How Learners Perceive They Construct Knowledge as Participants in Outreach Programs Susan Yelich Biniecki Abstract: The purpose of this interpretive qualitative research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in outreach programs. The study context involved three outreach programs focusing on the changing global order, the Katyń massacre, and Russia. The three main themes I drew from the study include: the dynamic learning process, influencers of knowledge construction, and individual experiences as connectors in the learning process. Introduction Outreach education involves intersecting initiatives identified as formal, non-formal, and informal learning or education, with learning and education often used interchangeably in the literature (Colley, Hodkinson, & Malcom, 2003). While some outreach programs might be described as non-formal enrichment programs (Taylor, 2006), some authors might choose to identify them as informal education (Marsick & Watkins, 1990), or as formal because of a university location (Clark, 2005). Rather than a rigid categorization of formal – informal education or learning, outreach encompasses overlapping leaves of education and learning. The purpose of this interpretive qualitative research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in outreach programs. The complexity of learner participation is a necessary area of exploration to inform the creation of learner relevant outreach initiatives. What adult educators see as an educational domain or the goal of a program may not reflect that of the learners. World affairs outreach education within this study is an important context in which we can learn about learners’ perceptions of knowledge construction and the learning process. This context involves educational programs that resemble the complexity of many outreach initiatives – free-choice participation and varied learner motivations and abilities. While outreach education is a component of many organizations, the overwhelming emphasis in the field of international education associations within the U.S. is in two functional areas: international student and scholar services and study abroad (Association of International Educators, n.d.). Examining participants’ knowledge construction at world affairs outreach programs could inform and broaden the conversation about international education in general. In addition, exploring adult learning in this context can inform other outreach education initiatives and help us understand the processes through which learners have constructed what they know. Methodology A constructivist lens framed this qualitative interpretive study, one which focuses on the learning process as the construction of meaning from experience (Piaget, 1972; Vygotsky, 1978). Methods of inquiry included semi-structured 45 to 90 minute individual interviews with twelve participants, a congruent data collection strategy for a qualitative interpretive study (Rubin & Rubin, 1995). Interviews took place 6 to 9 months after the learner’s participation in theprogram. Research questions included: How do learners perceive they construct knowledge as participants in outreach programs? What influences learners’ construction of knowledge? How do learners perceive their participation in the outreach program as part of their learning process? How do learners perceive context influences knowledge construction and the learning process? Using purposeful sampling, participants were those who had participated in at least one of three identified world affairs outreach programs in winter/spring 2009. These programs included: 1) a program featuring a guest speaker on Russia, 2) a large public forum on the U.S. and the Changing Global Order, and 3) a film screening of Katyń directed by Andzrej Wajda followed by a panel discussion. These three programs are representative of the variety of formats and locations of the organization’s programs with a range of participant feedback. Data were gathered by audio-taping conversations and interview transcriptions so that I could reference the interview in written form. Descriptive and reflective field notes were recorded in a field log throughout the data collection process to note what happened in each interview and thoughts or insights I had about interview process. I used inductive analysis to discover themes and patterns (Patton, 2002). Topic coding by hand was used to identify and organize all themes for categorization. Ten participants with assigned pseudonyms provided member checks including clarification of transcripts where necessary. The field log, developed matrices, the transcripts, and participant feedback served to triangulate the data. Findings The sample consisted of twelve participants: seven male and five female including four participants of Polish national origin. While the sample of those from Poland is out of the ordinary, particular groups may be present at specific programs. The three main themes which I drew from the study include: the dynamic learning process, influencers of knowledge construction, and individual experiences as connectors in the learning process. Dynamic Learning Process Learners perceived they constructed knowledge through a dynamic learning process. Throughout the interviews, individuals commented on their perceptions of how the outreach program “fit.” They described the learning process as past knowledge and experience and the current information shaping each other. Participants described their learning process on a detachment-emotion continuum sometimes moving from the continuum at various points in their learning process. For example, in relation to the Katyń program, Sara described identifying a practical use for the information at work where she connected families separated by war, but also described the program as a “slap in the face” because she felt she was well read and had never heard of the massacre. In contrast with some other learning contexts, participants viewed learning about world affairs as a never ending process described as having an input of many sources with the outreach program as one of those sources. Jacek compared the learning process and his system of knowledge construction to that of the defragmentation of a computer. He went on to say: You know in this global era there is a