Solidarity, agency, and learning in everyday participation: A look at an adult education program in the context of COVID-19

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world stage has impacted multiple aspects of our lives, affecting how we interact, organize public affairs, and carry out daily activities. This paper explores how students in an ongoing adult education program in Villa María, Argentina, continued their studies during the 2020–2022 pandemic in the context of the restrictive public health policies that led to suspending in-person classes and collaborative sessions and moving to digitally mediated formats. It centers on the experience of adult learners confronted by the COVID-19 emergency and their response through solidarity relationships and agency. We found that the students actively reorganized and redesigned their academic practices by articulating their emergency needs resulting from the pandemic with their continued participation in their program through acts of solidarity. Finally, we share thoughts and future directions about solidarity in adult learning contexts.