Teaching is a learning experience - Exploring Faculty Engagement with Low-Income Adult Learners in a College-Community Partnership Program

Oct 15, 2026

This article examines interview data with college faculty teaching in an urban college-community partnership program for low-income adult students. The study aims to understand how faculty interpret diverse learner needs and how they evaluate the effectiveness of teaching practices related to course design and delivery. Findings emphasize teaching as a negotiated, mutual-learning relationship that supports engaging and empowering classroom environments. The work informs educators seeking social-justice-informed course design to improve post-secondary pathways for adults from low-income communities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages28

Reading Time1 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Barriers to post-secondary access for low-income adult learners

Social justice approach and faculty teaching practices

Study purpose and research gap

“Teaching is a learning experience”: Exploring Faculty Engagement with Low-Income Adult Learners in a College-Community Partnership Program Alan Bourke Mohawk College James Vanderveken Mohawk College Emily Ecker Mohawk College Hayley Bell Mohawk College Kimberly Richie McMaster University Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l’éducation 43:2 (2020)©2020 Canadian Society for the Study of Education/ Société canadienne pour l’étude de l’éducation [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Abstract This article examines interview data with faculty teaching in a college-community partnership program for low-income adult students in an urban setting. The purpose of the study was to explore faculty understandings ofthe diverse learning needs of their students and the perceptions they have of the efficacy of their teaching practices regarding course design and delivery. Findings highlight the central dynamic of teaching asa negotiated relationship and process of mutual learning between faculty and students, and the means by which faculty work to create engaging and empowering classroom environments. Our research is relevant to educators interested in designing and delivering courses from a social justice perspective in order to encourage adults from low-income communities to pursue a post-secondary pathway. Keywords: post-secondary access, adult learners, low-income student engagement, social justice education Résumé Le présent article examine des données d’entrevues réalisées avec le corps professoral dans le cadre d’un programme de partenariat collège-communauté à l’intention d’étudiants adultes à faible revenu en milieu urbain. L’étude avait pour but d’explorer la façon dont le corps professoral comprend les divers besoins en apprentissage de ses étudiants et la façon dont il perçoit l’efficacité de ses pratiques d’enseignement en ce qui a trait à la conception et à l’offre des cours. Les résultats font ressortir la dynamique centrale de l’enseignementen tant que relation négociée et comme processus d’apprentissage mutuel entre le corps professoral et les étudiants, et les moyens par lesquels le corps professoral s’emploie à créer des environnements de salle de classe captivants et stimulants. Notre recherche s’avère pertinente pour les éducateurs qui souhaitent concevoir et offrir des cours dans une perspective de justice sociale afin d’encourager les adultes issus des communautés à faible revenu à poursuivre des études postsecondaires. Mots-clés : accès aux études postsecondaires, apprenants adultes, faible revenu, engagement des étudiants, éducation à la justice sociale Canadian Journal of Education /Revue canadienne del’éducation 43:2 (2020) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank four anonymous reviewers, and the community access and engagement team at Mohawk College, for their input in shaping and strengthening the article. A special thanks to the faculty members who shared their experiences with us. This research was supported by funding through SSHRC’s Community College Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) . Canadian Journal of Education /Revue canadienne del’éducation 43:2 (2020) [www.cje-rce.ca](www.cje-rce.ca) Introduction Low-income adult learners in Canadian communities face a wide range of financial and non-financial barriers regarding accessibility to a post-secondary education. Such barriers include socio-economic challenges, unemployment, low rates of educational attainment, feelings of social exclusion, immigrant status, and factors related to ethnic or racial identity (Abada et al., 2009; Lange et al., 2015; McMullen, 2011; Mueller, 2008; Prins & Schafft, 2009) . In addition to financial assistance, initiatives designed to increase the accessibility of a post-secondary education for such populations typically include credit-based transition courses and the provision of various forms of wrap-around support such as academic upgrading ser

FAQs

What is the article’s main focus regarding low-income adult learners?

The article explores faculty engagement with low-income adult learners in a college-community partnership program, emphasizing faculty understandings of learner needs and teaching effectiveness.

Why does the study emphasize a social justice perspective in course design and delivery?

It argues that post-secondary accessibility initiatives must be designed and delivered through a social justice perspective to engage more effectively with low-income individuals’ specific needs.

How does the program support learners in progressing to further post-secondary study?

Faculty deliver tuition-free for-credit courses in neighbourhood-based learning hubs intended to facilitate students’ progress toward additional post-secondary programs.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Danger Angel