Adult Education Practice Research Articles

The Professionalisation of Adult Educators in the Baltic States

Adult education and lifelong learning together form one of the priorities for development in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The important historical and social context in which the professional development of adult educators has been taking place in the Baltic States since they regained their independence in the 1990s is the changes that occurred in the socio-political, economic and social life since then. There is greater concern about the need to qualify adult education practitioners so as to enhance quality in the provision of adult education and training. However, the prerequisites for the professional development of adult educators are a neglected area of research when compared with other fields of education and training. In this article, we shall analyse the professional development of adult educators as follows: • How transformational changes in the Baltic States during the past decade have influenced adult education policy and practice, the adult education profession itself and the professional development of adult educators; • How adult education policies, initial education and training practices affect the process of professional development among adult educators; • What the professional development of adult educators consists in.

The New, Modern Practice of Adult Education

Within the field of adult education a paradigm shift, or at least a paradigm creep, is taking place as a result of advances in technology. This comprehensive, quasiexperimental study examining the efficacy of online education (OE) for professional development, conducted among American police officers, compares OE to traditional delivery methods, using quantitative methods and open ended questioning to determine whether the potential performance of adult learners in OE is related to various demographic factors, and evaluates the adult learners' perceptions of OE. Data analyses indicate no significant difference between the effectiveness of the delivery methods but they do reveal a statistically significant relationship between potential online learning success and a formal educational level. Although most participants in the study say they prefer traditional instruction, the majority feel that OE is an appropriate delivery method for professional development and that the use of OE for delivery of professional development provides increased training opportunities.

From Opportunity to Responsibility: Political Master Narratives, Social Policy, and Success Stories in Adult Literacy Education

Background and Context The context for this study is the American legislative landscape covering the past 35 years, which witnessed a shift in political philosophies concerning the role of government in ensuring the social welfare of its citizens—from a focus on a “safety net” to a focus on “individual responsibility.” We frame these contrasting political philosophies as political master narratives; these narratives shape the ways particular groups in society are perceived, help craft social policy, and have a profound impact on “local narratives,” which are more restricted in scope, are more contextually bound, and seek to make sense of lived experience in a particular domain. The specific local narratives we considered in this study are the “student success stories” told in adult literacy programs, which are distributed to legislators in hopes of influencing policy and funding decisions. We sought to understand the connection between political master narratives and the local narratives of adult literacy education. Research Design Data consisted of 257 stories published from 1978 through 2005. We used Burke's method of pentadic criticism to examine act, agent, agency, scene, and purpose within the stories. Of special interest was how these elements changed across time, revealing the impact of the dominant political discourse on the telling of those stories. Of particular interest was how actor and agency are portrayed, because political discourse is most visible in the construction of the individual and in how the individual is able to act. Findings Four of Burke's elements remain constant across both sets of stories—agent, scene, act, and purpose; the only one that changes is agency, or the means used to achieve the act. The agent is the adult literacy learner, and the scene consists of his or her particular life circumstances, which involve hardships of various kinds. The act is the achievement of his or her education goals. The purpose of the act is obtaining a better life, employment, and increased self-esteem. It is in agency, or the means used to achieve the act, that we see a distinct change between the two groups of stories. In the earlier stories, agency is clearly and unambiguously the program. In the later stories, however, agency changes dramatically. The programs recede into the background and often disappear altogether; instead, it is the learners who do the work and who are responsible for their own success. Conclusion We have shown how adult literacy educators have, in the stories they tell, embraced dominant political ideologies and are currently telling stories focused increasingly on self-sufficiency and the ability of adult literacy learners to “lift themselves up by their bootstraps.” This is a cause for concern because it works to undermine the practice of adult education itself. The challenge to us as a field is not only to understand how dominant discourses speak themselves through us but also, more important, to find ways to subvert them by putting ourselves back into our own narratives of educational practice, thus preserving and serving the interests of adult education.

Learning to read: discourse analysis and the study and practice of adult education

Educators are inclined to think that the words they use in their discourses about policy, research, and practice mean what they mean them to mean. It is just as clear, however, that such discourses ideologically produce and reproduce relations of power that benefit some and disadvantage others. This essay begins an argument that educators need to learn to read. Learning to read means learning to read through the stated words and the presumed meanings of those words in our educational discourses about policy, research and practice in order to try to understand what such words might also mean.

Life histories of Canadian women as active citizens: Implications for policies and practices in adult education

