Improving the quality of educational programs and the demand for accountability have put the professional development of Extension educators high on Cooperative Extension's agenda. Effective professional development facilitates improved program design and implementation, which, in turn, translates into higher clientele satisfaction. The purpose of…

Since incorporation of further education (FE) in England in 1992, much research has critiqued the performative pressures on FE teachers created by a managerialist audit culture. These critiques have demonstrated the detrimental effects of the technicised delivery of learning outcomes on more learner-centred pedagogies. However, FE policies now…

The Irish Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) is a school-based, pre-vocational alternative to the "high stakes" established Leaving Certificate. Its origins lie in European Union funded "school to work" initiatives and it is currently taken to completion by some 5% of Irish senior cycle students. Since it was designed 20 years…

This article examines those aspects of curriculum relating to programmes that have developed across the further and higher education divide. It analyses one particular spiritual direction formation programme that has transitioned from a vocational training programme in the further education mode to a post-graduate academic programme in a higher…

Nigeria is a signatory to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declaration but till now she has not made any significant milestones in actualizing these human development goals. In spite of the coordinated efforts towards mobilizing those in the formal education system to partially address its implementation challenges, serious gaps still exit…

This article argues for a flexible model of learning for adults which allows them to make choices and contextualise their learning in a manner appropriate to their own professional practice whilst also developing as a member of a learning community. It presents a design based around online "learning activities" which draws on ideas of…

The Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) publication, "External quality arrangements for Scotland's colleges," September 2008, specifies that HM Inspectors (HMIs) will produce a number of subject aspect reports over the four years 2008-12. These reports complement in a subject-specific context the generic evaluations of…

This article explores the critical pedagogical issues that emerge when attempting to develop active citizenship among undergraduates as an integral part of the student experience. It presents part of the findings from a C-SAP-funded project (Gifford et al. 2006) that we undertook with a partner higher education institution. This article explores…

Since 2002, adult numeracy specifications have been introduced for the first time in England. This article investigates the relevance of Bernstein and Shulman's theoretical frameworks to teacher training using the new Level 4 adult numeracy teacher training programmes as an example. The article discusses Bernstein's theories relating to pedagogic…

The further education (FE) curriculum in Scotland's colleges aims to enable people to develop skills and capacities which will improve the quality of their working, personal, family and community life. To achieve this aim people need assistance to overcome barriers constraining their confidence and ability to take part in learning situations and…

This report examines the literature on practices and programs seeking to improve students' transition from adult education to postsecondary education. Ultimately, the report seeks to provide practitioners with models for effective strategies in transitioning students to postsecondary education that can be implemented at community colleges…

To this point peace education has been carried out and discussed more in elementary and high schools than in adult education. This paper stresses the need for adult education for peace and discusses the organization, content, and methods of such education, with special attention to experiences in Japan. Methods of adult education for peace in…

This article argues that adult education policy in Scotland has been constructed, in particular ways which resonate with significant cultural themes, lending them a currency which appeals to a deep sense of identity. Using the theme of universal individualism, the paper considers how ideas of community and education have been used to maintain the…

Discusses the curriculum objectives, typical student, and degree programs of Empire State College. Nontraditional course selection is possible since each student designs his/her own degree program and completes it through independent study. Programs of these non-traditional students have professional content, but the anthropological content is not…

This article discusses a partnership among professionals in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Hungary to construct a useful learning tool for adults with learning difficulties. It describes development of the training needs scale that includes units in three main educational areas: social work skills, new technologies, and European…