In zehn Beiträgen gehen die Autor/inn/en der Wirkungsgeschichte der Volkshochschulen in Ost und West nach.
The study Competencies in Later Life (CiLL) provides, for the first time, information about central basic competencies of older adults. In doing so, two research approaches are combined. First, CiLL extends the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to the age group 66 to 80 and analyses correlations between socio-demographic factors and basic competencies assessed with the PIAAC instrument. Second, a qualitative research part shows subjective opinions of …
This article provides an overview of the debate on learning environments and learning locations within adult education research; the authors use a historical review of main research topics in order to understand current learning environments and recent theoretical and empirical discussions. The term of learning environments or learning locations has been introduced into research on adult education in the 1970ies; since this time, each following decade can be characterized by several specific re…
Adult education is more and more affected by social change due to migration. This paper analyses the marginal adoption of the topic by research in the past and describes recent trends, also in practice. Perspectives for institutions of adult education such as widening access to adult education for migrants, organisational development and professionalisation are discussed. Furthermore the author names challenges for research. There should be more cooperation within the field of educational resea…
Receptive or hostile to continuing education? Course tutors caught between the pressure to conform and resistance This article presents the results of a qualitative dissertation. The author has investigated the acceptance of adult education teacher training courses among part-time and freelance teachers based on the example of the initial adult education teacher training qualification offered by the North Rhine Westphalia VHS (adult education centre) regional association. For the issue of a…
The scope of literacy courses. Results of a representative survey among adult education centres As part of the EQUALS project, the German Adult Education Association (DVV) collected statistical data on literacy courses at adult education centres; this article presents the data and compares it with figures from 1994. The number of courses has risen, as has the number of participants, but fewer institutions than before provide this service. Compared with 1994, the participants are older and t…
Die Auflösung starrer sozialer Strukturen führt dazu, dass die Menschen ihr Verhältnis zur Welt selbst herstellen und erhalten müssen. Ästhetik als Erkenntnismethode kann die Reflexion des eigenen Lebensverlaufs und die Verortung des Selbst in der Welt unterstützen – sofern Ästhetik, so der Autor, nicht auf die »Verhandlung des Schönen« reduziert wird.
Ist das »postfaktische Zeitalter« – so die Lehnübersetzung der Post-Truth Era – angebrochen? Und was bedeutet das für die Erwachsenenbildung? Diesen Fragen geht der Autor nach, indem er die Genese dieser Gegenwartsdeutung nachzeichnet und als Konsequenz nicht nur für die Erwachsenenbildung fordert, sich wieder mehr auf die Sichtweisen anderer einzulassen und Widersprüche aushalten zu können.