Normative Patterns of Biography and Contradictory Experiences as Resources in Women’s Educational Biographies As part of a research project on discontinuities in female educational and professional careers, this essay focusses on conflicting expectations women experience – conflicts between set normative social standards and biographies on the one hand, and the different individual plans and perspectives on the other hand. Group discussions among the participants of a Women’s Studies Program…
Interest and Learning This article presents an overview of the so-called educational-psychological theory of interest and demonstrates its relevance for the processes and results of learning. Following this theoretical approach, interest behaviour can be described as a relation between person and object. It is accompanied by self-determination, positive emotions and a strong personal relation to certain objects or actions. Advantages of interest-motivated learning appear in improving cogniti…
Didactics – more than the art of teaching? The contribution gives an overview of the historical terms of didactics. With the background of changing paradigms, drawn is the entry of the didactical term into adult education and its development since the 1960s. One focus of the consideration is on the didactical change from “teaching“ to “formation of learning contexts”, which was influenced by the discussion on constructivism. Concluding, the author elaborates on the state of research on didac…
Organisation psychological profit for adult education using the example of "quality" In this contribution organisation psychological theory concepts and empirical methods are used for the current problem of educational institutions of providing a "quality proof" – in the sense of the implementation of quality management systems -, in order to maintain the continuity of their promotion. Before, the organisational psychology is sketched in its extension level, its methods and its reception beh…
Gender mainstreaming is gaining relevance in gender and equality policy. But gender democracy means not only equal rights and chances of men and women but also the depart from hegemonial virility as a dominant social structural principle. This political target is far from being reached. Education under the perspective of gender democracy should be orientated at the “new man”. – The article is the answer of the (male) author to three questions for the understanding, the development and the most …
The current paper deals with cooperation under the perspective of governance from an organizational view. According to the variety forms of cooperation in the field of adult education, cooperation can be seen as a medium that adult educational organizations can use for their reproduction and coordination in different institutional environment. Based on empirical findings from a case study it can be shown that organizations initiate cooperation for collecting resources and legitimation. In this …
This contribution focuses on the significance of analyzing learning processes in case-based learning in continuing education. These analyses play a crucial role in finding explanations for the lack of effective instructional interventions. Furthermore, they allow for the immediate review of assumptions on learning mechanisms. After a brief overview of data collection techniques and of the typical data structure underlying such analyses, the procedure for conducting the analysis is described. Af…
Indivisible but Limited. Inclusion in View of Severe and Multiple Disabilities in the Light of the Danish Experiences “Indivisibility“ is given the upmost priority in the discussion about inclusion. Does “indivisible” also imply “unlimited”? The author sees limitations to the right of inclusive adult education. Acknowledging these limitations is a prerequisite for developing successful forms of inclusion. Not attracting a sufficient number of “non-disabled” participants is a limitation of p…
The paper is based upon a qualitative-empirical study in the field of basic education for adults (literacy, numeracy, language, and computer skills). The study is located in the andragogical research on teaching and learning. A constitutive characteristic of the examined basic skills courses is the variety of the participants. The variety is both, didactical challenge and potential, for it enables teaching and learning interactions. With interpreting some data examples the paper aims to show ho…
Weaving the ‘carpet of memories’: a zigzag movement between association and knowledge This article presents a didactical strategy in the form of »zigzag learning« which works on the basis of a constant linkage between free associative learning elements (sporadic learning) with a logically structured content (systematic learning). A »carpet of memory« is woven in this zigzag movement which is propitious for learning efficacy. The strategy is presented using an example from school biology cla…
