Developing critical thinking through peer learning
The current Erasmus+ project "MIND: Critical Theory in Adult Education Practice" (2023-1-LT01-KA220-ADU-000153426) aims to fill in this gap and foster critical thinking approach in non-formal adult education by strengthening the professional capacities of adult educators and empowering diverse groups of adult learners to apply and cultivate critical thinking in various spheres of personal, community, professional and social life.
The partnership from Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Croatia has united their “know how” and has implemented innovative peer learning combined with mutual learning approach. First, it was learning from diverse experiences – at individual and organizational levels. Second, learning from diverse professional contexts and sectors. Third, learning from diverse educational systems, policies and cultures. Learning happens during the whole project period seeking to achieve project aim and objectives, and provide evidence-based answers to the following questions: What is CT in adult education? What is its value for an individual, an organization, a community and society? How can it be specifically developed and applied in different situations and contexts?
CT is a prerequisite for understanding past and present events and modelling the future. CT requires the knowledge of CT, skills, attitudes and the employment of all of them in action. The project tries to combine all these elements. It puts knowledge at the service of skills and attitudes, and the latter at the service of practical action. In this way, it is possible to contribute to the development of an adult person (educator and learner) as a critical being. An adult who is capable to participate meaningfully in a democratic life, to nurture common values and be critically engaged in social life carrying on personal and organizational responsibility and making a meaningful contribution to their own well-being as well as that of others.
Adult learners need to be able to navigate in a changing world, to critically analyze, select and evaluate local and global phenomena, and to foster a healthy and critical relationship with themselves and others. All this is especially important nowadays, considering the political context. The adult need for CT abilities is also evidenced by daily publications in the media and on social networks: adults are often the victims of their own ignorance, misunderstanding, deception, and the pervasive opinions of others. Thus, adults should not be left to educate themselves on this issue.
The solution offered by the project is mutual and peer-to-peer teaching and learning activities, which consolidate the previous project results. These activities use ‘cascade’ teaching-learning approach, where people learn together and from each other. The ‘Training of Trainers’ activity has been featured in the article “Developing critical thinking skills: learning and teaching’ (https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/content/developing-critical-thinking-skills-learning-and-teaching).
The way those activities are shaped and planned directly contribute to the competence development of adult educators and learners, and with most possible impact, as they are promoting mutual and peer learning, which is flexible, open, non-formal, encouraging, inviting, and friendly.
Those activities also promoted inclusiveness, as at least 25% of the involved learners, belong to vulnerable groups, such as: from geographically distant, rural areas, especially those living close to Russian and Belarusian borders (Latvia, Lithuania), low-income adult learners, unemployed people, national minorities, seniors, Ukrainian refugees and adults returning to education. This allows promoting common community values as in many cases such people are socially excluded.
Adult learners passing/sharing their CT skills among each other and fostering peer-to-peer learning
‘Learner2Learner’ training can indeed be described rather informal than non-formal sharing of knowledge and impressions about your participation in training. Each adult learner who has participated in the training has found at least one colleague/ friend with whom to share the information and knowledge about CT and to communicate the results of that sharing in writing to their trainer. Those impressions were collected by project partners and shared among wider adult education audience.
Profile of the target group (adult learners)
Across the project partners, the adult learners represented a very diverse group of participants, including school teachers, adult educators, library and museum educators, vocational teachers, seniors, working relatives, young adults. In Latvia, for example, ‘Learner2Learner’ activities were held in the area near Russia, which is not as economically developed as other regions of Latvia. All participants live and work with persons living in an area near Russia, and can be considered a vulnerable group. Another group of learners were the Ukrainian refugees for whom the critical thinking competence is of utmost importance.
This work by Latvian Adult Education Association is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
The benefits of the peer-to-peer learning
Summarizing the project partners' findings on the benefit of the peer-to-peer learning, based on the reflections of the trainers and participants, it can be said that:
Peer learning is not a novelty in the project partner countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Croatia) in general, but for many participants it was still a new experience, a new learning method.
A different nature of examining critical thinking: not in the context of fake news (this is most often the case), but through the prism of the community, the individual, which is less often thought about.
Evocation to the topic; demonstration of critical thinking as a possibility of doubt, of questioning oneself.
The method of text analysis to deepen understanding.
Materials help to strengthen self-confidence and develop personal growth, which is essential in both professional and private life.
Development of teamwork skills, which is useful in both professional and everyday life, promoting cooperation and conflict resolution.
This work by Education Development Center is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
The benefits are well seen in the feedback provided by the participants. Thus, they admit that it was an interesting peer learning experience; it allowed discovering that art can also become a model and object of critical thinking. Some participants noted that CT training forced me to step out of my comfort zone, I realized that CT needs to be learned and it needs to become a habit;
I was surprised that critical thinking helps not only to solve problems, but also to gain self-confidence and become more independent; valuable time together and for myself.
There were also participants who stated that the learning was not easy, because it critical thinking is a skill, not only knowledge and appreciated that there was time to think critically about my life. Time for reflection.
The use of various methods, from role-playing, discussions and text analysis to reflective and creative tasks, allowed the learners not only to understand critical thinking theoretically, but also to apply it in practice.
This work by Lithuanian Association of Adult Education is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
The challenges of the peer-to-peer learning
Although the ‘Learner2Learner’ training was successful, there were also some challenges. The project offered the possibility to implement this activity either in the face-to-face or in the on-line format. The experience shows that the biggest challenge was time in the broadest sense: time coordination between peer participants (finding the learning time appropriate for both participants); the duration of online learning sessions (too little time for one topic) and the duration of peer learning (took longer than planned).
Regardless of the participants’ country, many of them stated that the challenge was not only to think critically, but to think in general (and not be guided by emotions) as well as to get out of "automatic" thinking - to stop and think consciously about why I think this way and not another way. Some participants also admitted that they lacked basic knowledge about critical thinking.
Conclusions about peer-to-peer learning
The development of critical thinking often arises not from theoretical lectures, but from the dialogue, group discussions, and practical tasks.
The moment of raising the interest and awakening to the topic of critical thinking and its individual parts is very important.
Face-to-face learning is more effective than online learning.
More information about the project
The project's Facebook account: MIND critical theory in adult education practice
The project "Critical theory in adult education practice: Empowerment for critical actions" (MIND, No. 2023-1-LT01-KA220-ADU-000153426 ) is partly funded by the European Union (Erasmus+ program), but the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the European Union or of the institutions and bodies acting on its behalf. Neither the institutions and bodies of the European Union nor any person acting on their behalf can be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Author Sandra Kalniņa, Education Development Center (Latvia)
