‘Education changes a person’: exploring student development in a college-in-prison program through critical andragogy

Abstract

ABSTRACT This phenomenological study investigates the educational experiences formerly incarcerated students identify as being important developmentally as part of their participation in a college-in-prison program. It does so by exploring the experiences of 21 formerly incarcerated students who participated in the Boston University Prison Education Program, the longest continuously-running college-in-prison program in the Northeast US. The study is contextualized within a critical andragogical framework, one which prioritizes developing agency and self-direction in learning, as well the capacity to critique ideological norms and develop deeper understandings of social contexts. Findings indicate program participation helped disrupt unhealthy personal and interpersonal dynamics within the prison environment. Participants developed confidence, pride, healthier self-conceptions, greater empathy, and a desire to positively impact others. This study’s implications can help inform instructors and program administrators in the development of effective curricula aimed at being responsive to the developmental needs and goals of students.