Journal of Adult and Continuing Education

Why do inmates participate in educational activities? Is it for the main reasons that individuals belonging to general population do, or do the reasons differ significantly? The present study sought to determine the motives that drive adult prisoners to take part in educational programmes offered in prison. The study took part in Korydallos prison, Greece, with a sample of 72 male prisoners. The results, in alignment with previous research, indicated that escapism from the prison environment and doing something useful that may also contribute to sentence reduction are among the primary factors that guide inmates’ participation in educational programmes. Yet, ‘learning for the sake of learning’ was also identified as a strong motivator (second factor). It also appeared that motivation is largely informed by personal and situational factors, based on identifying differences according to offenders’ educational and professional background. Our findings bear significant implications for the future design and implementation of prison education programmes. However, there are substantial limitations to the present study, calling for further investigation to avoid linear simplifications.

The digitalisation of adult and continuing education involves both a societal challenge and a policy demand to harness digital media for effective adult and continuing education provision. Therefore, this article adopts an organisational perspective on adult and continuing education, raising the question of what management knowledge is needed to support the introduction of digital learning formats in public and community-based adult and continuing education organisations. An international literature review is then performed. As a result, the author draws a picture of the current state of adult and continuing education digitalisation in Switzerland and Germany. Based on this ‘state of the German-speaking landscape’, he identifies that information technology-infrastructure, staff development and management/leadership are the most relevant challenges for implementing digital media in adult and continuing education organisations. These are taken as a structure for reviewing international studies and developing a research agenda. The proposed research agenda frames these three fields of investigation by the state of research. The conclusion outlines questions of strategy development and strategy implementation within an organisational theory framework as relevant fields for future research.

This paper presents a critical account of the extent and the ways in which learner-centred education approaches are used as a tool for enhancing adult learning in distance learning universities as well as the conditions and restrictions they face. The exploration is illustrated by qualitative data from interviews with eight adult educators and 16 adult learners/students and adopts a case study approach within a phenomenological mode. In this study, learner-centred education approaches are seen as being at one end of the educational practice continuum and comprise of a number of elements, namely: motivation, epistemology, techniques and relationships that are used as a conceptual framework to guide data analysis and interpretation. Findings reveal the partial and unintentional use of learner-centred education approaches in the distance learning programmes explored and make recommendations for the implementation of learner-centred education in the teaching of adults in distance education universities.

Online coursework is dramatically changing the higher education landscape, particularly for adult learners. And while research notes the way these courses increase college opportunity for post-traditional students, they have poor learning and completion out-comes at many of the institutions to which older students frequently enroll. The author conducted a qualitative exploration involving 34 adult students at a large community college on the west coast to better understand the perceptions, experiences, opportunities, and challenges of online instructional delivery for adult students. Informed by semi-structured interviews with participants, findings from this study highlight: (1) the challenge of being a digital/online course novice, (2) online courses as better in theory than practice, and (3) problematic institutional assumptions that online pedagogy is better for adult learners. Results from this investigation provide new directions for implementation of online courses for adult learners students in higher education.

Critical theory and transformative learning are two seminal theories that have incited a deluge of literature, fueled many discussions, and triggered much debate. Their relevance is enduring, and they are undeniably a great asset to the scholarship of adult education, but the two theories are far from fully developed or explored. Our purpose in this current article is to discuss critical theory alongside transformative learning theory and highlight their commonalities as we probe their connections and possibilities within adult education settings. It is our intention to contribute further thought and fuel ongoing critical analysis that may lead to further development of the two theories.

The neonatal field is constantly changing with the development of new evidence-based practice and technology. The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project that aimed to create a platform for continuous professional development to improve evidence-based neonatal practice using action research. Using Problem Resolving Action Research, a process consisting of plan, act, observe and reflect was applied by a steering committee. A nominal group discussion technique determined training priorities of nursing staff in a neonatal intensive care unit and questionnaires obtained demographic data of participants and information pertaining to workshops and professional development over a period of two years. The findings indicate that one-day workshops serve as a valuable platform to contribute to professional development to improve quality care in neonatal practice.

The self-study investigates my professional learning during participation, coordination and facilitation of a Curriculum Framework development project for Advanced Diploma in Adult Education with adult education academics from 10 South African universities. The potential for reflective questions as a key reflection and professional learning resource is also examined. Data were drawn from: my recorded experiences as teacher, education advisor, teacher educator and adult educator; transcripts of personal reflections and observations during workshops; audio recordings of workshop engagement; reading adult education as text and transcripts of participants’ responses to reflective questions. Content analysis revealed that use of reflective questions led to growth of my and participants’ professional learning, growth in my professional thinking and a re-assessment of my new role as teacher educator in adult education. The study was vital for challenging my beliefs and assumptions about collaborative engagement of adult education academics in Curriculum Framework development. Reflective questions emerged as a vital tool for reflection and professional learning which can promote systematic critical reflection and, consequently, professional learning and growth.