Discussion has long held an honored place in the pantheon of lionized adult education practices. One of the most frequently venerated aspects of discussion is opening up conversation to include the widest possible diversity of perspectives and intellectual traditions. This democratic attempt to be open and inclusive is held to represent what is…

Critical reflection illuminates power dynamics and assumptions underlying experience. Adult educators can model critical reflection by viewing what they do through four lenses: their autobiographies as adult learners, their students' viewpoint, their colleagues' viewpoint, and the lens of theory. (Contains 34 references.) (SK)

Adult educators engaged in critical practice must address four issues: (1) the connection between their own political commitment and encouragement of learners' critical thinking (CT); (2) whether CT should be based on one intellectual tradition; (3) accessibility of the language of CT to learners; and (4) balance between CT's liberatory…