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February 13, 20260 citationsOpen Access

Developing democratic engagements and transformation in adult, professional and organisational learning: A practice companion for inspiring your facilitation and changemaking

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SWSusanne Maria WeberLSLea SpahnKMKaren Mpamhanga

Key Points

  • The aim is to provide facilitators and changemakers with practical guidance on promoting democratic engagement in learning contexts using AELD.
  • Translation of AECED Framework and APOL Guide into user-friendly resources
  • Identification of key focus areas across seven fields of attention
  • Implementation of aesthetic and embodied methods in learning environments
  • Utilization of micro-methods and illustrative practices for effective facilitation
  • Emphasis on ethical reflection and relational care in practice
  • Increased awareness of democratic engagement strategies among facilitators
  • Enhanced capacity for transformative dialogue in learning settings
  • Improvement in collective values and relational well-being among participants
  • Encouragement of small, incremental changes in everyday learning practices

Abstract

This Practice Companion translates the AECED Framework and APOL Guide into a flexible, practice-oriented resource for facilitators and organisational change-makers seeking to nurture democratic engagement through Aesthetic and Embodied Learning for Democracy (AELD). Structured around seven “fields of attention” (including social togetherness, transforming dialogue, peer governance, collective values, social and planetary justice, self- and group awareness, and relational well-being), it offers a step-by-step, iterative cycle for identifying focus areas, choosing and planning aesthetic and embodied methods, trialling interventions, and engaging in ethical reflection. Through micro-methods, illustrative practices (such as noticing presence, mapping power, listening across differences, and collage-based reflection), and guidance on responsible facilitation, the Companion emphasises consent, responsiveness, and relational care, encouraging practitioners to start small and embed democratic sensibility within everyday adult and organisational learning contexts.

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Cite This Study

Weber et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/698ebf5085a1ff6a93016b22https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18614670
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