This paper draws on longitudinal birth cohort data for Britain to analyse participation in learning activities by people in their 30s and 40s. People in this age group have received less attention than either young adults or people in retirement. Yet technical change and the need for new skills make it important for them to engage in learning to…

The European Union's policies on lifelong learning, initiated in the 1990s, have significantly influenced the development of Italy's legislative framework in this area. This paper presents the key findings from a series of collaborative research projects conducted between Roma Tre University and the National Forum of the Third Sector. Undertaken…

Low-educated adults participate less in adult education than higher-educated adults. In this study, we analyze psychosocial barriers to learning while acknowledging that barriers for low-educated adults may be different from those of medium- and high-educated adults. An extended version of the Theory of Planned Behavior is used to study training…

'Learn with NALA' is an online learning service provided by Ireland's National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA). It supports the development of adult literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills at Levels 1 to 3 on the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) through a virtual learning environment (VLE) and associated supports. This case…

This article employs narrative methodologies to present the stories of three asylum seekers enrolled in two adult learning centres in the Lombardy region of Italy. The author draws on Axel Honneth's theory of recognition to provide an understanding of how these adult learners' experiences might impact their self-identity. Based on the narratives…

In the UK context of an ageing population, degree apprenticeships represent a new opportunity to study for a degree while working. Apprentices are full-time employees granted time to study for a degree with a significant workplace learning component. The aim of this study was to focus on whether degree apprenticeships are working for adult…

The study deals with strategies for legitimising non-participation in adult education and training (AET) in groups of people with the lowest levels of participation: low-educated workers, retired individuals and people on parental leave. It aims to identify and describe strategies for legitimising non-participation. Results are based on extensive…

This report demonstrates how credit for prior learning (CPL) can revolutionize education and career advancement for older adults and veterans while supporting the success of postsecondary education institutions. Focusing on the untapped potential of decades of experience, the report explores how CPL can make higher education more accessible and…

This article explores the experiences of a group of women who having achieved success in education and returned to the adult learning environment again. A creative methodological approach allows the women to describe in their own words experiences of educational success and motivations to return to learning. Discussion points predominantly focus…

Many adult learning centres in England provide numeracy (or mathematics) education to adults in all sectors of society, including migrants from countries across the world. This study takes one group of migrants --- those from Zimbabwe --- and explores the relevance of adult numeracy education to the needs and aspirations of Zimbabwean adult…

This is a study of the process of biographical learning and how it can be observed in narration. There have not yet been empirical studies focused explicitly on the learning aspects of biographical learning, as scholars have focused more on the biographical part of the concept -- more on the question of what is learned than of how it is learned.…

Software has become central to every part of modern life and supports everything from managing personal schedules to managing global supply chain systems. In creating new or updating existing software, software developers often need to incorporate new technology. When software developers learn new technology using tutorials, their experience with…

'Recognition of prior learning' (RPL) has developed into an important instrument to support the permeability of education and training systems. Based on an extensive review of documents, this article analyses the global diffusion of RPL in vocational education and training systems (VET), with a specific focus on its diffusion through development…

This paper presents innovative concepts and approaches on human transformative education and learning. The author relies on the works of well-known scholars such as Dewey (2009), Boud and Walker (1998), and Mezirow (1990; 1991; 1997), among others. The overarching views throughout this paper are that learning is not universal and that…

While pedagogical translanguaging has been shown to have substantive positive impact on student learning outcomes internationally, adult education has not yet widely embraced the concept. This paper introduces the idea of translanguaging, the concept of encouraging students to rely on their existing linguistic knowledge when learning a new…