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'Continuous meritocracy' was introduced in Singapore to redefine the concepts of talent and ability in Singapore society. This expanded meaning of meritocracy serves as another way to further support the SkillsFuture Singapore movement (Skillsfuture Singapore, 2023b), which was launched in 2016. 'Continuous meritocracy' complements Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs, which were to provide adult learners opportunities to integrate practical work experiences with academic learning. However, to fully operationalize WIL in the domain of adult learners, this paper points out that it is vital for the Singapore government and the different stakeholders to endorse the different forms of successes by making them more visible in the society. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu's key theoretical concepts, this paper discusses the relationship between blue-collar adult learners' dispositions and WIL and proposes an ecosystemic approach that is based on work-integrated (adult) learning (WIAL) to transform the Singapore blue-collar workers' habitus with the aim to visualize 'continuous meritocracy' at the ground level.

Purpose: This study aims to reflect on "good practices" in doctoral research supervision and transfer the author's experience to other academics. The author explains the sources of his approach to doctoral research supervision drawing on traditional practice in adult learning and some reference to phenomenology as a "meeting of minds" between academic and industry mindsets. Design/methodology/approach: This is a reflective paper condensing many years of practical experience advising industry managers doing doctoral research. It is not an empirical study as such but draws on extensive practitioner experience based on many successful PhD completions in the business and management domain. Findings: There are no empirical findings as such, but ample practical experience of doctoral research process and outcomes over 40 years of supervision in both the UK and Australian Universities. Research limitations/implications: Generalisation is limited to the number of doctoral research completions (between 70 and 80). Practical implications: The paper concludes with indicators of what the author regards as "good practices" in doctoral research supervision. Social implications: None is directly applicable, but academe-industry working partnerships might be improved with the author's learner- and customer-centred approach to doctoral research with adults in senior positions in the industry wanting to do research. Originality/value: This paper is based entirely on the author's own working experience as a senior academic in UK and Australian Universities.

This paper presents an enhanced evaluation framework for teacher professional development programmes, which is based on one originally proposed by Huber in 2011. This paper draws on a study on the Professional Up-skilling of English Language Teachers (ProELT) programme in Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia. The study adopted a mixed methods exploratory sequential design using a questionnaire survey, individual interviews and a focus group discussion. Based on the findings from the study, four new components have been added to Huber's original framework, namely (1) selection of participants, (2) incorporation of the Adult Learning principles, (3) follow-up support, and (4) assessment of programme impact. This enhanced framework has significant contributions to make to programme designers and programme providers, in providing them with additional guidelines to consider when designing the pre-, ongoing and post-phases of a teacher professional development programme.

This paper responds to Ippolito et al.'s (2021) "wonder," "What preparation and in-service support do coaches need to become systems thinkers, thought leaders, and change agents within their schools" (p. 182) by describing the obstacles and complexities experienced by two first-year literacy coaches as they transitioned from classroom teacher to coach. They described challenges related to adult learning principles and communication (e.g., questioning) and understanding their role and position when working with teachers. Ultimately, they wanted to feel valuable to teachers but did not know what that looked like. The findings from this paper highlight the need for specific training in negotiating roles within relationships and adult learning principles. Coaches must understand adult-centered communication and receive ongoing professional learning to develop a repertoire of adult communication strategies that will help them work with a broad swath of teachers.

Japan, like many countries, is facing problems with an aging society, and lifelong learning is becoming more and more important. To provide older adults with the opportunity to enroll in lifelong learning programs, it is essential to offer suitable programs. However, designing learning programs for older adults is not easy because they may have various physical and mental conditions. To approach the problem, the authors have proposed a mechanism for personalizing learning programs for older adults. The basic ideas of the mechanism are: (1) omitting unessential steps and (2) suggesting collaboration with others. In this paper, the algorithm and the data structures of the mechanism are explained, and results of experiments are shown.

The literature indicates that collaborative activities can support professional learning (PL) for academics teaching in higher education (HE). Nevertheless, limited approaches for collegial PL exist that can be embedded in the day-to-day work of busy academics. This paper reports on an evidence-based approach to practice that was undertaken to develop an authentic, structured, collegial approach to PL for academics. This involved a review and synthesis of relevant literature, which revealed that collegial PL could be supported through self-initiated communities of academics; collaborative, social interaction with peers; safe, non-judgemental, supportive, conversations; critical reflection; sustained inquiry into practice; an exploration of perspectives; and bespoke resources. These findings informed the development of the Collaborative Peer-Observation Learning Circles (CPO/LC). The approach includes a four-stage process and adaptable template resources designed to facilitate academics' collegial PL while also meeting the needs of accreditation requirements in HE.

Understanding what constitutes learning across working life and how negotiating worklife transitions can be best supported has never been more important for working age adults, their workplaces and communities. The kinds and frequencies of changes in occupational and workplace requirements have consequences for personal goals, workplace viability and communities' economic and social wellbeing. Hence, for both individual and societal purposes we need to elaborate the goals for and processes of that learning and what constitutes educative worklife experiences. Drawing on a three-phase investigation of adults' worklife learning the kinds and qualities of the educative experiences directly or indirectly guiding, supporting and extending individuals' learning and development are elaborated. This includes pathways of experiences across working life: personal curriculums. The paper reports and discusses the data from: (i) worklife narratives and follow-up interviews, and (ii) 18-month monitoring of work and learning of a cohort of workers. It furthers the case for viewing lifelong learning and lifelong education as being distinct and sperate phenomena, the interdependence among the contributions of adults, their educational experiences and those provided by their communities, leading to the explanatory concepts of personal curriculum and educative experiences to illuminate and elaborate learning and development across working life.