Within the context of neoliberalism and globalization, the concept of active citizenship is an increasingly important concern for all countries, including Canada. This paper focuses on the results of a research study funded by the Canadian Council on Learning that profiles life histories of eight women from Nova Scotia as “active citizens” who have made significant contributions at the local, national/international level. Five thematic areas are considered to explore barriers, supports and motivators that impact on women’s participation as active citizens which include a) practical concerns, b) caregiving activities, c) identity issues, d) attitudinal differences, and e) political literacies. Using a critical feminist perspective, this paper argues that adult education has an important role to play in supporting the development of active citizenship through democratic learning contexts that take into account structural forms of inequality, including gender differences in experience. Résumé Dans le contexte du néolibéralisme et la mondialisation, le concept de citoyenneté active est une préoccupation de plus en plus important pour tous les pays, y compris le Canada. Ce document met l’accent sur les résultats d’une étude financée par le Conseil canadien sur l’apprentissage que les profils histoires de vie de huit femmes de la Nouvelle-Écosse en tant que “citoyens actifs” qui ont fait des contributions importantes lors du local, national / international. Cinq domaines thématiques sont considérés comme des obstacles à explorer, de motivation et soutient que l’impact sur la participation des femmes en tant que citoyens actifs qui incluent a) concerners pratique, b) activités de soins, c) les questions d’identité, d) des différences d’attitude, et e) politique connaissance. L’aide d’une perspective féministe critique, ce document fait valoir que l’éducation des adultes a un rôle important à jouer pour soutenir le développement de la citoyenneté

Cult TV, Hip Hop, Shape-Shifters, and Vampire Slayers

In this article, we examine adult education literature as it relates to all aspects of popular culture. After an extensive literature review we found that, increasingly, adult educators are investigating popular culture's connection with adult education and learning; however, we argue that much more work needs to be done in this area, specifically with regard to what and how adults are learning from popular culture. The research revealed that the adult education literature in this broad area has focused on six areas of research and practice: (a) representations of adult learning and adult development in popular media, (b) self-reflexive practices of adult educators who consume popular culture, (c) effective classroom practices involving the popular, (d) analyses of popular culture products and processes as adult education curriculum, (e) the impact of adults' learning from popular culture, and (f) community-based “popular” culture as resistance. This article explores the literature in each of these six areas of inquiry.

Place, Space and Time: Adult Education Experiences of Learners and Librarians in South African Public Libraries

Drawing on results of a national survey, this article examines adult education in South African public libraries from the perspective of adult learners and librarians. Quantitative data from 589 libraries from the total sample of 1295 libraries was collected. This was supplemented by qualitative data collected during site visits to eleven libraries selected to cover geographical spread. The activities of the 26.7% of the libraries involved in adult education are analysed with a view to understanding the interventions through the experience and perceptions of the participants, and so arriving at an understanding of the contribution of the libraries' role in the fight against illiteracy which is acknowledged by the South African government as a serious impediment to its development efforts. An attempt is made to assess the extent to which the experiences in the libraries can be said to be particular to the local situation, or whether the lessons learned form part of a broader pattern of adult education policy and practice observed in other parts of the world, especially developing countries. It is concluded that, in spite of the modest scale of the interventions, the impact is sufficiently encouraging to recommend intensifying and spreading initiatives in the public library's drive for social inclusion.

Reinforcing Metacognition in CAD Education using Videotutorials

The teaching of Computer Aided Design (CAD) constitutes a major challenge today. Designers from various academic disciplines (architects, engineers, graphics designers, etc.) who are more or less familiar with CAD technology seek more creative ways of expression. Since these technologies are in the midst of a rather rapid evolution, tailoring instruction to meet these potential challenges calls for an ongoing modernization as well as a constant adaptation of our teaching methods in order to satisfy the fluctuating needs, not only of the business world, but also of the contemporary teaching practices of adult education. In this paper, an attempt is made to provide an overview of various teaching practices geared toward the creation of a sound learning environment within the CAD laboratory while managing existing concept maps. The goal here is to help reinforce students’ metacognitive abilities since they have been proven paramount in their learning journey. One of the most promising teaching practices illustrated herein is the use of videotutorials as well as the use of video-recordings from student’s screens in the monitoring and improvement of metacognition in individual students.

The Transition of a Classroom Dysrhythmia Course to e-Learning

Technological advances and the global economy in the 21st century have shifted the traditional practices in adult education and lifelong learning in healthcare organizations. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital changed its traditional 2-day nursing classroom dysrhythmia course to an e-learning platform. The role of the clinical nurse specialist in the planning and implementation of this case is presented. Nursing staff development and the clinical nurse specialists proved to be driving forces for the transformation of the course, reinforcement of learning, and promotion of future educational technology.

Practitioner–Faculty Dialectic: Balancing Professional Identities in Adult Education

Professional identities are socially produced and maintained in communities of practice. Becoming a faculty member often requires dual participation in at least two broad communities of practice—vocational and academic. While negotiating membership in higher education, faculty members generally maintain some level of expertise and credibility in their disciplines. This study explores this dialectic from the vantage point of adult education. Interviews with eight adult education faculty members revealed three dimensions of the practitioner–academic identity dialectic: Intellectual Seduction, Inside-Out, and Silencing the Practitioner Voice. These dimensions coalesce into a core theme: Balancing Act. The findings illustrate a continuous tension between professional identities as adult education practitioner and academic. Further, they imply social and cultural scripting of faculty identity and professional experience in relation to an ethos of adult education practice.

