Editorial

The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not a hypothesized Institutional orientation existed as a a learner orientation distinct from those previously identified by Houle (Goal, Activity, Learning) and Burgess (Religious). And if it exists, to what extent it played a significant role in determining the participatory behaviour of adult learners in three different adult education institutions (local church, community college, Red Cross). The data obtained from the 30‐item composite instrument (Reasons for participation in learning activities) were submitted to a one‐way ANOVA, the Scheffe‘t‐test and chi‐square analysis. The results indicated that the Institutional orientation does exist as a distinct adult learner orientation. Chi‐square analysis of the data indicated that the church‐sponsored group was significantly different from the other two groups in the degree to which the Institutional orientation of the adults affected participation, and in the reported degree of commitment to the sponsoring institution, as well as the reported frequency of attendance at educational activities sponsored by the institution. It was concluded that the Institutional orientation does play a significant role among some adult participants. Further, that sociological aspects of the study of adult participation need to be considered if we are to understand fully all of the dynamics at work that precipitate and sustain participation in voluntary educational activities.     

Imagining the flowers,but working the rich and heavy clay: participation and empowerment in action research for health

Participation of the ‘target group’ is a key concept in working on empowerment in health education. However, it raises many questions and is not without struggle. I will discuss the findings from a study into the state of the art of empowerment in health education, which includes a literature review and the analysis of eight Dutch health‐promotion projects. An important finding is that participation is not an unequivocal concept. Professionals working in health education strongly disagree on the value, goals and meaning of participation. Moreover, in working on empowerment, a tension exists—between the ideal of participatory, ‘bottom‐up’ approaches on the one hand; and the ‘top‐down’ structure of health education programmes, on the other. I will argue for a ‘realistic approach’ in which the practice of health promotion is taken as the starting point to work on empowerment. After all, imagining the flowers is easy, but working the rich and heavy clay is the challenge.     

Adult learning in the context of African‐American women's voluntary organizations‡

The purpose of this research was to examine non‐formal adult education and informal learning within contemporary African‐American women's voluntary organizations. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with 28 women who were members of six different organizations. A semi‐structured interview process was used to elicit their perceptions regarding their (1) involvement in the education of others, (2) learning within the context of performing group membership roles and projects, (3) learning needs, and (4) comparisons of learning in this context with that in more formal educational settings. The findings of the research are discussed in relation to other research on learning in voluntary associations and the workplace. As with other studies of the voluntary association context, respondents did not seem to have given a great deal of prior thought to the nature of their learning within the context, having been more focused on the successful performance of their leadership and service roles than on what is learned from that work. They were none the less able to report numerous examples of how their work helped educate others and how they learned through their experiences. While instances of more systematic non‐formal education (e.g. orientation sessions, lectures and leadership training) were reported, the learning experiences reported more frequently and identified as most valuable seemed to reflect more informal, frequently incidental learning. This significant learning often reflected a perceived change in skills and abilities related to interacting with and working with others toward common goals, or a changing sense of self, in terms of growing self‐confidence and/or sense of connectedness to group members and the community which they sought to serve. Respondents who were quite well educated as a group, nevertheless generally indicated their preferences for the kind of interactive, experiential and situated learning that occurred as an outgrowth of group participation over the more abstract, teacher‐controlled learning they associated with formal education. These findings are discussed in terms of their importance to our understanding of informal learning, particularly that which occurs within the voluntary sector. Exploring this learning in a context specific to African‐American women is also seen as a way of moving beyond the culturally biased sampling often criticized in adult learning research.

     

A Review of Non‐formal Environmental Education in Uganda

Non‐formal environmental education and training in Uganda is reviewed and a new approach proposed. Contemporary environmental education has been characterised by a top‐to‐bottom approach, which has resulted in a dependence syndrome. It has not allowed for better perception and conceptualization of the ideas learned by the people. It has less emphasis on the roles of social change, economics and politics in environmental crisis. The new approach emphasises the adoption of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, people‐centred and participatory programmes in environmental concerns. It should embrace the diversity of the biophysical, social and economic environments and be closely associated with permanent, developmental and functional literacy programmes. Special emphasis should be given to youth, women and policy makers. The five basic functions for participation, which are identification, out‐reach, dialogue, assimilation and feed‐back, are discussed.     

