Adult Learning And Education Research Articles

Designing a Communication Skills Professional Development Course for Healthcare Professionals in the UAE: Reflections on the Process, Challenges, Successes, and Implications

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has expanded to support increasingly economic and technologically competitive environments, often governed by Adult Learning and Education (ALE) principles. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), however, despite the importance given to CPD, the field of ALE remains underdeveloped. Bearing this in mind, a group of five UAE-based trainers documented the design and implementation of a Communication Skills for Caregivers course using the Interactive Model of Program Planning by Caffarella and Daffron. This article discusses the process followed to contribute to the region’s ALE/CPD design discourse as well as to reflect on the trainers’ practices and provide recommendations and implications for future CPD.

Assessment of Funding Approach to Adult Learning and Education in Rural Communities

The challenges of Nigeria as a nation require holistic approach and appropriate education to tackle for socio-economic development and peaceful co-existence of Nigerians. Adult learning and education (ALE) being a discipline with huge potentials for adults, is capable of tackling the problems. However, it needed to be scaled up through new initiatives and approaches. This study therefore, assessed the funding approach to ALE programmes in Ekiti State, Nigeria; with a view to understand how ALE programmes have been funded and implemented in Nigeria in recent times. Review of concepts and terms were carried out. Qualitative research method was used to obtain data. It was discovered that Ekiti state Government adopted specific need and service-oriented approach to funding and implementation of adult learning and education programmes in the State. The approach yielded positive results with 67 adult literacy centres established and 5,029 adult learners enrolled between 2019 and 2022. A total of 45 individuals and 12 faith based organisations sponsored ALE programmes. It is therefore recommended that government at all levels should adopt need and service-oriented approach to funding and implementation of ALE programmes with a view to make ALE relevant in providing solution to the Nigeria’s socio-economic, political, environmental and security challenges.

Adult Learning and Education in Digital Environments: Learning From Global Efforts to Promote Digital Literacy and Basic Skills of Vulnerable Populations

The pervasive role of digital technologies in adult learning and education (ALE) was a prominent theme throughout the deliberations of the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII) held June 15-17, 2022 in Morocco. CONFINTEA VII embodied the worldwide interest in digital technologies through the use of a hybrid format with appointed delegates participating both virtually and on site. To highlight the importance of digitalization and digital skills, CONFINTEA VII not only devoted a plenary session to “Adult Learning and Education in Digital Environments,” but discussions about the role of digitalization and the need to support adults in developing digital skills also permeated other sessions such as “Preparing Adults for the Future of Work.” CONFINTEA VII sessions discussed challenges that vulnerable populations have in accessing digital tools and strategies for providing more equitable acccess and professional development to address this digital divide. This article describes learnings from CONFINTEA VII and related efforts at the national, regional, and local levels to support adult learners’ use of digital technologies to develop their literacy, numeracy, and occupational skills and the resources that are critical to those efforts. Also discussed is the need for data, research, and monitoring to understand how digital technologies can be effective in adult learning and education and in preparing adults to embrace a culture of lifelong learning.

CONFINTEA VII and the Call to Climate Action: Clarifying Roles for Adult Learning and Education

Climate change and climate education concern more than climate and the environment, as our social and economic systems both rely upon and are impacted by climate and environment. We cannot address the human impact on our global climate and local environments without several nations reconstructing their social and economic systems to be equitable and inclusive. According to several key global guidance documents related to adult learning and education (ALE) and climate education, adult educators have significant roles in developing learners capable of engaging in climate and environmental action. However, defining climate education and roles for adult educators is not well-defined or explicit. To gain clarity in how ALE providers can facilitate learners’ understanding of how social/political, economic, and natural systems intersect to create and perpetuate the oppression, marginalization, and destruction of humans and the world upon which we depend, a close review of global guidance documents is warranted. This article analyzes key documents, such as the Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA), Education for Sustainable Development: A roadmap (ESD for 2030), and the International Council for Adult Education Spotlight Report for CONFINTEA VII. This process resulted in clarification of the definition of climate education from an ALE perspective and suggestions of explicit roles for ALE providers in the realm of climate education.

