UNCOMMON SPACES, UNCOMMON PEDAGOGIES: PREPARING PRESERVICE TEACHERS AND INFORMING CURRICULUM THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED ADULT LEARNING

Abstract

Adult education increasingly occurs in community-based and informal spaces where diverse learners engage with literacy, vocational training, and social justice initiatives. These environments offer vital opportunities for equity-driven, lifelong learning; however, they are often overlooked in traditional teacher education, which focuses on formal coursework and school-based practicums. In response to this changing landscape, this paper explores unconventional pedagogies and how education unfolds beyond classrooms in settings such as community centres, literacy programs, refugee camps, and grassroots cultural organizations -- spaces that foster pedagogical growth and critical consciousness among preservice teachers. Drawing on public pedagogy and guided by Freire’s critical pedagogy, which emphasizes dialogical and transformative learning, alongside adult learning theory, the paper examines teaching and learning within these contexts. It considers how preservice teachers’ involvement influences curriculum design, particularly in developing socially just, context-responsive pedagogies. The argument advanced is that teacher education must expand its scope to include adult education across diverse settings—spaces that provide experiential learning essential for intercultural competence and understanding curriculum beyond formal schooling, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4. The paper concludes with recommendations for integrating structured, community-based adult learning experiences into preservice training to promote socially responsive pedagogical growth