“It is not Working for Them but with Them”: Adult Educators Roles With Community Groups in Transforming Communities

Abstract

This paper reflects on Freire’s discourse on liberating education and adult educators’ educational roles with community groups in transforming communities. Mineral-rich communities in Ghana are in danger of losing water bodies, rich arable lands, and forest vegetation cover through “galamsey,” which refers to the gathering of rich mineral resources illegally for sale. Yet the fourth Industrial Revolution Age positions adult educators strategically in making learning the needed skill among community groups to improve communities. This qualitative study adopted a convenience sampling procedure to select and interview eight graduate students in a higher education institution (HEI) in Ghana. Data were analyzed using thematic and narrative approaches. The results indicate that adult educators’ educational roles are empowering, yet they should employ more dialogical, story-telling, and conversational approaches; and must listen to community members’ views on community development programs. The study concludes that adult educators drive community development programs via inclusiveness and networks to make communities sustainable.