Scientific guidance as empirical research and consultancy Scientific guidance as a self-evident component of adult education stands in area of tension of empirical research and consultancy. This tension ratio can be dissolved when one dissolves scientific guidance in two phases, one survey phase and a consultancy phase, which are then defined as different situations of adult education.
Exploring the inner aspect of learning. Methodological considerations for investigating life-long learning This article sets out research methods required for qualitative research aimed at understanding the inner aspect of learning. The aim is to make qualitative single case studies more relevant with regard to issues of education policy and social analysis. For this purpose, the following measures are proposed. (1) Close reading and reflexivity: Precisely studying the source texts sheds lig…
In diesem Essay wird die Konjunktur der Evaluation als zentrales Mass von Bildungsmanagement und Qualitätssicherung kritisch hinterfragt und verschiedene Evaluationstypen unterschieden. Danach gibt es: "Systemevaluation zum Zweck von Spar-, Abbau oder Umbaumassnahmen; immanenten Evaluation und Forschung zum Zwecke der Steuerung pädagogischen Handelns: Evaluation zu Legitimationszwecken, Evaluation in betrieblichen Transferprozessen zur Begleitung und Sicherung von Bildungsverwertung." Gege…
In zehn Porträts ausgewählter EB-Pioniere von Weitling über Zetkin und Luxemburg bis Strzelewicz werden die Anfänge der Erwachsenenbildung in einem Zeitraum von mehr als 100 Jahren erzählt. Durch diese besondere Auswahl, die Quellentexte und die (teilweise erstveröffentlichten) Fotografien öffnet sich der Blick auf die Geschichte der Erwachsenenbildung und ermöglicht neue Interpretationen.
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…
Diese Expertise begleitet den disziplinübergreifenden Diskurs der Arbeitsgruppe „Lernforschung“, welche vom DIE 2004 einberufen wurde. Die Expertise prüft, präsentiert und reflektiert den Stand der empirischen Erforschung des Lernens in der Disziplin Erwachsenenbildung. Für den Zeitraum von 1990 bis 2004 werden in kurzen Skizzen rund 50 Studien vorgestellt, die sich auf systematisch erhobene und methodisch kontrollierte Befunde stützen. Ihre Gegenstände reichen vom Lernen in Institutionen über …
Based on the currently observable »generation change« in organizations of adult and continuing education, the text deals with conflicts between different generations and age groups, which may arise from this special situation of transition. Different forms of conflicts and tensions are outlined with regard to selected findings from studies of business and adult educational research on organizations. Above all organizations of adult and continuing education are confronted with the dilemma of con…
This article presents the results of an empirical research project in which participants in continuing education and employees were surveyed about their learning times. The survey indicated that (1) continuing education is co-financed on a large scale through the devotion of private time. (2) Individuals show flexibility and commitment in creating their own learning and continuing education times. (3) Times can no longer be clearly assigned to “learning” and “working” even from a subjective poi…
The authors explain their model of transferring self-directed learning elements from the context of projects to their daily work as adult education teachers in the Volkshochschule des Landkreises Gießen (adult education school). They focus on usability and investigate the learners' view on self-directed learning. Their results: If resources are used wisely, the implementation of self-directed learning is possible and learners appreciate it.