Creating space(s) for learning in prison: Developing an andragogical framework

Abstract

Learning in prison is too often excluded from wider discussions of educational experiences, processes and impact. This paper proposes, for the first time, an iterative andragogical framework to conceptualise learning spaces within prison contexts. The authors followed a shared reflective process, drawing on the principles of collaborative autoethnography to consider our collective experiences and insights as researchers and practitioners who have worked across a diverse range of learning spaces within prisons. Through this analysis, we found four intersecting andragogical considerations, which we posit as fundamental to the curation of constructive learning spaces within prison contexts. The themes we present here are respecting the agency of participants, embedding co-production, and fostering trust and trustworthiness. In combination, these feed into an overarching theme which permeates the discussion: power. The article considers ways in which these themes shape the potential of learning spaces within prisons. These insights aim to spark further dialogue, inviting others to deepen, challenge, and evolve the propositions put forward in this framework.