Critical and Transformational Perspectives on Career and Technical Education in the Twenty-First Century for Urban Adult Learners

Critical theory points out that cultural norms do not reflect the experiences of a large portion of adult learners, particularly urban adult learners. As adult educators in this context, are there ways we might improve or change our instruction by developing a critical understanding of the transitional and transformational events in the lives of adult learners entering into career and technical education program? What is the role of alternative approaches to transformative learning for these learners? Specifically, what is the role of alternative approaches to learning for urban adult learners transitioning into a career and technical education classroom, after years of disengagement with formal learning institutions and the need to update their technology skills? In this chapter, the authors discuss the need to use alternative conceptions of transformative learning and critical theory to understand this population of learners as they make the decisions to participate in more formal education programs. They also explore the key issues for adult education practitioner including implications for practice.