Reflections on reflective learning in professional formation

Reflective learning is a standard and largely unquestioned pedagogy of initial in-service professional education. This case study problematises the processes of reflective learning and examines the constraints on beginning professionals' reflection. The paper outlines a theoretical framework to enable understanding of the nature of reflective learning and examines situated learning theory as a heuristic for understanding the contextual constraints on reflection. I present detailed evidence of beginning professionals' reflective learning, derived from qualitative practitioner research, evidencing the extent and depth of the beginning professionals' reflective learning. The paper then examines the contexts of the professionals' reflective learning and highlights certain constraints on reflection. I draw conclusions regarding the interplay of context and agency in professionals' reflective learning and develop suggestions for adult education practice.

From the Editors

From the Editors

O educador de jovens e adultos e sua formação

Este artigo versa sobre a formação inicial do Educador de Jovens e Adultos a partir dos resultados de estudo realizado no curso de Pedagogia de uma Universidade Federal. Desde a criação da habilitação (1986), a pesquisa analisa a pertinência da profissionalização desse educador, o significado da formação inicial em EJA para professores e egressos da habilitação e a inserção desse educador no campo de trabalho. Revelou-se o quanto é fértil analisar os processos de formação e atuação desses profissionais, por meio da reconstrução de suas trajetórias, e conclui-se que, mesmo com a crescente visibilidade que tem tido a EJA, tanto na instância das práticas quanto na dos estudos e pesquisas, ainda não existe efetiva demanda para uma formação específica. A formação do educador da EJA pode contribuir para o fortalecimento e a (re)configuração desse campo e, conseqüentemente, para o melhor atendimento a parcelas significativas da população que foram precocemente excluídas das ações de escolarização.

The Profession and Practice of Adult Education

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Product Review: Narrative and the Practice of Adult Education

Product Review: Narrative and the Practice of Adult Education

National policy and the implementation of recognition of prior learning in a Swedish municipality

The recognition of prior learning (RPL) has been a part of adult education policy and practice for a long time, but in different ways and in different times and places. In Sweden, RPL has been an explicit part of the policy since 1996. This policy analysis starts with the current Swedish policy concerning RPL. The figures of thought expressed in official policy texts are traced in, and compared to what is expressed in, the (discursive) practice of a case of local policy and development initiatives. The objective of the analysis is to see how the policy in official texts is reproduced and transformed at the local level. The theoretical starting point is the Foucauldian concept of ‘governmentality’, and RPL is seen as a technique for governing adult education, the adult learner and also adult learning. The analysis focuses particularly on the governing of adult education, expressed in the ‘salvation narrative’ of RPL, and in ideas of what RPL is and how it should be organised. Indirect as well as direct techniques of governing are identified in the governing of and through RPL.

Globalisation, Southern Europe and European Adult Education Policy

In this article, the authors define some of the most evident features of globalisation from below, which they distinguish from hegemonic globalisation, and draw out its implications for adult education. They draw out the implications for European adult education that emerge from the different features of these two types of globalisations. They then refer to the history of and contemporary provision in adult education in southern Europe and argue that there are elements there that can serve the purpose of a revitalised counter-hegemonic adult education approach. They then explore whether this thinking makes its presence felt in two major European documents, the EU Memorandum on Lifelong Learning and a recent report on adult education, carried out for the European Commission, provided by the European Association for the Education of Adults. They do this given that the international literature on adult education is dominated by ideas and experiences emerging from the central European states and Nordic countries. They highlight the recurrence in the Memorandum of the tendency to vocationalise adult education at different stages of a person's life. They consider the EAEA report to be more expansive and representative than the Memorandum but they also argue that there is a tendency to uncritically accept the vocationalisation of older adulthood. The issue of migration from south-of-the-equator populations to Europe, and especially southern Europe, is also considered, given that it is a prominent feature of the intensification of globalisation. Its implications for adult education practice are also considered, also and mainly in light of the situation obtaining in the frontier countries of southern Europe.

Lessons from the lessons learned: Arts change the world when…

AbstractThis chapter brings together themes from the various practices presented by the educators who contributed to this volume for purposes of reflecting on the implications of the arts for the practice and theory of adult education.

Diversity and pedagogic practice: reflections on the role of an adult educator in higher education

Based on a model developed by Brookfield (1995), a deliberately reflective approach is taken in this paper to the relationship between the author's earlier work in a department of adult education and her current teaching on a course for new university lecturers. As increasing numbers of mature students are being encouraged into universities, she wonders whether the principles and practices of adult education have a place in the pedagogic practices of higher education. She summarises the development of adult education departments in British universities, and draws attention to different pedagogic approaches in adult and higher education. Looking through various ‘lenses’, the author concludes that there is a need for a new professional agenda in higher education - where commonality and difference provide the starting points for mutual exploration and self-understanding - and that the traditions of adult education have a significant contribution to make to this agenda.

PEMBELAJARAN ORANG DEWASA BERBASIS ANDRAGOGI: TINJAUAN TEORI

The education level of many adult people generally is low. The result of examining towards a considerable body of literature on the concepts of andragogy shows that now many of practices of adult education and training have been conducted by using a pedagogical approach. Their practices are not effective since the orientation toward learning for adult people is one of subject-centeredness. Consequently, the education and training for adults should be promoted by using andragogybased learning and the orientation toward learning is one of problem-centeredness.