Rural communities with rich cultural heritage increasingly face the challenge of developing tourism in ways that preserve local meaning, strengthen community participation, and avoid externally imposed forms of representation. In Ban Nam Sod, a Hmong village in northern Thailand, these challenges are closely connected to cultural continuity, local governance, and lifelong cultural learning. This study aimed to develop a culturally grounded, community-driven model for managing cultural tourism in Ban Nam Sod. Using a qualitative Research and Development (R&D) approach, the study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data were collected from 50 local participants through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis identified underutilised cultural capital, intergenerational disconnection, and a strong desire for community-led tourism governance. A preliminary model was then developed with nine key informants and refined through feedback from five experts. In the second phase, the model was piloted through community-led tourism activities involving 12 villagers. The findings show that the model can strengthen cultural pride, participatory leadership, and lifelong learning while also revealing implementation challenges that require continued support and adaptation.
This article explores tensions between quality assurance (QA) and tertiary education practice that are underpinned by critical pedagogy. It acknowledges some of the benefits QA mechanisms can bring but outlines problems with many aspects of how we understand such concepts as 'standards', 'quality' and even 'learning' when verified through internal and external structures that are often more interested in performing QA than the actuality of ensuring quality practice. I discuss the administrative burden QA accreditation systems create and argue that this mostly gets picked up by women. In conclusion, I encourage critical educators to think carefully about the extent to which their actions uphold these structures to the detriment of more radical, often disruptive and always hopeful approaches to education.
This article presents a qualitative-descriptive study contextualised within the "Concurso de Cristalizaci & oacute;n en la Escuela" which is a non-formal scientific activity in the form of a crystal-growing contest. The research aims to determine the contributions of contest participation to students from seven adult education centres, as well as to evaluate their perceptions of the experience. To achieve this, responses from teachers and students to pre- and post-activity open-ended questionnaires were analysed. The findings reveal that the activity facilitated students' familiarisation with scientific methodology, increased their motivation, and promoted their engagement with the tasks. Both students and teachers expressed positive evaluations of the experience and a willingness to participate in future editions. Furthermore, the work explores the potential contributions of participation in reducing the dispositional barriers exhibited by adult students, revealing that its working dynamic integrates elements that are effective in mitigating this type of obstacle.
Situated within the field of adult education, this retrospective narrative inquiry examined the transformation of a female teacher's epistemological beliefs as she engaged in a research-based Master's program in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. Informed by Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory, data were generated by two rounds of semi-structured interviews with the participant, complemented by two outsider perspectives. The data were analytically processed with narrative procedures of broadening, burrowing, and (re)storying. The findings revealed a temporal process of epistemological transformation unfolding before, during, and after the program. Through engagement with the academic discourse, the participant reconstructed her belief system towards a more research-informed, context-sensitive understanding of teaching, learning, researching, and becoming in the profession. Recognisably, conducting a thesis was a decisive turning point in her learning journey, advancing academic growth while cultivating inner maturity. This study contributed to the field of adult education in ways it illuminated how graduate learning is a transformative space for epistemological reflexivity and research-based teaching among in-service teachers.
Adult learning and education (ALE) is deeply embedded in local governance, yet the influence of political parties on education policy outputs remains underexplored. This study investigates how partisan configurations in German county councils shape continuing vocational education and training (CVET) provision by public adult education centres (Volkshochschulen - vhs). Following partisan theory, the study expects left-wing party strength to expand, and right-wing party strength to reduce, CVET course provision. The analysis combines panel data from the German vhs statistics with panel data on partisan configurations in German county councils from 2008 to 2022, resulting in an analytical sample of n = 812 vhs and N = 10,416 observations. Two-way fixed-effects models are employed to estimate the effects of partisan strength on the number of CVET courses per 1000 inhabitants. The results reveal a positive, statistically significant effect of increasing left-wing party strength, while right-wing strength is not significantly associated with CVET course provision, indicating an asymmetric pattern of partisan influence. The study contributes to research on the political economy and governance of ALE in multi-level systems by linking local partisan configurations to organisational-level policy outputs in public CVET provision.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted education systems worldwide. Adult education has been significantly affected, particularly in India, where adult education systems are already affected by structural inequalities that create obstacles to access to learning opportunities. Unlike formal schooling, adult education programs are typically based on community-led, face-to-face means of communication that were quickly stopped as a result of the pandemic. This disruption resulted in millions of adult learners, especially those from rural and marginalised communities, being cut off from educational resources . This period also became a starting point for experimentation and creativity in adult learning practices. Digital technologies enabled learners to connect with teachers and educational organisations mobile microlearning, WhatsApp audio lessons, community radio broadcasts, as well as hybrid learning models that combine online and offline elements. This study uses a qualitative documentary and narrative analysis of policy reports, institutional documents, and community learning initiatives to understand how adult education systems responded during and after the pandemic. This study examines both the challenges and emerging innovations in post-pandemic adult education in India. It argues for the need to strengthen inclusive, community-driven, and digitally adaptable adult education systems in post-pandemic India.