CONFINTEA Vll Marrakech Framework and the Challenge of and Urgency for Active Citizenship Education

A rear-view mirror approach indicates that citizenship education and adult learning and education (ALE) for lifelong learning have been prominent throughout history, dating back to the League of Nations and continuing through the United Nations and UNESCO. The League of Nations was founded in 1920 after World War I when humanity realized that settling disputes through violence—bombs and guns—was indicative of lack of citizenship education. Central to the League’s Covenant was the need to employ “negotiation and arbitration.” In addition to the International Adult Education Conferences, UNESCO has used other forums to affirm the imperative of lifelong learning and citizenship education. For instance, in the Faure Report, there is emphasis on “education and society” and on the “complete man” ( Faure et al., 1972 ). The complete man/woman is an “educated” citizen. In The Fifth Global Report on ALE, UNESCO (2022a) connects citizenship education to the task of empowering adults for change. This article uses the Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA) that resulted from CONFINTEA VII as background to analyze and present active citizenship education as a necessary condition for human sustainability and global transformation. I conceptualize education broadly to include indigenous ways of knowing. In addition, although active citizenship education is the focus of this piece, I argue that there is a symmetric relationship between lifelong learning, adult education, and citizenship education.

Adult learning and education in the Mediterranean – a view from southern Europe

This article examines the key role that adult learning and education (ALE) has played and continues to play in addressing the challenges faced by critical engagement with identities and crossing borders in the Mediterranean region. Despite the great cultural, economic and educational diversities characterising the region, the author explores whether a distinctive and recurring pattern of ALE exists or is likely to emerge. His analysis highlights historical and contemporary landmarks (features) of ALE in the region which exist alongside others from “mainstream” European education put forward by such funding agencies as the European Union (EU). While the landmarks are distinctive, they do offer recurring patterns which are characteristic of social-purpose ALE provision in the region. Much can be drawn from ALE in the Mediterranean, together with useful insights from other parts of the world, to foster intercultural engagement in response to mass migration in the region.

The role of adult learning and education in the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched by the United Nations in 2015, established ambitious targets to be achieved by 2030, including in education. SDG 4, which focuses on ensuring “inclusive and equitable quality education and promot[ing] lifelong learning opportunities for all”, attracted attention from the adult education sector for the role that adult learning and education (ALE) can play in its realisation, and the potential for the SDGs to boost the visibility and support of ALE. This article reports on a study that explored the role of ALE in lifelong learning in eight case study countries (Australia, Brazil, India, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, Thailand and Ukraine). It explores the literature and examines the supports for and challenges of ALE to better understand its potential in helping to realise SDG 4, using a mega-, macro-, meso- and micro-level theoretical framework. Twenty-seven experts in ALE from across the eight countries were interviewed, and data analysis was undertaken using a grounded theory approach. The findings indicate that while SDG 4 was not a strong driver for ALE activities in these countries, initiatives were focused on the same issues targeted by SDG 4. The analysis also points to the unequal policy support given to formal and non-formal ALE activities, and the critical role that ALE networks and associations can play in addressing some of the most ambitious SDG 4 targets.

Intersectional analysis of intimate partner violence against Nigerian nurses in the United States

AbstractIntimate partner violence (IPV) against Nigerian nurses in the US is a complex issue intersecting gender, occupation, culture, economics, and migration. This study adopts an intersectional feminist and adult learning framework to explore the causes and potential solutions. Drawing on a thematic analysis of ten media reports and commentaries on various reported cases of IPV against Nigerian nurses, key themes that emerged include: gender‐based power dynamics, cultural expectations, clashes between patriarchal societies and gender equality, open communication, psychological factors, perceived “anti‐male” legal system, and immigrant struggles. Adult learning and education (ALE) interventions, employing transformative and experiential learning, can empower Nigerian nurses and the Nigerian immigrant community in general to challenge traditional norms, address power imbalances, and foster equality in relationships. The study calls for targeted and culturally sensitive support services to create safer environments for Nigerian nurses and families in the US. Further research is recommended to assess the long‐term impact and representativeness of the findings.

