Adult Learning In Modern Societies

As industrial societies increasingly evolve into knowledge-based economies, the importance of education as a lifelong process is greater than ever. This comprehensive book provides a state-of-the-art analysis of adult learning across the world and with

As industrial societies increasingly evolve into knowledge-based economies, the importance of education as a lifelong process is greater than ever. This comprehensive book provides a state-of-the-art analysis of adult learning across the world and within varying institutional contexts. The expert contributors examine the structures of formal and non-formal adult learning in different countries, and investigate the levels of success those countries have experienced in encouraging participation and skill formation.

A research-based foundational overview of contemporary adult education Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education distills decades of scholarship in the field to provide students and practitioners with an up-to-date practical resource. Grounded in research and focused on the unique needs of adult learners, this book provides a foundational overview of adult education, and an introduction to the organizations and practices developed to support adult learning in a variety of contexts. The discussion also includes select understandings of international adult education, policy, and methods alongside theoretical frameworks, contemporary and historical contexts, and the guiding principles of adult education today. Coverage of emerging issues includes the aging society, social justice, and more, with expert insight from leading authorities in the field. Many adult educators begin practice through the context of their own experiences in the field. This book provides the broader research, theory, and practice needed for a deeper understanding of adult education and its place in society. Learn the key philosophical and theoretical frameworks of adult education Survey the landscape of the field through contemporary and historical foundations Examine key guiding understandings and practices targeted to adult learners Delve into newer concerns including technology, globalization, and more Foundations of Adult and Continuing Education provides an expertly-led overview of the field, and an essential introduction to real-world practice.

This book provides educators and facilitators with a comprehensive overview of the historical underpinnings and philosophical orientations of adult education and adult learning while attending to the various roles individuals play both within and beyond the formal constraints of the classroom. Positioning learners' and instructors' educational narratives as central to the theories that inform adult education, Pathways of Adult Learning opens up a dialogue among students, educators, community members, scholars, and working professionals about the many possible avenues toward knowledge sharing. Employing a personal, accessible tone, Janet Groen and Colleen Kawalilak take up a relational approach that encourages readers to reflect upon their own experiences as learners within the broadening context of adult education. Conscious of the power imbalances that can emerge in both institutional and professional work and learning environments, this text explores specific teaching and facilitation strategies that effectively generate ideas and accommodate adult learners of varying gender orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and ethnicities. Through their collaborative analysis of a diverse collection of first-person narratives, provided by both students and scholars working in the field, the authors construct a multi-faceted portrait of the status of adult learning today. Integrating a critical lens to explore how social, cultural, and economic factors influence and shape individual and collective pathways toward lifelong learning, this text is an indispensible guide for anyone studying or facilitating educational programming for adults in diverse work and learning contexts.

Power has been a defining and constitutive theme of adult education scholarship for over a century and is a central concern of many of the most famous and influential thinkers in the field. Adult education has been particularly interested in how an analysis of power can be used to support transformative learning and democratic participation. In a fragile and interdependent world these questions are more important than ever. The aim of this collection is to offer an analysis of power and possibility in adult education which acknowledges, analyzes and responds to the complexity and diversity that characterizes contemporary education and society. Power and Possibility: Adult Education in a Diverse and Complex World explores the topic of power and possibility theoretically, historically and practically through a range of perspectives and in relation to varied areas of interest within contemporary adult education. It is concerned with addressing how power works in and through adult education today by exploring what has changed in recent years and what is shaping and driving policy. Alongside this the book explores ways of theorizing learning, power and transformation that builds and extends adult education philosophy. In particular it takes up the themes of diversity and solidarity and explores barriers and possibilities for change in relation to these themes.

From an international comparative perspective, this third book in the prestigious eduLIFE Lifelong Learning series provides a thorough investigation into how social inequalities arise during individuals’ secondary schooling careers. Paying particular attention to the role of social origin and prior performance, it focuses on tracking and differentiation in secondary schooling examining the short- and long-term effects on inequality of opportunities. It looks at ways in which differentiation in secondary education might produce and reproduce social inequalities in educational opportunities and educational attainment. The international perspective allows illuminating comparison in light of the different models, rules and procedures that regulate admission selection and learning in different countries.

"The single most important contribution to our field's knowledgebase in the past two decades. The authors have managed to shift thefocus of adult education back to the social concerns that weretaken for granted when the field was founded. We are ready for thislong overdue book. Indeed, we have been yearning for this book. Itwill tilt our field back towards its moral center." --B. Allan Quigley, chair, Department of AdultEducation, St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia "Power in Practice is a wonderful book--full of case studies,updated theories, new perspectives, and evidence that adulteducation can and does change people's lives." --Michael Newman, senior lecturer in adult education,University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Adult educators know that they can no longer focus solely on theneeds of learners without responsibly addressing the political andethical consequences of their work. Power in Practiceexamines how certain adult education programs, practices, andpolicies can become a subtle part of power relationships in widersociety. It provides a rich array of real-world cases thathighlight the pivotal role of adult educators as "knowledge andpower brokers" in the conflict between learners and the socialforces surrounding them. The authors discuss how to teachresponsibly, develop effective adult education programs, andprovide exemplary leadership in complex political contexts,including the workplace and higher education. Educators in themiddle of power struggles will learn how to become more politicallyaware while actively shaping their enterprises to meet importantsocial needs.

This volume comprises an edited selection of papers which were originally presented at the 9th International Conference of the History of Adult Education that was held in Leiden in September 2002. The theme of that conference and this volume addresses the key dynamics associated with the impact of globalisation upon both the historical and contemporary development of the organisation of adult learning. Following a general introduction to the key themes by the chief editor, the first section of the volume comprises a number of papers of a distinctly historical nature. The focus in this section is upon the development of organised adult learning as a major component of the European modernisation project from the Enlightenment period in the eighteenth century to the twentieth century. The second section examines contemporary developments and the emergence of new forms for the organisation of adult learning in the learning society. The emphasis here is upon those societal developments that contribute to the centrality of lifelong learning in current education and training policies. The third section comprises a number of country studies focused upon the dilemmas associated with the restructuring of national education and training policies. Issues of social inclusion and the risk of exclusion form the recurring theme of these country studies.