THE TRAINING OF EDUCATORS OF ADULTS

What is described in this article is a project for the training of para‐professionals for adult education programmes (AE), namely, people who will be able to lead adult education without having previously acquired the necessary professional background. The project is being carried out on an experimental basis by means of an agreement between the Ministry of Education (MEC) of Spain and the Universities of Val‐ladolid and Salamanca. Community development, the basic idea underlying adult education programmes, revolves around four themes: vocational training; education directed at fostering the awareness of students of their rights and responsibilities as citizens; personal growth; and the acquisition of basic literacy. This programme is conducted in three stages: acquisition of basic knowledge via courses on theory; practical classes and workshops; and monitored practical training classes. By means of this experimental course programme, the Spanish university system is opening itself up to the training of educators of adults as a new if still minor area in the field of social education.     

The social,economic and political contexts of adults' participation in undergraduate programmes: a state-level analysis

This study examined the extent to which socially structured factors impact adults' participation in undergraduate programmes in the USA. In a collective sense, this study started with an assumption that adults' decision to participate in educational programmes does not only rely on individual psychological and their adjacent environmental attributes, but it is also, in part, influenced by socially structured contexts surrounding them. Using the state as a unit of analysis, this study analysed the relationships between socio-demographic, economic, educational and political factors and the variation of adults' participation in the undergraduate programmes. Variables from both educational and socio-demographic factors had stronger relationships with adults' participation. Some variables that states can control through policy-related actions were meaningfully associated with adults' participation. Through this sociological understanding of adult participation in higher education, this study will supplement the lack of attention to macro-level perspectives in participation research in adult education.     

Objectivity as an Educational Imperative

This paper examines the effects of the broader social, political and economic context on participation in state‐funded adult literacy programmes. Using the state as the unit of analysis it employs both a cross‐sectional and longitudinal research design to determine the impact of state characteristics on aggregate adult education participation rates.     

Towards an intercultural participatory approach to learning for the Harakmbut

The paper examines participatory intercultural adult education in the context of an integrated development project in the Peruvian Amazon. It considers `participation' and `interculturalism' and the way in which these are expressed through the educational dimension of the project. It then examines the uses and political implications of participatory approaches in adult education programmes more generally and investigates the theoretical and conceptual developments of `interculturalism' in educational programmes for and by indigenous peoples in Latin America, where the discussion has hitherto been mostly confined to formal primary education.     

Participation for Free. Exploring (limits of) participatory government

Since the 1990s participation has become a buzzword in education as well as in development contexts. In those contexts, participation has more particularly been linked up with personal promises of self‐fulfilment, ownership and self‐determination as well as with democratic ideals such as justice, equivalence and freedom. In the paper, we focus on a dominant argument in the justification and also realisation of participation in those empirical contexts, namely the claim to freedom. In order to analyse this freedom, we explore a concrete case in which we show how participatory processes promote various possibilities for the subject to enact freedom. Via Foucault's perspective of governmentality we scrutinise this argument of freedom, indicating how the possibilities and opportunities for liberation and freedom are actually governing the subject in a very particular way, constituting a specific ‘participatory’ norm.     

Adult education and indigenous people: Addressing gender in policy and practice

Adult education programmes developed for or by indigenous communities rarely seem to have addressed gender inequalities. Yet, compared to mainstream adult educational interventions promoting instrumental approaches to ‘functional literacy’, such programmes often appear highly politicised, starting from a standpoint of promoting indigenous peoples’ rights. We look at the reasons for the absence of gender analysis from policy and research on indigenous adult education and highlight key issues within indigenous adult education, when viewed from a gendered perspective, particularly language, assessment, learning structures and programme objectives. Drawing on case studies of indigenous adult education programmes in South and South-East Asia, we emphasise the need for participatory, non-hierarchical processes in adult education that can provide legitimate space for multiple voices within indigenous groups, without enhancing the sense of marginalisation. The principles underlying indigenous adult education programmes can help planners to challenge and respond to gender inequalities.     

