This study explores EFL students' perceptions of gender diversity by analyzing their interactions about Chile's same-sex marriage law in 2022. The study focused on fostering linguistic and critical skills through classroom discussions. A safe space for open conversations allowed students to express diverse views on gender diversity. While opinions…

Critical events in Leonard Matlovich's life depict a reluctant activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) equality. He served in the US military and subsequently came to personify the broad social challenges to the military's homophobic culture and recruitment practices. Matlovich's experience of a series…

'Continuous meritocracy' was introduced in Singapore to redefine the concepts of talent and ability in Singapore society. This expanded meaning of meritocracy serves as another way to further support the SkillsFuture Singapore movement (Skillsfuture Singapore, 2023b), which was launched in 2016. 'Continuous meritocracy' complements Work-Integrated…

Adult training is a fundamental strategy for the improvement of workers' skills and employability. However, as workers age and remain in the same company, the risk of losing motivation for learning may grow. In a sample of 1,452 workers from 17 Spanish companies, we analyzed to what extent the training factor increases their quality of employment…

The concept and practices associated with learning in later life provide a broad context for understanding the articles published in the IJLE. The main aim of this review is to identify dominant aspects in discourses on older learners in the IJLE and how they have changed over the decades. Hence, we identify and briefly discuss historical trends…

This study investigates how teachers working with newly arrived adolescent refugee students reflect on these students, their situation within the educational system and in Norwegian society. We research the ways in which these reflections engage with the various understandings of the ubiquitous and 'fuzzy' notion of immigrant integration, a…

It could be argued that the current adult education paradigm aligns with a liberal knowledge economy. A more critical perspective is Paulo Freire's banking education concept that removes criticality from a learner's repertoire and facilitates alignment with the prevalent liberal education and its hegemonic objectives. Drawing from Paulo Freire's…

This article reviews LGBTQ literature in US-based adult education journals and proceedings. Categories focused on workplace issues, identity, health, learning climate, educational methods, and research. Key themes included (1) harassment, isolation, and discrimination, (2) meaning-making in a heteronormative society, (3) a call for inclusion, and…

In this single-case retrospective study, we examine the phenomenon of difficult experiences in schooling and literacy as described by Diana, age 25. Drawing on convergent theories of affect, new materialism, and critical dis/ability studies, we explore educational trajectories and complexities of entangled identities. Four open-ended interviews, a…

In current Western societies, the number of students dropping out of school is high. At the same time, the importance of education leads to an increase in Second Chance Education (SCE) initiatives as an alternative way to obtain a degree. Little is known about the roles SCE can play as a learning environment for students "'dropping in'"…

Shorthand is, by definition, coded symbolism used for purposes of speed. It's a system of abbreviation, intended to skim the top of more complex systems of meaning, taking shortcuts but keeping track of the important facts. Shorthand is used all the time in adult basic education (ABE). The very name of the field, adult "basic" education,…

Low breastfeeding rates are driven by multiple bio-psycho-social factors. Experience of breastfeeding is known to differ by maternal demographic factors (age, education and ethnicity) but there is less recognition of factors such as neurodivergence. This review, prospectively registered with PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42021271465),…

Children on the spectrum often require both formal services and natural unpaid support from caregivers. Recent autism surveillance study in the US has reported an increase in racially/ethnically diverse autistic children (Maenner et al. in MMWR Surveillance Summaries 72(2):1, 2023). Standing at the intersection of race, disability and sometimes…

Adult basic education (ABE) programs in the United States serve millions of students annually to help them achieve high school equivalency, English proficiency, and other skills. These skills are necessary for upward mobility and competitiveness in the labor market, which is important for ABE students who are disproportionately affected by…

This article examines the key role that adult learning and education (ALE) has played and continues to play in addressing the challenges faced by critical engagement with identities and crossing borders in the Mediterranean region. Despite the great cultural, economic and educational diversities characterising the region, the author explores…