The role of safety in learning : interviews with eight adult educators

The assumption that safety has a crucial role in learning pervades the literature. Safety however is rarely defined, operationalized, or evaluated. A condition which is assumed to be a key factor in learning, but not clarified or demonstrated, is a significant and important area for study. In this research project, eight adult educators discussed their assumptions about safety and learning, gave examples from their practice, and considered ways of improving learning by establishing safety within education programs. Interpretive findings drawn from these interviews were combined with data from the literature to suggest a tentative theoretical model. In the concluding discussions, implications for theory and practice are supported by data which suggest that safety is a fundamentally important element in strong and positive learning outcomes.Education, Faculty ofGraduat