Hopes and Worries in Learning to Grow Together: Key Praxiological Lessons for the Adult Educator

Oct 15, 2026

This paper examines one adult educator’s engagement with Freire’s praxis through teaching horticulture. It argues that critical dialogue and reflexive action form an ongoing journey of unlearning and hope for both learners and educators. The study links humanising education to wider socio-ecological concerns, suggesting implications beyond individual adults and highlighting connections to food security, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

The Context – One Horticulture LTI Programme in Cork City

Hopes and Worries in Learning to Grow Together: Key Praxiological Lessons for the Adult Educator

Learner Struggles

Hopes and Worries in Learning to Grow Together: Key Praxiological Lessons for the Adult Educator finola mccarthy, stephen o’brien Abstract This paper examines the experiences of one adult educator’s engagement with Freire’s praxis through teaching horticulture. The principal belief of the paper is that engaging in critical dialogue and reflexive action is an evolving journey of unlearning and hope for both learners and educators. The paper suggests that trusting in Freire’s humanising education has implications beyond individual adult learners to encompass larger socio-ecological issues of our time. Keywords: Freire, Praxis, Humanising Education, Horticulture, Sustainability Introduction This practice paper explores one adult educator’s ‘laborious’ journey – so-called because the educator is continually tasked with working with one’s ‘self’ and‘others’ – on a specially designed Horticulture Local Training Initiative (LTI) programme in Cork City (see below) . A number of qualitative observations, self-reflections and critical incidents are drawn upon to make ‘sense and sensibility’ (O’Brien, 2016) of how it is we learn to ‘grow together’ with our learners on this programme. We describe the adult education experience more in terms of engaging in ‘re-connection’ than in ‘inclusion’ and we demonstrate transformative learning as hopeful and worrisome, uneven and uncertain. Key praxiological lessons are highlighted for the adult educator which help us to understand how we can work together within the system while also strategically critiquing it and seeking to make it better. Finally, we hope to demonstrate how Freire’s concept of praxis is particularly close to the ecological themes of this adult education programme – that while such links may be worrisome at the outset, they may also provide hope for local and global communities looking to build capacity and resilience in the face of such issues as food security, biodiversity loss and climate change. The Context – One Horticulture LTI Programme in Cork City The Horticulture LTI is a full-time community training course located on the grounds of Ardfoyle Convent in Ballintemple, a suburb of Cork City. It is funded by the Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) and sponsored by The Bessborough Centre. The programme offers a QQI Level 4 Major Award in Horticulture and, while most work towards this goal, there is space for learners to partake in the learning without completing all of the modules necessary to attain the major award. An average of 10 to 14 learners attain their awards each year. Learners from the ages of 18 to 62 have completed the programme and there is on average an 80% male cohort each year. The learners’ literacy levels are widely varied-learners who left school at primary level learn alongside graduates. The learners are predominantly long-term unemployed and can be battling with poor mental health, drug/alcohol misuse, trauma, low self-esteem and/or poverty. Within the definition of an LTI there is space to create highly individualised, learner-responsive and community-based programmes. Programme design is grounded in the principles of community development, with a focus on project-based and experiential learning. On the Horticulture LTI programme individual learner plans are designed; some learners can engage in integrated literacy work, while others can work towards additional Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) qualifications. The small size of the class means that learners and staff can partake in consensus decision-making as much as possible and feedback can continually be requested and acted upon. Consequently, the course is constantly evolving to facilitate a more learner-informed curriculum design. Teachers regularly communicate regarding learners’ concerns, interestsand abilities and the curriculum is constantly developed in order to fully integrate the social and therapeutic benefits of horticulture and promote learner wellbeing. This curr

FAQs

How does the paper connect Freire’s praxis to adult horticulture education?

It frames praxis through critical dialogue and reflexive action enacted in horticulture teaching, positioning growth as an evolving journey for both learners and educators.

What is the Horticulture LTI programme context in Cork City?

The programme is a full-time community training course, funded by Cork Education and Training Board and sponsored by The Bessborough Centre, providing a QQI Level 4 Major Award in Horticulture with flexible participation for learners.

What kinds of challenges do learners face in the programme?

The paper describes learners with varied literacy levels and many experiencing long-term unemployment alongside difficulties such as poor mental health, substance misuse, trauma, low self-esteem, and/or poverty.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Chumphorn