John McKinley (1921- ) is an American adult educator, proponent of Participation Training and developer of the Indiana Plan (for adult education in the church).
McKinley received his Bachelor's degree from Indiana State University (1947) and his M.A. (1949) and Ed.D. (1960) from Indiana University. He joined the faculty of Indiana University in 1952 and taught for more than thirty years, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1983. His focus areas were in diagnostic theory and practice in group and organizational settings, and in small group training and development. He was also interested in adult education in the church, for which he developed the Indiana Plan to assist denominations in planning adult education.
He is the author of numerous books, book chapters, articles, and papers, including Design for Adult Education in the Church and Participation Training for Adult Education. In 1975 he received the Outstanding Adult Educator of the Year award from the Adult Education Association of the USA (now the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, or AAACE).
From the guide to the John McKinley Papers, 1956-1987, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