Intergenerational learning in community settings remains underexplored in lifelong education scholarship, particularly in relation to adult learning, the revaluing of local knowledge, and collective agency in rural contexts. This article addresses this gap through a qualitative participatory action research study conducted in a Thai rice-farming community. It examines how a community-based intergenerational learning initiative, co-developed by older and younger participants, shaped change at personal, relational, and community levels. Eighteen participants aged approximately 15-74 engaged in three iterative cycles of planning, implementation, reflection, and revision. Data were generated through focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews in Thai, participant observation, reflective journals, and visitor feedback, and were analysed thematically using an inductive-deductive approach. Findings show that, when organised as a participatory and learning-centred process, intergenerational learning supported skills, confidence, and agency across generations. Older participants reported renewed purpose and public recognition of their knowledge, while younger participants developed respect for local knowledge and confidence in community contribution. Sustained collaboration fostered trust, empathy, and reciprocal communication. At the community level, the initiative revitalised cultural assets and strengthened collective agency through shared responsibility and community-led action.
This qualitative study examines how technology-enhanced academic writing instruction shapes the transition of Bedouin students enrolled in a pre-academic preparatory program in southern Israel. Positioned within scholarship on higher education transition and adult academic literacies, the study draws primarily on self-determination theory and sociocultural perspectives on learning to explore how motivation, identity, and participation are negotiated in digitally mediated environments. The research asks: (1) How do students experience technology-integrated academic writing during the pre-academic year? and (2) How does this experience influence their emerging academic identity and engagement? Data were collected from 15 Bedouin students through semi-structured interviews, reflective learning journals, and classroom observations over one semester. Findings indicate that students perceive the preparatory year as a transitional space in which technological tools - particularly mobile devices - both expand access and introduce new cognitive demands. Active, production-oriented tasks supported meaningful engagement with academic Hebrew, while collaborative learning reduced anxiety and strengthened self-efficacy, especially among first-generation participants. However, flexibility afforded by mobile learning also generated distraction and overload when not pedagogically structured. The study contributes a culturally contextualised analysis of technology-mediated academic transition and highlights pedagogical practices that can foster inclusive participation for students from socio-linguistic peripheries.
Labour market-oriented adult education (AE) is a policy focus, nevertheless an ambivalent topic in academia. Policy attracts significant critique because it favours instrumental provision to support economic interests over emancipatory provision to support learner's personal development. In this article, we contextualise this critique. We apply the capability approach (CA) to make room for both a moderate human capital and a humanistic understanding of AE. As a conceptual framework, the CA underpins an idiographic research interest in understanding how far active labour market policy (ALMP)-based AE programmes in Austria and Italy provide unemployed adults with the opportunity to choose educational and occupational pathways in a non-enforced fashion. Access, processes, and outcomes of the AE programmes are considered as dimensions where individual resources are converted into capability - the freedom to choose what one has reason to value. Differences among the countries emerge from the conceptual model, the modes of governance, and how the programmes are related to the education system. The article contributes a contextualised and critical, yet pragmatic view of labour market-oriented AE to the academic discourse and encourages empirical research focussing on the experiences of programme participants.
The intersection of global demographic ageing and rapid digitalisation necessitates a pedagogical paradigm shift in adult education. Current 'one-size-fits-all' online platforms often alienate older learners, increasing cognitive load and triggering psychological barriers such as technophobia and the fear of making mistakes. This qualitative exploratory case study investigates the multidimensional barriers older adults face in digital learning and explores artificial intelligence (AI) as a mitigating tool. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 older adult learners and 5 instructors at a Spanish higher education institution. Findings reveal that barriers extend beyond technical deficits, encompassing profound pedagogical and emotional challenges, including severe social isolation. Crucially, stakeholders envision AI not as an instructor replacement, but as a supportive 'pedagogical assistant'. Key proposed AI solutions include voice-first interactions to bypass physical limitations, adaptive algorithms for hyper-personalised content delivery in heterogeneous classes, and non-judgmental feedback mechanisms to foster emotionally safe spaces. Ultimately, this study concludes that integrating AI into adult learning environments requires a human-centered, andragogical approach. By delegating routine adaptations to AI, educators can focus on the critical social and empathetic interactions that older learners fundamentally require.
This study examines Italy's adult migrant education policy by analysing its objectives, target groups, and institutional opportunities as articulated in official policy documents. Adopting an explanatory case study design, the research investigates how Italy's adult education system - particularly the Provincial Centres for Adult Education (CPIAs) - has evolved in response to changing migration dynamics. Six key policy documents were purposely selected for analysis, including three decrees regulating the CPIA system and three legislative acts addressing migration and security. Drawing on qualitative content analysis, the study identifies how Italy's policy framework has been shaped by the Security Package and the Integration Agreement, both of which link the renewal of residence permits to migrants' participation in language and citizenship education. The findings indicate that these policy measures have played a significant role in the structural reconfiguration of adult education in Italy, positioning CPIAs as instruments of both integration and control. Furthermore, the analysis situates the Italian case within a broader European shift from multicultural and inclusion-oriented approaches towards more conditional, security-focused integration policies. The study concludes by advocating for more flexible, supportive, and rights-based models of adult education that foster integration while safeguarding migrants' educational rights.
