The demographic change and the growing demand of skilled workers in Germany puts workers with migration background in the focus of interest in politics, economy, research and, increasingly, of adult education. The following article analyses empirically the relationship between the socio-cultural determinants, which are theoretically embedded in Esser’s model of social integration, and the participation in further vocational education of working adults with a migration background in Germany on t…
Inter-organizational cooperation is understood as a possibility to react on the needs of low skilled adults through the conception of adequate offers. The conception and implementation of new second chance qualification offers that provide a vocational qualification for adults does not only require organizations in the educational system. Also further partners are needed to combine different services across system boundaries that correspond to the educational and to the economic system. The sys…
Initial results of the Level One Survey Germany (leo.) show that functional illiteracy affects 14.5 percent of working-age population (18–64 years of age). This translates into 7.5 million people who lack functional literacy skills in Germany. We will first introduce the method and design of the study. We will then explain the decisions taken in order to obtain the estimate of the dimension of functional illiteracy. These decisions were carefully taken, and they have contributed to a rather con…
The article summarizes the results of a case study in which two further education courses at universities are comparatively analyzed. It is examined how the knowledge transfer is linked to the governance of the courses. It can be shown that there is instrumental knowledge transfer in connection with managerial governance in the one study course whereas the other study course is distinguished by reflexive knowledge transfer and academic self-governance.
Die Bedeutung von Alphabetisierung und Grundbildung in nationalen wie internationalen Bildungsdebatten ist unbestritten. Eine Vielzahl der in Deutschland laufenden Projekte wird im Jahr 2010 Arbeitsergebnisse präsentieren und erste Nachweise für deren erfolgreiche Implementierung in die gesellschaftliche Praxis erbringen. Dieses Heft versammelt sowohl Beiträge zur Theorieentwicklung als auch Grundlagen für deren praktische Umsetzung. Gastherausgeberin: Monika Tröster
This article presents results of a national medical impact analysis of relaxation and stress-management courses. The impact on health was examined on 132 persons at 40 adult colleges (VHS) at the beginning and end of courses as well as three months thereafter. The courses attained high levels of satisfaction among the participants and significantly improved health-related quality of life, psychological and physical ailments, and this effect remained three months after the end of the course as w…
Literacy as a social practice in a district. An ethnographic theory for basic education practice In German-speaking countries, the theoretical discussion on literacy work is characterised far more by a focus on deficits than is the Anglo-Saxon debate. This article narrows this theoretical gap by adopting Barton & Hamilton’s ethnographic research approach to local literacies for an empirical investigation into literacy practices. The project presented here studies how and why reading and wri…
Serving oneself. The new voluntary work and the role of full-time educationalists People’s own learning and development motives play a more important role in the “new voluntary work” than before. This article relates subjective descriptions by volunteers of the learning motives underlying their commitments and adopts a profession-oriented theoretical perspective to relate these to a strategy of support for volunteers by full-time educationalists, referred to as learning and development supp…
Personal and organisational educational counselling The need for support in the search for tailor-made educational programmes is growing along with the ongoing individualisation of educational pathways. Counselling of individuals and organisations is gaining importance in this context. This issue focuses both on new theories as well as educational policy developments, devoting attention to current challenges in various fields of action: the training of vocational counsellors, research of coun…