Organising participation in recognition of prior learning-based teacher education under unequal conditions: a five-component model

Purpose This study examines how participation is organised and sustained in a recognition of prior learning (RPL)-based teacher education programme under unequal conditions. It reconceptualises participation as an organised programme outcome and explains how access becomes meaningful only when programme arrangements support sustained participation. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a qualitative case study design supported by descriptive survey data. Interview data were collected from one education officer, five lecturers/programme managers and 19 RPL students across remote, coastal, archipelagic and mainland settings. A survey of 65 students provided descriptive evidence on participation patterns, including online attendance, time management, task completion, digital barriers and academic flexibility. Findings Participation did not arise automatically from access, professional experience or digital provision. It was produced through five interrelated components: recognition-based entry, temporal alignment, digitally mediated participation, context-adaptive task design and bounded flexibility with accountability. These components formed a participation architecture through which working teachers remained connected to study under unequal conditions. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on a single RPL-based programme in one Indonesian regional context. While not statistically generalisable, it offers an analytically transferable model for examining participation where adult learners combine study with professional work under geographical and infrastructural constraint. Practical implications RPL access routes require more than recognition of prior experience. Participation is more sustainable when programme design aligns recognition, scheduling, digital delivery, context-responsive tasks and accountable flexibility with students’ working realities. Social implications The study shows how higher education can widen meaningful opportunity for in-service teachers in geographically dispersed settings without requiring them to leave their professional roles or communities. Originality/value The paper differentiates organised participation from related concepts such as student engagement, persistence, retention and institutional support. It contributes a five-component model for analysing how RPL-based higher education sustains participation under unequal conditions.