In this conceptual paper, I delve into the urgent necessity of reshaping adult education and advocate for the adoption of critical feminist theory as a foundational framework for the examination of adult education. Based on the theories of adult education and critical feminist theory, I argue that a critical feminist lens could help educators…

It is widely acknowledged that adult education and lifelong learning are becoming more important than ever. Several universities in Britain are responding, by placing lifelong learning at the centre of their university strategy for the institution as a whole. But it will take investment to bring about the sort of change required, and to develop…

The educational historian Brian Simon is well known for his portrayal of the social and political conflicts surrounding adult working-class education in 19th and early 20th-century England. However, the third and fourth volumes of his classic history of education in Britain, covering the period from 1920 to 1940 and 1940 to 1990 respectively,…

The precarity of professionals working in schools and colleges at a time of change has been strongly accented by the competitive markets that currently characterise education and the influence of its global reforms. In this article, I draw on empirical data from a project located in a sixth-form college to argue that the field of Further Education…

This article describes programmatic and instructional responses to the shutdown and the changing needs of learners that were triggered by the spread of COVID-19. It reports on the findings of a group of researchers who interviewed a convenience sample of state adult education staff, program managers, instructional leaders and supervisors, and…

In this paper, I will analyze the shifts of adult education historically through the lens of power and policies, technology, the nature of the field, and the structural constraints in the context of higher education. The findings show that in general, in the field of adult education, there has been a change from social justice, anti-poverty to…

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…

Adult literacy is an essential subject to examine given its impact on human development indicators. A significant gap exists as nation-states progress on these indices, especially in developing economies. National governments and international and bilateral development organizations seek to improve adult literacy metrics for the developing world…

This article presents a framework for ethics for radical and transformative education. Taking as a starting point ethical perspectives by which educators of adults are justified in imposing upon, coercing, and manipulating adult learners in the name of social justice, this article highlights the necessary connection between pedagogies and learning…

Adult Education in the Republic of Ireland has experienced exponential change. Since 2013, the Further Education and Training (FET) sector has developed and implemented a range of strategies and policies transforming the landscape. Policy implementation is a complex process and as the 16 Education and Training Boards work to interpret FET policy…

Professionalism in the context of public sector professions is a changing concept, which is subject to different interpretations. The sociologist Julia Evetts has developed two models, occupational and organisational professionalism, which are useful conceptual tools which help us to understand from a wider theoretical perspective the changing…

Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, through trial and error and sharing stories of successes and failures, have resulted in progress in the quest to resume what we refer to as normal or regular college life for students, faculty, and staff. However, it is doubtful that we will ever get back to the exact same situation that we were in…

Lifelong Learning (LLL) has become a pliable term in educational discourse running the risk of meaning both everything and nothing, making it necessary to look at how the notion of LLL has been taken up in different contexts, especially within the context of policy development. Because of the inconsistent ways LLL has been peppered throughout…

The 6th Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE 6), to be published in 2026, aims to explore how adult learning and education can respond to and shape the rapid transformations occurring globally. By focusing on the key drivers of change -- such as digitalization, economic crises, environmental sustainability, conflict, and health…

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Adult and Community Learning Services Unit and UPD Consulting engaged in a multiyear partnership to provide adult education providers across the state with people-centered, action-oriented training opportunities focused on antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI). This…