A new trajectory recently embraced by society involves efforts to redress omissions in the past to historical contributions made by marginalized communities -- such as women and people of color. The purpose of this study was to illuminate the contribution of women scholars to the field of adult education by focusing on one particular Victorian-era…

Women's workforce and higher education participation have increased in the past 30 years. This article reviews the literature on women in "Adult Learning" from 1989 through 2022. Key findings include that women were portrayed as marginalized, deficient, learners, educators, juggling social roles, and resilient. Various positionalities…

This paper explores the role of autonomy in teachers' Continuing Professional Development (CPD), specifically through practitioner research in the UK Further Education (FE) sector. By addressing challenges such as performativity and 'best practice,' it argues for a model of CPD that emphasises teacher autonomy, allowing for self-reflection,…

This paper uses a thematic narrative analysis approach to explore the experiences of individuals who support those living with literacy gaps in Australia. Themes of collective shame and responsibility surrounding adult literacy gaps, as well as the communicative expertise and critical reflexivity developed by supporters in their roles, are…

This article engages in an examination of reflecting upon a researcher's honesties within the context of conducting an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The purpose of this article is to outline how a researcher's reflexivity and awareness of emotions is central to IPA research which investigates Further Education practitioners' lived…

Adult education takes place in various contexts. Prisons are one of them. This article reports on research carried out in a prison of Portugal, which sought to understand and answer the following question: given the lack of prior academic and, in many cases, professional training that prepares teachers to work in such an educational context, how…

This article presents a general and overarching view on partnerships between adult education and STEM disciplines. Drawing from their individual STEM backgrounds, personal perspectives and experiences with such partnerships, and the science of team science, the authors consider the benefits of adult education for STEM, the benefits of STEM for…

Despite the clear and obvious need for adults to be proficient in numeracy, international studies suggest that many continue to struggle in this area. In Ireland, one of the main challenges continues to be the availability of effective adult numeracy education. This is a diverse sector, and little is known about the varied provision of adult…

A key commitment of the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy (2021) is to reduce the number of adults in Ireland with unmet numeracy needs from 25% to 12%. One of the main challenges in achieving this is the varied provision of adult numeracy education. Many numeracy practitioners are either employed parttime or are volunteers with few opportunities…

Adult education has a historical and ongoing commitment to fostering democratic relationships, demonstrated by the tendency of adult education to be called upon when social change and realignment are most desirable. This article considers the philosophical and pragmatic possibilities for adult education at this moment, when White Christian…

In this chapter, we provide a snapshot of critical theories with salience for adult education to illuminate their enduring efficacy within the discipline, including critical feminism, queer theory, and race-based critical theories. Critical theories seek to make individual change while dismantling the structures that suppress freedom and…

Higher education programs are rapidly transitioning online in support of a broader geographic base, working professionals, and, recently, emergency contingencies such as COVID-19. The flexibility of online courses makes them attractive to adult learners; as such, there is much academic discussion about online learning for adult learners and the…

Understanding early school leaving (ESL) remains a key issue on political and academic agendas. Most research focuses on the experiences of young people who intend to leave or have left school early without a qualification from secondary education. In addition, most studies focus on regular secondary schools. We aim to add to this literature by…

Singapore, like many other countries in the world, is on a journey towards a culture of lifelong learning to keep its workforce competent, resilient, and future-ready in the rapidly changing world of work. In order to realise this, a significant amount of resources has been invested to the training and adult education (TAE) sector. The TAE sector…

A mid-career transition from public children's librarian to academic librarian revealed new pedagogical challenges that emerged when engaging adult learners. Initially feeling unprepared to teach credit-bearing courses, the author enrolled in a graduate program in Adult Education to gain the theoretical and practical tools needed for effective…