BOOK REVIEW

Public educators of adults, because of their locally based programs, are strategically positioned to facilitate the learning of large numbers of older people. Little is known, however, about how these educators view the learning needs of elders who live in their communities. We conducted a telephone interview survey, using fixed‐response and open‐ended questions, with 30 directors of public adult education programs in Maine. The instrument assessed how important particular educational goals were for these directors at the time of the interview and how important each should be in the future. We examined both outcome and process variables. Health education was the outcome factor with the largest discrepancy between present and future program goals. Outreach to elders not presently participating in adult education programs was the process factor with the largest discrepancy. We discuss implications of this research for adult education and for potential partnerships between local educators and gerontologists.     

Qualification paths of adult educators in Sweden and Denmark

The qualification of adult educators is a central aspect of the quality of adult education. However, within current policy discourses and adult education research on the professional development of prospective adult educators, little attention is paid to teacher qualification when compared to other fields of education and training. In this study, we analyse the qualification paths, or learning trajectories, of prospective adult educators in Sweden and Denmark. The analysis is based on narrative interviews with 29 students in training to become adult educators. The career paths of adult educators are often long and winding roads. Becoming an adult educator could be their primary desire, but it could also be their ‘Plan B’, a second choice. Individual motives and external demands interact in the professionalisation process. A shift in focus from teaching subject and methods to teaching context and the relation to the learners is part of the professional development. Finally, we argue that both academic studies and hands-on work in the adult education community are crucial parts of the adult educator's qualification path.     

Futuristic Metropolis or Second-rate Port? Adult education in Hong Kong before and after 1997

Despite China's assurances about 'one country, two systems', adult education in Hong Kong is in for some big changes. This paper maps the present adult education landscape, reviews research, posits four scenarios concerning the future and identifies challenges to be faced by adult educators in Hong Kong after 1997. Returning Hong Kong to the bosom of a Maoist, MarxistLeninist state is not necessarily good news for Marxist adult educators. Functionalist orthodoxy will be permitted but those committed to Marxist (critical, emancipatory) approaches to adult education will be in jeopardy because of laws about subversion. Adult education is shaped by the context in which it occurs and what happens to critical adult educators in Hong Kong after 1997 will signal the extent to which ''one country, two systems'' is reality or illusion.     

Nordic-Baltic cooperation in adult education: A collective story of Estonian adult educators

Adult Education has many values, including experiences and co-operation among people, and the fact that adult education is full of stories from adult educators, which can help to understand trends in the past and developments in the present. Established in 1991 as part of a more general regional cooperation among five Nordic and three Baltic countries (NB8), Nordic-Baltic cooperation in adult education has been mutually enriching and has resulted in the growth of a professional network. The cooperation has led participants through a time of new sources of values, knowledge and contacts, socialisation and transformation, inspiration and challenges, which has influenced their experiences and professional identities. This paper is based on the results of a study entitled “Nordic-Baltic cooperation in adult education: Experience and stories” and focuses on the experiences and professional identities of two generations of Estonian adult educators. The empirical data for the study were collected using narrative-biographical interviews. The paper discusses two research questions: (1) What is the perception and influence of experiences for adult educators? and (2) How have their experiences influenced the professional identity of adult educators?     

Changing knowledge,changing technology: implications for teacher education futures

Recent research in teacher education futures has identified two themes that require further study: the changing nature of knowledge and the changing capabilities of technologies. This article examines the intersection of these two themes and their implications for teacher education. The research employed futures methodologies based on scenario creation. With a focus on the above themes or dimensions, a panel of experts was interviewed to draw on its collective wisdom to explore alternative teacher education futures. Data from these interviews were analysed to stimulate the construction of four future teacher education scenarios. Feedback on the scenarios was obtained from teacher educators in Europe and Australia. The scenarios were then revised based on this feedback. The final scenarios are presented here as a way of provoking discussion among teacher educators about teacher education futures.     

