Paradoxes of a Long Life Learning: an Exploration of Peter Jarvis’s Contribution to Experiential Learning Theory

Abstract

The paper explores the work of Peter Jarvis related to learning with particular reference to his definitions of learning and his models of the learning process. This exploration will consider different approaches to experiential learning and demonstrate the contribution Jarvis has made, noting how his writing on the subject has changed over time. The relationship between the individual and society is a key sociological question that has informed his scholarship. The social context of learning and action will be considered with specific reference to Jarvis’s ideas in 1984 that were developed in 1992 and evolved in his later work. A constructive critique of his work is provided, one that aims to capture the way in which he has continuously adapted his thinking. Parallels are drawn between Jarvis’s work and more recent writing on reflexivity in social theory that open up opportunities for future research in the field.

Keywords:

• Experiential learning
• Peter Jarvis

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