‘Adult educators’ identity formation for active citizenship through a biographical learning perspective

This paper, drawing from the narratives of two adult educators teaching at the ‘Odysseus’ solidarity school in Greece, aims to explore how their identities – as active citizens with a social justice orientation – have been constructed, and how these have shaped their educational practice for citizenship education. Informed by the discourse on critical active citizenship, the study employs a biographical approach and a Bakhtinian dialogical analysis of the data, which are presented under two main themes: life experiences prior to ‘Odysseus’ and the impact of identity on educational practice for citizenship education. The findings reveal that prior life experiences, the influence of relatives and friends, ideology, and participation in actions leaning towards social justice, have led to the formation of an identity oriented towards active citizenship. As a result, the educators, inspired by the principles of critical active citizenship, have created ‘contexts of questioning’ for their students that provoke critical thinking and action among learners. These contexts are necessary for students to break their silence, advocate for their rights through praxis, become emancipated, and transform society.