Questioning Assumptions About Developing an Andragogy Study Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This paper analyses how the key actors involved (university professors, policy makers, and practitioners) perceive the need for launching an andragogy study program in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Drawing on the social field concept, the central argument posits that the perceptions of the three groups are shaped by their respective positions and interests concerning adult learning and education (ALE). The research methodology includes an analysis of university curricula and qualitative surveys based on the model of the problem-centred interview (PCI). The results show inter-group differences and intra-group congruence. University professors support the idea of launching an independent andragogy study program but have different visions of the implementation model. Policy makers and practitioners show less awareness of the need for such a program and for different reasons. The practitioners’ opinion is that the relevant competencies can be obtained through non-formal or work-based learning, while policy makers cite lower interest in studying social sciences.

A Comparative Study of Values-Based Fields of Adult Learning and Education in Austria, Scotland, and South Tyrol, Italy: Practitioners Resisting Neoliberal Tendencies Based on Their Ideas of Social Justice

This article presents the findings of a comparative study of values-based adult learning and education (ALE) fields; specifically, in Austria, critical-emancipatory adult basic education; Scotland, learner-centered, community-based adult learning; and South Tyrol, Italy, the Winterschule, a radical-critical popular education format. We studied the voices of experienced practitioners to understand their challenges and constraints and how they resisted changes that did not reflect their values. It highlights local practices to promote visibility, create dialogue, and strengthen the understanding and recognition of these fields in which practitioners are unequivocally committed to social justice. Our findings highlighted repertoires of resistance, affirmed pedagogy as a values-based endeavor, and elucidated practitioners’ commitments to holistic approaches that re-negotiate ideas of social justice for people and the planet. Our analysis shows that when ideas of social justice are shared amongst allies, practitioners can effectively maintain their values-based approaches and thus re-affirm and protect democratic ALE practice.

Exploring attitudes towards adult learning and education: group patterns among participants and non-participants

ABSTRACT Based on contemporary theories of participation, attitudes toward Adult Learning and Education (ALE) are considered crucial determinants predicting adults’ involvement in further education. However, their investigation is usually not empirically systematic and theoretically grounded. For this reason, the article analyses attitudes to ALE based on a novel approach – the triadic model of culture by Lizardo. We present a conceptualisation of attitudes to ALE, inspired by this model, distinguishing between (1) public, (2) personal declarative, and (3) personal non-declarative dimensions of attitudes. Based on that, we show the empirical results of a representative survey among adult population (25–69 years) in the Czech Republic (n = 1200). In this regard, we map differences in attitudes between participants and nonparticipants and results of a cluster analysis to identify main groups with similar attitudes toward ALE. Our findings confirm the employed theoretical concept and identify significant differences between participants and nonparticipants. Beyond that, we identify four clusters of adults with distinctive attitudes of which all contain a different mixture of participants and nonparticipants: (1) adults with positive attitudes; (2) adults with personal obligations toward ALE; (3) adults who see the public value of ALE; (4) adults with negative attitudes.

The right to education of adults in Portugal

ABSTRACT The subject of this article is the right to education of adults, which is a central issue in the humanistic approach to Adult Learning and Education (ALE) that we are supportive of. From this angle we discuss human rights as an overarching framework for citizenship in Portugal, a country with a high number of low-qualified adults. The text provides a historical context, and for the analysis of the selected and specific current documents in recent policy agendas we use Tomaševski’s 1 theoretical 4A framework, built mainly for school contexts, and apply it to ALE policy. This heuristic exercise makes a significant contribution to advancing knowledge in the policy studies of ALE. The objective is to understand ways of realising the right to education of adults by means of policy measures undertaken by national governments, against the backdrop of today’s neoliberal trends in Europe. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to assess the degree to which the twenty-first century Portuguese policies have been adhering to the UN principles on the right to education in relation to ALE. From the discussion of the results, we conclude that the realisation of the right to education of adults has been successfully achieved.