成人教育工作者专业社会化路径的质的研究

成人教育是我国终身教育体系的重要构成和学习型社会的强力支撑。成人教育工作者作为成人教育活动的核心力量,其自身的专业水平直接关系到成人教育应对当前各种机遇和挑战的能力。因此,无论从成人教育理论还是从实践发展的视角来看,成人教育工作者专业社会化都是一个新兴而重要的研究课题。所谓专业社会化,是指个体习得一定的专业知识、专业技能、专业态度、专业价值以逐步胜任其专业角色的过程。通过对四位资深成人教育工作者的质的研究发现,成人教育工作者专业社会化是通过职前教育、在职培训、终身自我导向学习和反思性实践等多重路径共同实现的,而非单一路径在发挥作用。总体而言,职前教育和在职培训在成人教育工作者专业社会化历程中具有奠基性的意义和作用,终身自我导向学习可以说是成人教育工作者专业社会化的有效阶梯,而反思性实践则堪称成人教育工作者专业社会化的羽翼。另外,成人教育自身的实践性较强、以及我国成人教育学科建设与理论研究发展滞后等原因,又导致了我国成人教育工作者专业社会化路径的特殊性。     

Teacher education in Australian Universities in a period of change: Predictions and preferences for the year 2000

Predictions and preferences for teacher education in Australia in the year 2000 were identified by surveying teacher educators. The survey was undertaken in 1991, soon after dissolution of the binary system in Australian higher education and at a time of increasing government concern about teacher education. Respondents commented on the future research and teaching missions of teacher educators, the representation and status of teacher education within Australian universities, and relationships between teacher educators, schools and government. Forecasts concerning teacher education in the year 2000 were generally pessimistic, and they conveyed the sense that the training of teachers will be governed by an agenda over which teacher educators have limited direct control. The results of the survey are discussed with reference to the impact that recent changes in the Australian higher education system have had on teacher educators.     

Illiterates in south africa: who are they and what motivates them to participate in literacy campaigns?

This study seeks to identify the key factors influencing the participation of adult learners in literacy campaigns in South Africa. Preliminary research has indicated that adult educators often do not know and understand what inspires adult learners to participate in literacy education. The present study underscores that illiterates tend to be motivated by the same desire for self-actualization as any other member of society, and may well stop participating in classes unless educators are more responsive to their needs and aspirations. Vocational and economic expectations, children’s education, family relations, health, social motives, and gender issues as well as simply the hope for a better future all need to be taken account of. It is also shown that functional literacy in itself does not automatically empower women in the workplace.     

Reflections on the Professionalisation of Adult Educators in the Framework of Public Policies in Portugal

The discussion in this article is based on recent research carried out by the author recently on adult education public policies and her participation in the Adult Learning Practitioners in Europe (ALPINE) project coordinated by Research voor Beleid (The Netherlands) and funded by the European Commission. The analysis presented here stresses the challenges faced by adult educators in Portugal in the last decades and the concerns about the emerging professionalisation process that started in the framework of observed adult education and training public policy.     

成人教育工作者专业化：成人学习质量保障--德国波恩“成人教育工作者专业化：国际比较视角”会议述评

成人教育工作者专业化是国际大趋势,成为保障成人教育以及终身学习质量的基础。在德国波恩召开的“成人教育工作者专业化：国际比较视角”学术会议呈现了诸多研究热点。成人教育工作者能力建设是其中一个非常重要的议题,学者提出的关于成人教育工作者核心能力的界定方式,打破了传统的根据工作场所进行分类的禁锢。学者认为其能力开发,学术专业化是专业化的重要基础,持续专业发展是贯穿工作者职业生涯的不可或缺的重要部分。对于成人教育工作者的身份认同,“谁是成人教育工作者”是会议讨论中最难得出统一答案的问题,关键是在广泛定义成人教育工作者与“专业界限”之间需要有一个理性平衡。这次国际会议西方话语体系占主导地位,创造成人教育工作者专业化“中国经验”,是推进我国终身教育体系中的一项重要使命。     

