This 2015 updated capsule on a History and Philosophy of Andragogy includes nine new items and is mainly limited [with a few exceptions] to a chronological history and the accompanying philosophy of andragogy, in line with when the English language documents were published and personal descriptions of events were recorded. Some of these documents,…

Experiential education provides an excellent justificatory framework for the forensics program as an educational opportunity. The three major tenets of experiential education are: (1) connecting theoretical knowledge to real life experiences; (2) valuing and fostering different "ways of knowing"; and (3) encouraging lifelong learning.…

A learner-centered approach is based on the need for educational environments which promote lifelong learning, enhance critical thinking, regard teachers and learners as both teachers and learners, and encourage personal empowerment. The conceptual paradigm suggested in this document is intended for learning-space creators interested in designs…

Although a copious body of research literature concerning the practice of adult self-directed learning exists, the theoretical dimension remains undernourished and poorly developed. If a theory for self-directed learning is to be developed, educators have to decide what is the critical element among the three words in the term self-directed…

Historical development of adult education in Croatia can be identified in seven phases: (1) the beginning of the 20th century and the period between the two World Wars; (2) World War II; (3) period from 1945 to the early 1950s; (4) early 1950s to 1965; (5) period between 1965 and 1980; (6) 1980s; and (7) period after the fall of the Berlin…

Confusion and concern about the use of the term "andragogy" generated the question, "Is there a generic set of principles that guide lifelong learning?" The term "anthrogogy" (anthro = human) was created to name the way out of the confusion. To identify the assumptions that constitute anthrogogy and illustrate their…

This paper explores the ideas of six adult educators from the 1920s to determine the relevance of their thinking to modern adult educators. Three were chose from Britain: Albert Mansbridge, Basil Yeaxlee, and Richard Tawney. From the United States, three influential theorists in the area were Edward Thorndike, John Dewey, and Eduard Lindeman.…

An analytical framework based on Joel Kovel's five meditations on spirit (spirit power, spirit being, spirit meaning, spirit and desire, and divine spirit) was used to explore the spirituality of committed environmental activists. A purposeful and snowball sampling method was used to interview 18 individuals with a strong commitment to…

The New Literacy Studies (NLS) is an approach that places literacy in its wider context of institutional purposes and power relationships. The NLS has been suggested as offering a useful theoretical basis from which to proceed in developing sustainable lifelong learning in relation to literacy. The first of three issues related to this suggestion…

Social practice professionals' stubborn application of the quantitative paradigm of science in social contexts has created and perpetuated the current state of affairs such as high unemployment and rampant crime. The goal is to replace the traditional quantitative beliefs and assumptions with alternatives that create and perpetuate a more…

One of the main problems facing andragogy is that its systematic nature is more the result of other theoretical deliberations than those of its own. Until the mid-19th century, andragogy founded its development mainly on prevailing communal, social, economic, political, and cultural conditions in various countries. In the 1950s, andragogy turned…

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has reemerged as a hot topic in policy debates on educational developments in developing nations. This renewed interest in TVET is motivated by the necessity to address the new economic challenges stemming from recognition of the role of knowledge in economic development and the deep…

These four papers are from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) in the United Kingdom. "HRD and Psychological Contracts: A Case Study of Lifelong Learning" (Graeme Martin, Judy Pate, Jim McGoldrick) explores the influence of a lifelong learning program on employee perceptions of their psychological contracts in a longitudinal…

The arguments for deschooling expressed by Ivan Illich a quarter of a century ago have relevance today. We are in danger of losing their most salient insights; perhaps because the critique was phrased in this oversimplified binary form, excessive institutionalization should be countered by deinstitutionalization, professionalism by…

The United Kingdom does not yet have any lifelong learning pedagogies. The country has a stratified and segmented educational system, with little connection between those sectors that might be regarded as contributing to the concept of lifelong learning. The reasons for this lack of connections between sectors were examined during an 18-month…