This article applies system theory to the analysis of the relationship between the EU and candidate country Serbia, with a focus on adult education policy. The study explores how the peripheral status of Serbia with its hybrid political regime combining autocratic and democratic features leads to the hybridisation of its adult education system,…

This paper performs a critical examination of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF), which was accompanied by an Inspection Handbook for Further Education and Skills, and argues that this policy document reinforces the neoliberal project in education. Drawing on concepts from Michel Foucault's analysis of the nature and effects of…

Civil society organisations were well organised in the sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) held in Belém in 2009, and influential in framing a powerful agenda for transforming adult education. Despite some successes, however, there were also frustrations in the drafting of the Belém Framework for Action (BFA). Drawing…

This article concerns the problematic connection between Marxism and Andragogy. The former is generally regarded as an unpopular, discredited and, in some political circles, a dangerously revolutionary political doctrine, mainly of historical interest. The latter is a conventional, contemporary, and pragmatic approach to adult education that…

Shorthand is, by definition, coded symbolism used for purposes of speed. It's a system of abbreviation, intended to skim the top of more complex systems of meaning, taking shortcuts but keeping track of the important facts. Shorthand is used all the time in adult basic education (ABE). The very name of the field, adult "basic" education,…

Climate breakdown is one of the greatest challenges our world faces. Driven by social, economic, political, environmental and ideological forces, the climate crisis necessitates critical, creative, inclusive and impactful action across multiple levels of society. Adult learning is a core element of societal transitions to a more sustainable future…

As Chamoru scholars with experience working at two universities within the University of California (UC) system, the authors write from institutions deeply implicated in interconnected projects of settler colonialism and militarism. Addressing the UC's historical narrative in the authors' pedagogy is an important way to connect with ongoing calls…

Dramatically increased accessibility to recording technologies and participatory nature of today's information environment certainly have emancipatory potentials. Perhaps, we live in an era that Dziga Vertov once dreamed of: mass authorship of filmmaking reveals the injustice and inequality of the world. However, in reality, we are witnessing…

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…

Intergroup dialogue (IGD) is a program for facilitating conversations about social identity, institutionalized and systemic oppression, social conflict, and social justice. This article examines how IGD can contribute to adult education's socially just goals by facilitating transformative learning. An initial review of the literature, followed by…

Seeing the museum as a public space for adult learning and education is not new, but always requires a contesting perspective when it comes to the continuing socio-political and historical oppression from colonial experiences. This paper explores the process of building a new history museum in South Korea that had suffered from Japanese colonial…

Participatory action research (PAR), as a research methodology, challenges conventional, positivist, and scientific approaches. Recent adult education studies on PAR have explored how to develop PAR to enhance research practice and further the "democratizing aims of adult education" (Joyappa & Martin, 1996). Historically, as a part…

Communication centers on university campuses can benefit from the experience of other disciplines with established norms and educational practices. This article examines the legal profession, the business profession, and healthcare with the intent to locate meaningful overlap that can be practically applied to communication centers. While…

This article conducts a critical analysis of the Incredible Years parenting programme through the lens of post-colonial and post-structural theories. Drawing from Foucault's concept of 'governmentality' and 'discursive normalisation', the author questions the norms and definitions constructed by the implementation of Incredible Years in New…

This paper draws on sociological and critical educational frames, particularly Bourdieu's concept of symbolic violence, in order to contest the dominant model of literacy education that is driven by the premise of a 'knowledge economy'. Instead it foregrounds the political, social, and economic factors that marginalise learners. Data from two…