现代教育理论视野下的成人学生观探析

现代教育视野下的成人学生观与传统教育视野下的成人学生观有着本质的不同。现代教育视野下的学生观强调每一个成人学生都是具有独特发展优势的个体,要求教育者充分相信他们;强调成人学生是主体的人,要求教育者充分发挥他们的主体精神;强调把成人学生当做一个发展的人,要求教育者用发展变化的眼光看待他们;强调成人学生是一个具体的人,要求教育者因材施教;强调成人学生是一个整体的人,要求教育者用联系的、全面的观点对待他们。     

The impact of Nordic adult education ideas on the development of a democratic society in Lithuania

This article analyses the role of the cooperation with and the influence of the Nordic countries on the development of a democratic society in Lithuania through adult education since the reinstatement of its independence from Soviet regime in March 1990 to the present. The authors focus on three main areas: (1) the training of Lithuanian adult educators; (2) the establishment and development of NGOs; and (3) the implications for a Lithuanian policy of adult education. Within the framework of Nordic-Baltic cooperation established among five Nordic and three Baltic countries (NB8) in 1992, Lithuanian adult educators seized the opportunity to visit Scandinavian institutions and projects. Experiencing Nordic adult education ideas has resulted in a marked shift in Lithuanian adult educators’ values, methodology and careers; and in the establishment of a series of very influential umbrella associations as well as hundreds of NGOs in Lithuania which work with adults and support functioning democratic values in society. This shift is related to the civic responsibility and active participation growing out of the bottom-up approaches of group work, cooperation, discussions and learning circles which are so inherent in the Nordic tradition of adult education. The internalisation of new democratic values was more complicated than expected for many Lithuanian politicians, adult educators and NGO leaders in terms of how political decisions were perceived and implemented. Furthermore, the influence of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation in adult education may also be traced in adult education policy implications in Lithuania. Some changes in the policies of contemporary Lithuania have not been successful and even failed to promote a democratic society.     

The Professionalisation of Adult Educators in the Baltic States

Adult education and lifelong learning together form one of the priorities for development in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The important historical and social context in which the professional development of adult educators has been taking place in the Baltic States since they regained their independence in the 1990s is the changes that occurred in the socio-political, economic and social life since then. There is greater concern about the need to qualify adult education practitioners so as to enhance quality in the provision of adult education and training. However, the prerequisites for the professional development of adult educators are a neglected area of research when compared with other fields of education and training.
In this article, we shall analyse the professional development of adult educators as follows:

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  How transformational changes in the Baltic States during the past decade have influenced adult education policy and practice, the adult education profession itself and the professional development of adult educators;
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  How adult education policies, initial education and training practices affect the process of professional development among adult educators;
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  What the professional development of adult educators consists in.

     

Development of the profession and qualifications of adult educators in Lithuania in the context of reforms of adult education

The Baltic countries regained their independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and joined the European Union in 2004. This article seeks to explore institutional development and reforms of adult education and lifelong learning in Lithuania with respect to the processes, the actors and the context of socioeconomic change over the past 20 years. It also looks at the implications of these processes for the professionalisation of adult educators, referred to here as “adult learning teachers” (ALTs). The authors begin with an analysis of the historical-institutional and political-economical aspects of the development of adult education and lifelong learning by providing a retrospective of institutional change in Lithuania. They then move on to analyse the existing institutional and legal arrangements of adult education which shape and institutionalise the profession and qualifications of ALTs. Their empirical research reveals the opinions of Lithuanian ALTs on their current professional occupational profile and its future development.     

Current trends and priorities in Canadian adult education

Canadian adult education is predominantly institutionalized and professionalized, oriented more towards individual rather than societal needs, and marked by competition rather than cooperation among its providers.

Since the 1960s there has been a definite thrust towards motivation and education of underprivileged groups in society, among these those with low schooling, the poor, and ethnic minorities. Considerable strides have been made in the education of women. Retired people are another population group which made an impact on adult education in Canada. The use of broadcast television in adult education thus far is not widespread, but there is a growing use of tele‐conferencing for professional development. Most recently there is a growing interest among adult educators in non‐traditional clientele and forms of adult education, but very little show of interest and support by the governments. The two major competing thrusts in Canadian adult education are the further vocationalization and institutionalization of adult education, and the shift from adult education to adult learning which could lead to further individualization of adult education. It is too early to tell yet whether either one of these opposing thrusts will become dominant in the future and, if so, which one.     