Disaster preparedness has received little attention in adult education. This study examines how adults in Germany learn about and seek information regarding disaster preparedness. A face-to-face survey of a representative sample of 1,084 adults in June 2024 captured data on stockpiling, skills, information sources, training interests, and demographics. K-means clustering of three preparedness indices identified four learner profiles: 'All-Rounders' (25%), who possess extensive supplies and diverse skills; 'Skilled' (21%), who demonstrate strong skills but maintain limited supplies; 'Stockpilers' (23%), who rely primarily on supplies; and 'Unprepared' (32%), who lack both supplies and skills. The profiles differ according to age, gender, and socio-economic status. Prior engagement and structured learning experiences are associated with higher levels of preparedness, whereas passive triggers (e.g. media coverage) are common but may be insufficient for sustained action. The 'All-Rounders' and 'Skilled' groups seek advanced, scenario-based training and draw on a variety of information sources. In contrast, 'Stockpilers' and especially the 'Unprepared' tend to prefer basic on-site workshops and demonstrate lower overall interest. These findings highlight the need for differentiated adult education strategies that combine awareness-raising with practical, accessible training and tailor communication channels to distinct learner profiles rather than relying on uniform outreach.
This narrative inquiry examines the career paths of four veteran English language teachers, each in an academic coordination role in a public university Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE, who followed their Cambridge DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching) course and chose to pursue teacher leadership. Through two phases of narrative interviews, the study reveals how their leadership identity was constructed, contested, and redefined within the institutional and sociocultural contexts of the Gulf region. Their narrative accounts reflect that in the Gulf, teacher leadership exists informally and is typically enacted through intrinsic motivation, critical reflection, and a genuine desire to improve pedagogical practices. Participants established their positions via enduring relationship power dynamics, mentoring activities, and deliberate reflective practices. Their leadership methods diverge from standard hierarchical approaches, demonstrating how emotional strength, alongside contextual empowerment and grassroots educational development, should be valued. The research advances current understanding of English as a foreign language (EFL) instructor identity and adult learning while examining leadership development in minority settings and demonstrates how rigorous professional qualifications, such as DELTA, produce transformative effects. The study presents recommendations for institutional policymakers and proposes research directions for examining leadership development over time and for international leadership comparisons.
Adult participation in higher education is a core concern of adult and continuing education, where persistence is interpreted through the lens of lifelong learning and identity development rather than institutional retention. Academic literature identifies sense of belonging (SOB) as a pivotal factor influencing this. Hence, we investigated a conceptual model using structural equation modelling based on a survey of 294 Canadian post-secondary students on the influence of self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and cross-cultural adaptability on SOB. Results showed that both emotional intelligence (beta =.456, t = 2.32, p = .02) and cross-cultural adaptability (beta = .577, t = 5.10, p < .001) strongly influenced SOB. Self-efficacy also indirectly and positively influenced SOB through cross-cultural adaptability (beta = .87, t = 2.76, p = .006); functioning as both individual capacities and socially mediated resources with the calculated R-squared (R-2 = .85). These findings are discussed within adult and continuing education frameworks to consider how psychological resources translate into participation and recognition in higher-education settings.
This report reflects on the intersections of feminist theory, vocational education and the struggle for equity in Southeast Asia. Drawing from philosophical discussions of idealism in education, the historical trajectory of vocational education in Thailand, and feminist critiques of patriarchy, the paper highlights how vocational systems have been historically shaped by gendered norms and utilitarian logics. Women often remain excluded from technical pathways, reflecting broader inequalities in access, participation and recognition. At the same time, feminist perspectives offer an alternative vision of vocational education as a site of empowerment, democratic agency and human flourishing. This report, which is conceptual in nature, situates Indonesia and Thailand as cases to rethink vocational education not merely as skills training, but as a field of struggle shaped by gender and power. It concludes with reflections on how feminist-informed approaches can contribute to more inclusive and socially just vocational futures.
The purpose of this study was to examine the practices of the model community learning centres (CLCs) and their achievements in Ethiopia. Four CLCs- Damote Galle, Sankura, Lume, and DebreLibanose were purposefully selected for the study. The study applied a mixed methods approach in which data were collected using KII, FGD, and a household survey. The study revealed that beneficiaries showed improvements in basic reading and writing skills, increased parental support for children's education, greater awareness of health and hygiene, enhanced participation in social and development issues, and improved saving habits. Finally, the study has generated conclusion for further scale-up and implementation of CLCs: awareness creation and the capacity development of the community and influential individuals are crucial to ensure both scale-up and sustainability of the CLC. There should be a commitment from the implementers to push and convince the political wing to include the issue of CLC in the government structure, policies, plans, strategies, and monitoring and evaluation system and budget to run in an organised and sustained manner. To ensure the sustainability the CLC should develop internal income-generating mechanisms, and design a continuous human capacity-building program.