Differential outcomes of adult education on adult learners' increase in social inclusion

To date a significant share of the European population can be considered at risk of social exclusion. It has been argued that adult education programmes are a powerful tool to support vulnerable adults increasing their social inclusion. This study aims to answer the question if and which subgroups of vulnerable adults experience an increase in social inclusion after joining adult education programmes. The results of our study show that 46.3% of the participants experience an increase of social inclusion in terms of ‘activation and internalization’ and 41.0% experience an increase in ‘participation and connection’. Results show that foreigners and people who live together experience a higher increase on variables of ‘activation and internalization’ and ‘participation and connection’. Furthermore, results show that learners who received school education at a primary level and have no professional qualification experience a higher increase of social inclusion on a few variables of social inclusion.     

Environmental volunteers: factors influencing their involvement in environmental action

The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors that influence volunteers to become involved in environmental action. The research focused on volunteers undertaking action in summer camps organised by an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Greece. The results suggest that the environmental issues addressed in volunteer programmes and the standards of volunteer organisations constitute critical predictors of a volunteer’s personal commitment to participation in an organisation. Learning and contact with nature clearly emerged as the most important factors in volunteer motivation. Furthermore, although the participants considered their environmental knowledge was sufficient to stimulate their action, they also recognised the importance of continuing to deepen that knowledge. Most of the volunteers had participated previously in environmental education (EE), but only a few considered this experience to have influenced their intention to undertake action. Finally, volunteers seemed to believe in the power of citizenship and expressed a high internal locus of control. The findings of this study could enhance NGOs’ understanding of what motivates volunteers and help them improve the quality and effectiveness of their volunteer programmes. EE practitioners could also use these findings to provide people with the proper capabilities to become consciously involved in voluntary environmental action.     

Supporting academic persistence in low‐skilled adult learners

The current literature review explores the factors that contribute to academic persistence for adult learners. The aim of the study is to identify current research‐based strategies aimed at supporting learner persistence, particularly for low‐skilled adults. Elements of three theoretical frameworks, namely, expectancy‐value theory (EVT), goal theory (GT) and self‐determination theory (SDT) are conceptualised in a new, melded cognitive model to explain better the constructs that contribute to academic persistence. These theories are used to frame and explain the challenges that adult learners face when returning to school and to understand better the psychosocial demands on adult learners, based on social cognitive theory. This study is particularly significant in the light of current national attention directed towards redesigning adult basic education programmes to include more workforce development and strategies aimed at accelerating the progress of adult learners through basic skills and into post‐secondary education and/or career training. Questions guiding the current study include identifying research‐based strategies that instructors can use, and elements of programme design that support student persistence.     

Out-of-school-time study programmes: do they work?

We analyse the prevalence and effectiveness of out-of-school-time (OST) study programmes among secondary aged students, focusing on their potential for reducing socio-economic gaps in educational achievement. Compared to several extant studies, including the only prior study for Britain, whose findings could be affected by heterogeneous participation in the programmes, our results derive from a rich dataset with multiple controls for social background, personal motivation, and school characteristics. We find that programme participation in England is relatively low among students from families with long-term unemployed parents and those in routine occupations. Participation is also lower outside London, and especially outside large cities. Our results show that OST programmes, as long as they are teacher-led, are moderately effective in improving the academic performance at the end of lower secondary education as measured by the GCSE total score. Teacher-led OST programmes compensate for previous social disadvantage. The policy implications include a focus on expanding programme availability and on incentives for participation, and attention to the regional disparities.     

Education with production in Zimbabwe: an evaluation of teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes and perceptions

The terms community development and lifelong learning have been in use for several decades and refer to different areas within the field of adult education. This paper sets out to explore the relationship between these two concepts. It examines the ways in which community development work contributes to the development of an overall system of lifelong education. Recent writing on the idea of the learning society points towards a more holistic view of education, which acknowledges learning in all its forms and venues and which values the many and varied ways in which people learn. The nature of this rapidly changing society demands that individuals and communities take up this challenge, so that they can play their part in shaping the future. This paper is based on research which was carried out in the early 1990s, under the auspices of the Community Research and Development Centre, by one of the authors (RM) as part of a DPhil study. It was constructed with a view to exploring the need for a more holistic, integrated approach to meeting the educational needs of those involved in adult education, community development and community regeneration in Belfast. The research set out to investigate the relationship between the various forms of learning, through an examination of organizations engaged in providing formal, non‐formal and informal adult learning opportunities in Belfast. The results confirm that traditional providers of adult education no longer hold a monopoly over learning and that there is an emerging sector of community and voluntary organizations engaged in providing learning opportunities for adults in their communities. There is some indication that whilst the relationship between traditional and non‐traditional providers is complex, the opportunities for learning which they offer are complementary. The voluntary and community sector emphasizes issue‐based and action‐oriented learning within a democratic, participative culture. Non‐formal providers often seek to support such groups, by providing more structured learning situations. Their programmes frequently offer an alternative adult education to that of the formal providers, who are more concerned with traditional ‘liberal adult education’. Whilst formal providers may try to be more community‐based, they are severely confined by their bureaucratic, hierarchic structure. Informal providers, however, also offer opportunities for more formal adult learning opportunities, through links with formal providers. The existence of this network suggests the basis for a system of lifelong education, which incorporates the range of adult learning opportunities.     

