In this article the authors explore the notion of 'common good' in relation to adult education. They do this by drawing upon the experiences of working-class family members who were both social learners and autodidacts, and who engaged in learning for their own sake and for what they believed to be the common good. The authors use diaries, letters…

Higher education should be a social good for everyone and, despite the intentions of university policy on inclusion and diversity with schemes on widening participation, the truth is that for working-class students, university is still a place where they encounter prejudices and feelings of exclusion. This article uses the method of…

While students of immigrant origin often face difficulties during their school career, their educational aspirations and expectations have been found to be relatively high. Less is known, however, about the aspirations and expectations of students of migrant descent in more recent countries of immigration. Furthermore, occupational expectations…

Shadow education is used not only to improve students' educational achievements but also to maintain social reproduction by advantaged families. However, little is known about the socially stratified shadow education participation during COVID-19 when the educational environment was uncertain. Using data collected before and after the COVID-19…

Across geographically diverse samples, engagement in stimulating activities with young children is considered an important element of parenting that promotes cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional development. Indicators of stimulation activities are often summed, based on the assumption that more stimulation is better and that different…

This article explores the "International Journal of Lifelong Education" archives in the period 1982-2020. We analyse how the Journal engages with the issue of inequality. This is accomplished by systematically identifying relevant articles within the archives, and reviewing these whilst taking account of the societal, cultural and…

The Adult Participation in Learning Survey provides unique insights into adult learning across the UK. It adopts a deliberately broad definition of learning, reflecting the fact that learning is about much more than formal courses and qualifications. The 2024 survey shows just over one half (52%) of adults have taken part in learning in the last…

The United States has gone through two transformations in the meaning of higher education in prison and the value of access for people in prison in the last 50 years and is now moving towards a third. The establishment of Pell grants in 1972 allowed for widespread access to higher education in prison, while the removal of those grants in 1994…

This article argues for the need to regard social origin as a complex phenomenon in order to better understand the determinants of individuals' participation in adult learning. It: (1) discusses the conceptualisation of social origin; (2) analyses how two of its components -- parental (both father's and mother's) class and education -- are…

The right of every citizen to access cultural heritage, such as classical music, has been widely pointed out by international organizations. However, there are certain barriers that impede members of vulnerable groups from enjoying the benefits of this type of music, namely cultural elitism. Some authors have stated that the taste for classical…

Purpose: This paper conceptualizes a just leadership learning ecology through an analysis of one nontraditional site of leadership preparation: the Highlander Research and Education Center (originally founded as the Highlander Folk School). Methodology: Drawing on cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and institutional theory (IT), we examine…

Drawing on theories from transcultural theory, I examined Chinese immigrant mothers' transcultural perspectives on mothering and learning. Recent adult educational studies contain limited research on the effects of cultural influence on mothering and learning by immigrant mothers from their perspective. Based on 30 semi-structured interviews among…

The incidence of drug-related deaths in Scotland has reached crisis proportions. Comparable only to the rust belt States in the US these figures point to the impact of the rapid scale of deindustrialisation and a global neoliberal economy, based on austerity, deepening class divisions and a return to a more naked form of capitalism. The question…

Attainment of advanced (graduate and professional) degrees provides benefits for individuals including higher earnings, access to high status occupations, and social standing, all factors in social mobility. These benefits are in addition to those from attainment of the bachelor's degree. Over time, advanced degree holders have been increasing…

This paper examines the dynamic intersection of lifelong learning, transnational migration and migrant motherhood by locating Chinese immigrant mothers' transnational learning and mothering experience. It aims to understand how Chinese immigrant mothers learn mothering skills, reconstruct identities, and practise mothering in transnational spaces.…