Using “banking” and “kitchen” metaphors to illustrate the educational frameworks of Freire's banking concept and constructivist learning theory, we—students and instructor—describe an innovative pedagogical adult learning–teaching model utilized in a required course, Qualitative Research, within the curriculum of a leadership studies doctoral program. This course used a constructivist learning theory framework to engage doctoral students as a community of learners in the discovery process of conducting qualitative research. Through reflection and a description of key components of this course, a critical examination of this pedagogical model is explored. Findings reveal the strengths of a constructivist approach to support and steer collaborative, exploratory learning whereby co–creating, collective processing, and co–learning promote invested learning.