Promoting retention and successful completion on Masters courses in education: a study comparing e‐tuition using asynchronous conferencing software with face‐to‐face tuition

This paper considers the influence of e‐tuition using an asynchronous written conferencing package, FirstClass, upon retention and success rates for Masters‐level courses in a distance learning programme as compared with similar courses that were supported in a traditional manner using face‐to‐face tuition. The paper investigates the common assumption that the use of e‐tuition might negatively influence both retention and success rates by studying data gathered on UK Open University Masters courses in education. These data have allowed direct comparisons between e‐tutored and face‐to‐face tutored courses to be made. The effect of linking assessment to participation in activities using FirstClass is also considered in this study. This research has revealed that e‐tutoring using FirstClass appears to have no significant positive or negative influence on either retention or success on such courses.     

Widening the educational capabilities of socio‐economically disadvantaged students through a model of social and cultural capital development

Widening participation programmes aim to increase the progression of students from low socio‐economic status (SES) groups to higher education. This research proposes that the human capabilities approach is a good justice‐based framework within which to consider the social and cultural capital processes that impact upon the educational capabilities of young people from low SES groups. It presents a case study which examines the developing capability set of Irish students from a representative sample of schools participating in a university‐based widening participation outreach programme aimed at increasing social and cultural capital constructs. Qualitative analysis is presented from four schools; four student focus groups with 22 student participants, and 15 individual student interviews. Findings focus on the developing capabilities of autonomy, hope, voice and identity, as well as on the relationship between specific widening participation activities and the developing capability set. The findings highlight the development of college‐focused knowledge and how this impacts upon students’ aspiration to participate in higher education. The idea of ‘widening capability’ is discussed in relation to the potential of the capability approach to contribute an additional dimension to a mainly neoliberal policy rhetoric, which emphasises the market value of higher‐education participation. In doing so, it explores how widening participation activities can influence the widening capability set of low SES students, and its relationship with what the students deem to be ‘a life of value’.     

Seeking conditions of possibility: (re)conceptualising democratic discursive practices in a rights-based approach to adult education

This paper draws on ethnographic vignettes in an Indian rights-based approach to adult education programmes in order to examine the contestations and negotiations of facilitators in interface situations involving programme capacity building, monitoring and evaluation practice. The paper proposes that making visible the hegemonic nature of relationships between different adult education actors is critical to engendering democratic participation in adult education. It explores conditions of possibility for democratic participation in adult education in terms of (1) conceptualising empowerment as self-representation and autonomy; and (2) interrogating one’s identity through self-deconstruction as an ethical responsibility and commitment to equity and social justice. This analysis has implications for informing and enhancing democratic participation in adult education capacity building, monitoring and evaluation processes.     

Language education of adult immigrants in Greece: current trends and future developments

The increasing number of immigrants living and working in Greece has proven to be a challenge for the social as well as educational policy of this country. In order to help adult immigrants to integrate into society and facilitate their access to the job market, the Greek state has introduced special language education programmes. This paper discusses the current trends in Greece regarding immigrant language education and presents findings of a survey which aimed at exploring immigrants’ language needs and preferences. The results of this survey indicate a high interest by immigrants in learning Greek but a very low level of enrolment on and attendance of language courses. As a knowledge of Greek is necessary to improve immigrants’ socio‐economic and professional status, it is suggested that cooperation between immigrant associations and educational policy‐makers is necessary for the design of successful language programmes and the promotion of Greece’s policy of integration.