Teacher education futures: today’s trends,tomorrow’s expectations

Education is facing significant political and contextual challenges that will impact its future. This study employs a Delphi methodology to investigate teacher educators’ views of current trends and their consequences for teacher education futures. Interviews were conducted with a sample of expert teacher educators drawn from eight countries. This provided international perspectives on both local and global trends. The data were analysed to identify and elaborate key themes reported by the participants. The article draws on these themes to develop brief narratives around current developments that the teacher educators argue will have a major impact on the future of teacher education. These narratives are used to develop possible scenarios to inform thinking about teacher education futures.     

成人教育教师专业能力发展——基于非正式学习的视角

成人教育教师是成人教育的直接实施者,其自身素质是影响成人教育质量的关键。非正式学习由于具有形式多样灵活、能够缓解工学矛盾等优点,成为成人教育教师专业能力发展的重要工具。本文在对非正式学习和成人教育教师专业能力等相关概念界定的基础上,结合成人教育教师的专业特性,从非正式学习的视角,提出发展成人教育教师专业能力的策略。     

What stories do I tell now? New times and new narratives for the adult educator

Globally, the world of adult education has been much transformed in recent years. While there has been an expansion in the provision made available to adults, the profile of that provision has shifted with a greater emphasis placed on work‐related and certificated education and training, and an increased diversity in learning settings. This has led to a sense of crisis over the meaning of adult education as a specific form of provision and what it means to be an adult educator.

This article examines the ways in which these changes have found expression in the narratives through which adult educators construct their practices and experiences as meaningful. We argue that there is an interaction between the impact of contestation and change in the field of adult education and learning, its narrative or story‐telling practices and the processes by which the identities of adult educators are formed. We examine the significance of this interaction by drawing on three inter‐related themes‐‐the so‐called turn to textuality, the changes taking place in the economy and the organisation of work including the work of adult educators, and contemporary debates over (post) modern identities. In this way, we demonstrate the significance of new theoretical perspectives in providing insights into the contemporary condition of adult educators.     

The professional learning needs and priorities of higher-education-based teacher educators in England,Ireland and Scotland

Against a rapidly changing policy landscape for teacher education, exacerbated by ‘Brexit’ in the UK, findings are presented from an electronic survey of 272 higher-education based teacher educators in England, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland about their experiences of, and priorities for, professional learning. While the data generated were mainly quantitative data, qualitative features were embedded within the survey design. Both types of data have been used to draw out complexities that emerge when exploring a professional group of educators responsible for the preparation of a future generation of teachers. The findings are presented and discussed in relation to the professional demographics of the sample, research expectations placed on them and teacher educators’ priorities for professional learning. Given the unique occupational position of teacher educators, their importance in the quality of teacher education and the lack of formal focus on their professional development, our starting point for teacher educators’ professional development lies in their practice situated and positioned within global, regional, national and local policy contexts.     

The training of adult education personnel in Botswana

The article provides a case study from Africa on the issues involved in training adult education personnel. It describes the social and organisational context of adult education in Botswana as the background to a discussion of training needs. A quantification of full-time adult education posts is presented to give an indication of the scope of these needs. The provision of training is then analysed in terms of four different types — initial, middle-level, advanced and inservice. The need for more systematisation and co-ordination is identified and a central role for the University is suggested. The content and methods of training are considered and the central question of the impact of training raised. It is argued that the effectiveness of training must be assessed by a three dimensional analysis which situates the personal competence of the adult educator within an organisational and socio-economic context. Finally, research and evaluation are advocated as essential in two respects. Firstly, in order to develop the knowledge-base about the theory and practice of adult education in Botswana on which to provide the content of courses. Secondly, in order to analyse the training programmes themselves. The article concludes by suggesting a framework for the future development of training for adult educators in Botswana.