The Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA) recognizes the importance of nonformal and informal learning in lifelong learning. They provide more opportunities for learners because they are more inclusive and accessible. One of the strategies is the establishment of community learning centers that provide opportunities for various kinds of learners.…

This article provides an overview of adult learning theory, focusing on the theories covered in this issue of New Directions in Adult and Continuing Education. In offering a brief synopsis of each article and reflecting on the ways adult learning theories have evolved since the first update was published in 1993, this article explains several…

What constitutes an "Asian perspective" in the field of adult education? Through a literature review of journal articles from 1990 to 2023 on adult education in the geographical category of Asia, I analyzed how these discussions connect to an Asian perspective. I identified five approaches through which Asian voices have been articulated…

This chapter addresses the challenges facing men of color who return to adult education after incarceration. It frames their experience as a war from a sociopolitical and cultural context, and then explains the support men need to succeed both in and outside the classroom.

This chapter discusses the influence of cultural identity and social conditions on the transition to adulthood in a stratified, multicultural context.

This chapter focuses on religious institutions or the institutionalized church as an environment where older adults commonly engage as learners, primarily from a spiritual dimension but also within a secular context. It emphasizes the agency of older adults who learn in this specific cultural context in a range of modes for diverse purposes. While…

The sites of adult education practice are multiple, and museums feature regularly among these sites (Chadwick and Stannett, 1995, 2000). This chapter explores the potential of museums as sites for critical "public pedagogy." It foregrounds the role of adult educators as co-interrogators with adult learners of what is generally perceived…

The author has felt for many years that stories and dialogue are at the heart of good teaching and learning environments. In the classes that have shaped her learning and development the most, the teaching and learning roles were shared and interchangeable. These environments were rich with narrative, voice, dialogue, and spaces for all to speak…

Today recent polls have indicated that the Canadian public considers the environment and climate change as their top concern (De Souza, 2007), perhaps eclipsed only by recent economic fears. In keeping with the historical responsiveness of adult educators, environmental adult education (EAE) is widespread across North America. However, this area…

Whenever a second language is the object of learning, identity (or sense of self) is at stake, and the question of what community and what speech community one belongs to, strives to belong to, or is afraid to belong to raises complex issues. As stated by Zarate, Bhimji, and Reese (2005): "A bicultural identity is not necessarily a homogeneous or…

Information, communication, and educational technologies hold promise to connect geographically isolated rural communities, offering adults greater access to educational, financial, and numerous other resources. The Internet and computer-based network technologies are often seen as remedies for communities in economic decline, but they also have…

Culturally relevant adult education can validate learners' cultural identity and use their cultural knowledge for personal and social transformation. Educators' cultural self-awareness and cultural knowledge about adult learners is best achieved through experiential learning. (SK)

Four elements of the context of professional practice influence continuing professional education: professional allegiance, nature of professional work, narratives in organizational culture, and level of independence and autonomy. Individual agency and positionality (sociocultural background) should also be considered. (Contains 14 references.)…

To create inclusive learning environments that accommodate multiple world views, adult educators must undertake critical reflective analysis of sociocultural identities and assumptions (their own and those of learners) and use this knowledge to take reflective action. (Contains 17 references.) (SK)

Factors influencing retention of African Americans in adult basic education include connection of learning and lived experiences, relevance, recognition of the value they place on education, and inclusion of polyrhythmic realities. The latter are learners' lived experiences within sociocultural, political, and historical contexts. (SK)