Opportunities for Non-formal Development Education in Britain and Spain

Abstract

This article reports the findings of comparative research on non-formal development education. Development education is defined as learning about international development issues with a social justice perspective through critical analysis of the structures that frame global interactions. This was an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded doctoral study exploring the opportunities for non-formal development education, i.e. learning provided outside formal and qualification bearing education, run by small non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in two European countries: Britain and Spain. At a time of increasing globalisation and interdependence, it is essential to reflect on how people make ethical decisions and how they develop the consciousness and understanding necessary to resolve problems both as citizens and consumers. Through a cross-case analysis of opportunities for adult development education, we explore the wide-ranging opportunities available in these two contexts and examine the possibilities for transformative learning provided by these organisations. There is a discussion of the way NGOs frame development and the pedagogies they associate with their work, followed by key findings and implications for practice, drawing on what the NGOs in each country could learn from the other.

Keywords

• Non-formal Education
• Critical Education
• Development Education
• Transformative Learning
• NGOs