Browsing by Author "Spooner, Vivienne Susan."

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Exploring adult learning in a bible study home group : a case study.
(2012) Spooner, Vivienne Susan.; John, Vaughn Mitchell.
Home Group Bible Studies, Fellowship Groups, or Home Cells, to name a few, provide an opportunity for worshipping Christians to meet on a frequent basis for varied reasons but most often to study and learn from the Bible. The existing adult education literature on this international and local practice is scant. This dissertation explores a case of nonformal learning by adults in a Johannesburg-based Methodist home group bible study. The theoretical lenses used to explore the learning of six adults are Lave and Wenger’s (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) Community of Practice theory, and Dirkx (Dirkx, 2000, 2001; Dirkx, Mezirow, & Cranton, 2006), English (English, 2000; English & Gillen, 2000) and Tisdell’s (Tisdell, 1999, 2008) Holistic Learning theories. Dirkx’s (2001) theory of holistic learning is situated as a critique of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning theory. The research is conducted in the interpretive paradigm. Case study methodology is used to richly describe the learning and change in three couples within a home group bible study in the context of the home church and Methodism more generally. Data collection methods include observations of home group bible study sessions, semi-structured interviews, programme notes from the bible study programme followed, and journals written by five of the six participants. The analysis of the data takes as its point of departure the voices of the participants, and the description and history of the home group. This study provides opportunity to theorise the learning and changes experienced by the members of this nonformal adult education enterprise, and to contribute to existing literature. Whilst the bible study home group as a whole and the case study participants in particular foreground their learning as rational, cognitive and academic, this study reveals the multidimensionality of their learning. The most significant learning in action is situated within the affective learning domain. Extrarational ways of knowing, intuition and feelings exist in their own right and lead to holistic learning.
Exploring nonformal adult learning in a business school leadership programme: a case study of the nexus programme.
(2018) Spooner, Vivienne Susan.; John, Vaughn Mitchell.
This study examined how participants in a business school nonformal leadership programme, Nexus, learn. The nature of learning as reported by Nexus participants and programme managers was explored, as well as how participation on Nexus impacted the leadership practices and broader lives of programme participants. Nexus is a programme in which there is no curriculum nor are there marks awarded for assignments. There is no examination or portfolio of evidence as assurance of learning. Participants are awarded a certificate of attendance at the conclusion of the eight month long programme. There is minimal theorising of this particular form of adult learning, especially within a post-apartheid and fractured South African context, and within a business school environment. The impact of this type of learning has also not been theorised. Using transformative learning theory, and drawing on leadership literature, the study links how this transformative learning experience can lead to re-humanising leadership. It also examines the length, breadth and depth of transformative learning outcomes. This case study of the Nexus programme collected data from focus groups and semi-structured interviews with past Nexus participants, semi-structured interviews with the programme managers of Nexus, extensive document analysis and observations of two Nexus events. Using an inductive data analysis approach in this qualitative research, the nature of learning showed that philosophically there is a need to acknowledge such learning takes time and requires multiple viewpoints, but that the structure and processes of learning must create a safe space to explore the contested socio-historical context of post-apartheid South Africa. In contrast with learning in formal settings, participants reported a sense of being ‘forced to’ learn about themselves and others. Data were also deductively coded using transformative learning theory. The impact of learning through participation in Nexus speaks to the many ways in which boundaries are broken down and blockages are removed. A 4 P Model of learning (Prescribed process, Participation, Profound transformative learning, and Praxis) is proposed.