Perpetuating inequality through participation in adult learning and education in Russia

ABSTRACT We apply cumulative advantage (CA) theory to understand the social hierarchies behind the accumulation of skills and rewards through Adult Learning and Education (ALE) – formal, informal, and non-formal. Using representative data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE), we confirm the assumption of CA theory that advantages are accumulated through ALE, not only within social groups, but also between them. For individuals coming from educationally advantaged families but without higher education, participation in informal non-job-related ALE and formal ALE enhances employment chances. It is therefore a strategy to compensate for the lack of higher education for those coming from educationally advantaged families. For those coming from less educationally advantaged families, higher education moderates the positive effect on wages of non-formal ALE without employer support. Rather than being a way to compensate for between-group inequalities, this type of ALE allows for labour market adaptation for the educationally disadvantaged and has positive effects within the group. We conclude that various types of ALE are institutionalised into different paths of human capital accumulation.

The debate on intergovernmental organisations and adult learning and education policies: intersections between the political and scientific fields

ABSTRACT This article discusses the scientific debate that has been held in the International Journal of Lifelong Education (IJLE) over the past four decades concerning intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and adult learning and education (ALE) policies. Drawing upon a field-analytical perspective comprising the political and scientific fields, this discussion is based on a systematic literature review of published articles in the IJLE and qualitative content analysis. The main findings stress the relative autonomy of the scientific subfield of ALE; however, the need to strengthen critical reflection to avoid interpretative perspectives imposed by IGOs’ policy discourses and concepts is also emphasised.

The OECD solutionism and mythologies in adult education policy: skills strategies in Portugal and Slovenia

ABSTRACT The role of international governmental organisations (IGOs) in global policymaking has received significant attention in the field of adult learning and education (ALE) in the twenty-first century, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was recognised as one of the most influential IGO due to its skill surveys – such as the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). However, while the majority of empirical studies in the field have focused on the analysis of PIAAC data, little attention has been given to the influence of the OECD skills strategies on the development and/or improvement of national ALE systems. This study addresses this gap in two OECD member states – Portugal and Slovenia – by applying the ‘what’s the problem represented to be?’ approach to policy analysis and using the theoretical concept of myth in defining policy problems. Our findings indicate that although both countries’ ALE systems differ, they share problem representations that reinforce several policy myths: ALE is a solution to tackle socioeconomic problems; unemployment is a problem of low-skilled adults; the learner-centred approach is a way to raise participation in ALE, and improved governance is a means to advance national ALE systems.

Financing adult learning and education (ALE) now and in future.

This article submits that while the world continues to view education as a human right, it also persists in depriving an important section of it – namely adult learning and education (ALE) – of adequate funding. Located within the lifelong learning domain, which facilitates both the resolution of challenges and adjustment to the vagaries of living throughout a lifetime, ALE is indispensable within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article identifies four factors which are currently responsible for the poor funding of ALE. These factors are: (1) the world’s obsession with the provision of school education; (2) the lack of adequate instruments to work out ALE’s returns on investment; (3) the hope that employers will ultimately supply ALE; and (4) the assumption that an expansion of formal schooling will eventually lead to the establishment of literate societies free of inter-generational crises. Since ALE is generally framed as a broad literacy education project, the author undertakes a review of literacy education costing. This leads him to posit that quality literacy education can be supplied at a unit cost ranging between USD 150 and USD 250 annually within any Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) country. Finally, the article offers four recommendations to increase ALE funding going forward.

Bringing together monitoring approaches to track progress on adult learning and education across main international policy tools

This article critically examines how monitoring strategies currently track progress on country commitments to adult learning and education (ALE). These commitments are laid out in three main international initiatives and policy tools: (1) the Belém Framework for Action (BFA); (2) the 2015 Recommendation on Adult Learning and Education (RALE); and (3) relevant targets in the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4). The two monitoring approaches tracking progress on these commitments are the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) and SDG 4 monitoring strategies for Targets 4.3 (quality vocational and tertiary education, including university), 4.4 (technical and vocational training), 4.5 (equal access), 4.6 (youth and adult literacy and numeracy), 4.7 (global citizenship and sustainable development) and 4.c (qualified teachers). The author of this article presents and reviews these two monitoring approaches, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Her analysis aims to identify opportunities for synergies that can support strengthening coverage and efficiency of ALE monitoring through more collaboration. Her suggested ways of bringing these two monitoring approaches closer together provide insights which will be valuable for informing upcoming discussions at the Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII).

The Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE): Strengths, weaknesses and future directions

One of the core outcomes of the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) held in 2009 was the Belém Framework for Action (BFA). Its signatories committed to monitoring the most recent development stages of adult learning and education (ALE) worldwide on a regular basis, and to present and assess results in a global report. Coordinated by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, surveys have been conducted and documented in four GRALE reports over the past decade. A fifth report is currently being prepared for CONFINTEA VII, to be held in June 2022. This article critically analyses the project of compiling a Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE) at roughly three-year intervals. Drawing on an evaluative framework for research quality developed by Pär Mårtensson and colleagues, the authors of this article investigate to what extent the GRALE approach to monitoring and reporting on ALE so far has been (1) credible (e.g. based on rigorous research methodologies and methods); (2) contributory (e.g. relevant and applicable to practice, generalisable); (3) communicable (e.g. accessible, understandable and readable in terms of report structure); and (4) conforming (e.g. with ethical standards). The purpose of this evaluation is for it to serve as a contribution to enhancing the quality of monitoring approaches in the field of ALE. This is vital for working towards future directions of ALE which are shaped by a high-quality evidence base. Ultimately, this will not only make ALE more accessible, fair, diverse and effective, but will also add to insights on how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in a similar way, especially since ALE indirectly but fundamentally affects the success of all 17 goals.

Community Learning Centres (CLCs) for Adult Learning and Education (ALE): development in and by communities.

Institutionalised forms of adult learning and education (ALE) such as community learning centres (CLCs) and related models are found in most parts of the world. These are spaces offering opportunities for literacy and skills training, health and citizenship, general, liberal and vocational education, in line with fuller recognition of the meaning of lifelong learning, and in the context of local communities. Often these institutions form the basis for even more informal and participatory learning, like study circles and community groups. They may share facilities like libraries and museums, clubs and sports centres, which are not within the remit of the Ministry of Education. This article reviews relevant literature and identifies recent studies and experiences with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions, but also considers insights related to interventions at the global level. Findings point to low levels of participation of adults in general, and more specifically so for vulnerable and excluded groups which can hardly cross respective barriers. The authors’ discussion is guided by the question What conditions are conducive to having more and better ALE for lifelong learning – and which roles can CLCs and other community-based ALE institutions play? This discussion is timely – the authors argue that CLCs need to be given more attention in international commitments such as those made in the context of the International Conferences of Adult Education (CONFINTEA) and the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CLCs, they urge, should be part of transformative discourse and recommendations at CONFINTEA VII in 2022.

Rethinking literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the International Conference on Adult Education.

Despite general agreement that a 21st-century learning society must also be a literate society, there is still a long way to go to achieve a broad consensus on how to achieve this within an explicit lifelong learning vision. The Seventh International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VII – June 2022) is an excellent opportunity to rethink literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in order to fully tap its transformative potential in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By using a theoretical framework of lifelong literacy, this article analyses the main challenges associated with applying the lifelong learning principle to literacy, in particular in the context of aligning CONFINTEA’s review and improvement of adult learning and education (ALE) strategies with SDG processes. The authors demonstrate that a limited understanding of literacy as part of lifelong learning still prevails, and that literacy promotion suffers from ambiguity and dissonances. They also provide analyses of literacy policies, strategies and programmes that have been successful in adopting a lifelong learning approach, drawing out some important lessons on how this can be achieved. In particular, the authors argue, more attention needs to be paid to the demand side of a literate environment and to motivation, enabling continuity of learning by making literacy part of people’s broader learning purposes. To contribute to the ongoing discussion on reframing literacy from a lifelong learning perspective in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the potential development of a new “framework for action” during CONFINTEA VII, this article offers three fundamental considerations that should inform policy and strategic planning with regard to conceptual orientation, programmatic responses and institutional connections.