceted opportunities that may contribute to a learner’s journey in becoming lifelong learners were debated (Zhao, 2020) . Adult and community education initiatives have long acknowledged the limitations of traditional educational systems. Embodied within the principles of adult and community education is the need to place learners atthe centre of learning experiences, starting with the lived experience of the participant and locating learning in daily family and social lives. Teaching methodologies in adult and community learning programmes advocate for (DES, 2012) approaches that foster self-directed learning, critical thinking and‘learning to learn’ skills. Teaching approaches are directed towards facilitating individuals to manage their own learning. Thus, many of the issues raised during the pandemic have already been debated within the context of adult and community education and indeed have also been debated throughout the first two decades of this century within the context of 21st century learning. The term‘21st century learning’ is widely used as an umbrella term for the proposed re-conceptualisation of the goals and

FAQs

Why does the paper argue that education should focus on “learning how to learn” after COVID-19?

The paper links pandemic-era disruption to gaps in preparedness and limitations of teacher-led, traditional approaches. It contends that learners need skills and understanding that support becoming and staying effective learners, not just curriculum knowledge.

How is “Learner Identity” connected to learning “how to learn”?

“Learner Identity” is presented as an emergent construct that is linked to the process of learning “how to learn.” It is defined as the process of becoming and being a learner in ways that support learning.

What limitations of traditional teaching are highlighted in the introduction for online learning contexts?

The text argues that teacher-led learning became obsolete quickly and that key learning attributes were missing online, including learner agency, autonomy, self-regulation, responsibility, and ownership of learning.

Oct 15, 2026

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