Provoking Reflection: A Photovoice Exploration of Non-traditional Adult Learners’ Experiences in Higher Education

Non-traditional adult learners are different from the typical traditional learner (age 18-22) as they typically are employees rather than students who work. According to Chen (2017) these learners make up the majority of students in higher education classrooms. As a result, adult learners pursuing postgraduate studies will need support in understanding themselves as learners and how to succeed. With this in mind, this study seeks to ascertain the following: 1) the distinctive characteristics of adult learners in higher education in the Caribbean context; 2) pedagogic approaches lecturers utilise with them; 3) the challenges they face in pursuing postgraduate studies in higher education; and 4) the role, if any gender plays in their experiences. Using photovoice as a participatory action research method, a team of researchers and a group of their postgraduate students seeks to explore the experiences of adult learners pursuing postgraduate studies in a higher education institution in Jamaica. Qualitative data will be collected through photographed representations of prompts regarding the examined issue of adult learners in higher education in the Caribbean. Participants and researchers’ co-analysis of the images and reflections on the meanings attached to images will be used to share findings. This presentation seeks to share the findings to provide an understanding of the experiences of adult learners in higher education in a Caribbean context. Additionally, the presentation will highlight reactions of the researchers to the use of photovoice as a research method as a means of sharing lessons learnt. References Chen, J.C. (2017). Nontraditional Adult Learners: The Neglected Diversity in Postsecondary Education. Sage Open, 1-12. DOI: 10.1177/2158244017697161. Retrieved from journals.sagepub.com/home/sg