Andragogical Leadership and Technology in the Future of Adult Education

Introduction

With an “andragogical tradition” (Knowles, 2005, p. 237), the use of technology is changing all forms of interactions and is also affecting the educational context immensely (Bonfield et al., 2020). Technology is a critical pedagogical element in educational evolution and calls for a new line of research (Núñez-Canal et al., 2022). In addition, the role of the educator is critical for any technology (Caena & Redecker, 2019). Leadership plays a vital role in the structural and cultural dynamics designed for education improvement (Movahedazarhouligh et al., 2022).

The literature distinguishes many leadership styles – from traditional (e.g., transactional leadership) (Bass,1990) to modern concepts (e.g., agile leadership) (Cinnioglu, 2020). Leadership theory emphasizes various outcomes (Day, 2000; Ehrich et al., 2016; Owens & Hekman, 2012; Rego et al., 2017) and spans across multiple levels (Braun et al., 2016; Dinh et al., 2014). Different models of leadership have certain behaviors in common, such as open communication (Purcell & Chahine, 2019; Seemiller, 2021); collaboration (Thakhathi et al.,2019); innovation (Braun et al., 2016; Iqbal & Piwowar-Sulej, 2021); and connecting (Sa & Serpa, 2020). Leadership is a process (Komives et al., 2009) by which leadership is produced and enabled (Nhlapo & Hlalele, 2023). Leadership is about participation and relationships (Elbayadi, 2014), as well as engagement and action (Carbone et al., 2017; Jones et al., 2017; Simmons & Taylor, 2019). Both the current functioning and future development of an organization depend upon the characteristics of its leaders (Piwowar-Sulej & Iqbal, 2023). But there is no consensus in terms of the essence of leadership or the means by which it may be identified (Hassan et al., 2018).

With a focus on “investing and carving out new territory in andragogy” (Henschke, 2020, p. xviii), we will discuss andragogical leadership and technology in promoting collaborative learning in adults through the “Community of Inquiry'' framework (e.g., Cleveland-Innes, 2019; Garrison, 2022; Garrison et al., 2000). The aim of this chapter is threefold: (1) to explore the characteristics of andragogical leadership; (2) to identify the role of andragogical leadership in building a community of inquiry in distance learning; and (3) to investigate the impact of andragogical leadership and technology in supporting adult learning. The chapter begins with a glimpse of the current leadership focus. In an attempt to explore the characteristics of andragogical leadership, we will examine andragogical assumptions and their relationship with educational leadership by revisiting andragogy. The chapter goes on to investigate the role of andragogical leadership in constructing a community of inquiry. By exploring the meaning of learning and teaching, we will discuss the strength of the combination of andragogical leadership and technology in creating an inquiring, collaborative, and reflective learning community to support lifelong learning.

The third part of the chapter reviews the current technology usages in adult ESL/ EFL education, through these examples, we are going to discuss how andragogical leadership plays its role in a community of inquiry in terms of (1) building a connection through communication; (2) learning from and with others in collaboration; and (3) walking the journey together with adult learners. Further, challenges and inspirations for the integration of technology in education will also be discussed.