Research on learning - a retrospective The history of empirical research on adults’ learning reaches back until the twenties of the last century. This contribution evokes some interpretative research on the pedagogy of learning and teaching for adults. It seems that the adult education sciences’ disciplinary memory is underdeveloped as many instructive older analysis seem to have fallen into oblivion. Recent studies mostly don’t pay attention to the linkages and continuity of the questions. …
Already Max Scheler developed a functional definition of education. With Scheler, education is not only not opposed to usefulness, but even prerequisite for reaching certain aims at all. In terms of the postmodernist media and mass society the relationship between education and usefulness has to be reformulated. With reference to Lyotard, the author develops a concept of education as a regulative idea. Under these conditions, individuals are not expected to integrate themselves culturally into…
Wie verhält sich Kompetenz zu Bildung und Qualifikation? Welches sind die Vor- und Nachteile einer Orientierung von Bildungsprozessen an Kompetenzen? Zur Beantwortung dieser Fragen richtet der Autor den Blick auf Steuerungsprozesse in der Bildungspolitik ebenso wie auf Nutzenpotenziale für die Lernenden.
Unter den Gesichtspunkten der wissenschaftlichen Verarbeitung, der Interaktion, der Bildungsintentionen und -interessen und der didaktischen Kooperation wird die Problemsituation von Theorie und Praxis der Erwachsenenbildung diskutiert.
This article aims at analyzing the consequences of using educational monitoring data for adult education research. Refering to the Statistics on German “Volkshochschulen” (Adult Education Centers) the advantages and challenges that the usage of educational monitoring data brings for research purposes are shown. This is made explicit by focussing on the research project “Governance structures and educational performance profiles in adult education organizations” (GLOW) and discussing the empiric…
The article focuses on an empirical desideratum of research on teaching and learning in adult education – the planning of courses. The planning of courses is a complex decision-making process, which influences the teaching and learning behavior. Empirical findings of schoolteachers’ planning and results of interviews with trainers in adult education are used to identify elements and potential factors that influenced planning behavior. Based on this, the article develops research prospects and a…
Complaints about the governmental withdrawal from public responsibility for adult education are most common nowadays. The "retrospects" shows how the perception of public responsibility during the last three decades of the 20th century has changed in the mirror of different political guidelines and an altering public interest in adult education.
The staff in adult and continuing education is the most important factor for a high quality and demand-oriented development of training courses and their effective implementation. However, there existed only insufficient data and information on these persons. For the first time, the wb-personalmonitor now provides data on demographics, employment situation, living conditions, job profiles, qualifications as well as job related attitudes for the staff in adult and continuing education. Thus, the…
The article studies the image of adults behind the concept of lifelong learning. Educational policy documents are studied, which substantiate strategies of lifelong learning on a global, European and national level. Papers issued by the UNESCO, OECD, EU-Commission and Federal/State Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion (Bund-Länder-Kommission – BLK) rarely explicitly include adults. The adult is – if included at all – outlined as a working person, as a citizen and as a resp…
