‘I could never think of education without love’- Pedagogical love in the context of adult education

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the role of love as a constituent of pedagogical professionalism, here called pedagogical love, in andragogical contexts. A study was conducted in Germany with this specific aim in mind. The results are presented, and relevant scientific literature on pedagogical love in andragogical contexts is discussed. Likewise, critical implications of pedagogical love are highlighted and conceivable foci for future research projects are outlined.

Keywords:

• Pedagogical love
• andragogical contexts
• adult edication
• Germany
• Paolo Freire

Acknowledgement

This study would not have been possible without the committed participation of the women and men surveyed. Thank you for your openness and support, and especially for making your involvement in adult education an act of love.

Informed consent

The respondents were all over 18 years of age. They gave written consent to participate in the study. They could withdraw at any time during the study period and agreed to anynomised publication. Withdrawal was not associated with any disadvantages for the participants.

Disclosure statement

The author reports no conflict of interests. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes

1 All quotations marked with * have been translated from German by the author.