To what extent does educational gaming add value to more traditional instructional models in learning core concepts of national security and warfighting? This paper presents the results from a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional, and longitudinal study of students taking two standardized courses in the Joint Military Operations department at the US Naval War College. Split into wargaming and non-wargaming sections by instructor preference, subject learning is measured through self-reported and objective measures at three points: prior to the start of the content block on "Operational Art"; after the case study of the WW2 battle of Leyte Gulf but prior to any wargaming; and for subjects in wargaming course sections, after participating in the Leyte Gulf scenario of the "War at Sea" wargame. The results support the hypotheses that wargaming increases learning and alter student preferences in favor of learning through gaming but fail to find evidence that students recognize the value of the debriefing phase of educational gaming. This article adds to existing studies by focusing on an understudied practitioner population--graduate-level career military officers at a professional military education (PME) institution--and mitigating several of the methodological challenges facing many scholarly projects in the study of educational gaming in political science.

From November 2015 to October 2020, Canada had welcomed 44,620 Syrian refugees to more than 350 communities across the country. In 2019, it further surpassed the United States and Australia in the number of refugees settled. Lacking the necessary language skills for living and working in a new country is one of the most critical barriers refugees face. This paper aims to inform language-teaching professionals about pertinent linguistic and nonlinguistic issues as well as pedagogical implications associated with supporting adult Syrian refugee learners, drawing both on the literature more broadly and on the author's research in the Canadian context.

This paper draws on longitudinal birth cohort data for Britain to analyse participation in learning activities by people in their 30s and 40s. People in this age group have received less attention than either young adults or people in retirement. Yet technical change and the need for new skills make it important for them to engage in learning to improve their prospects at work. We investigate participation and non-participation in a range of different types of learning including gaining qualifications, vocational training and learning for interest. Statistical models explore how factors which occur before their 30s influence learning in this phase of the lifecourse. The results show that cumulative advantage is important -- those with the highest qualifications in early adulthood were most likely to engage in further learning later on. Participation in learning activities of any kind in young adulthood was also a key antecedent factor predicting higher chances of participating in learning in mid-life.

This paper focuses on learning that takes place outside formal classrooms within groups or teams. Based on the conceptual framework of informal learning, adult learning and lifelong learning, it investigates how two contrasting groups of adult learners in Vietnam, Mekong doctors and Hanoi hairdressers, learn, interact, and collaborate through their informal learning experiences in the workplace. These are two 'co-present groups' or two 'complex systems'. For Vietnamese learners, the challenges of Confucian heritage culture, or the lack of awareness of cultural differences, created obstacles to collaboration and participation. The contribution to this Special Issue argues that co-present group learning applies well to non-Western Confucius-based cultures and other countries with similar values, despite this lack of awareness of cultural differences.

Mathematical dispositions, or an individual's behavioral (i.e., things they say and do), cognitive (i.e., attention and memory), and affective (i.e., emotions and beliefs) tendencies related to mathematics, are critical to the learning of mathematics and choices related to STEM. Previous research has suggested that adult learners may possess unproductive mathematical dispositions, such as high math anxiety and low math self-efficacy. This paper argues that unproductive mathematical dispositions may serve as a barrier to adult learners' STEM choices and provides strategies and techniques to help move adult learners towards productive mathematical dispositions and potentially stronger attraction to STEM fields.

Learner agency, often understood in terms of self-direction and negotiated engagement, is considered important in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). Yet nurturing and supporting agency is resource-intensive and difficult. In this paper, we consider learner agency for online TVET--a setting where content delivery models can be experienced as stultifying. We document the design and evaluation of specific task designs using the method and principle of double-stimulation, where prompts help participants to reconceptualise problematic situations and break out of conflicting motives. We draw on data from a research-intervention with adult learners undertaking a facilities management diploma online, while working. We explore how, across nine online workshops, task designs engendered transformative agency: the ability to collaboratively diverge from instructional intent, question dilemmatic conditions, and propose and enact change. We claim (1) that specific double-stimulation tasks encouraged participants to engage in understanding institutional practice, exposing conflict, and enacting change; (2) that participants came to view their own problematic conditions as stimuli for resistance, criticism, and development; and (3) that online resources were crucial for highlighting evidence of failure and learners' potential roles in change. Our findings are of importance to help learners set and evaluate their own learning agendas.

This paper conducts Group Delphi-study and foresight approach within a five-year horizon in the field of digital education, with a specific focus on Continuing Education (CE) in a post-pandemic society. The study examines the impact of increasing digitalisation on the significant population of low-qualified individuals (approximately five million in Germany). The project identifies both opportunities and risks associated with digitalisation in CE for the low-qualified. The study focuses on 1) the impact of digitalisation on the participation of low-qualified people in CE, 2) the impact of accelerated digitalisation on the planning of programmes and services for this target group, 3) the transformation of programmes and services for low-qualified people due to digitalisation, and 4) methodological innovations for predicting the impact of digitalisation in the CE sector.

This study examines the perspectives and experiences of older lifelong participants in outdoor education/recreation. 32 participants, women (11) and men (21), aged 60-84 provided narratives of their lifelong engagements in the outdoors in nature-based activities. They were invited to write freely on their early experiences and their current engagements in the outdoors. The purpose was to explore and understand why and how serious lifelong older participants continued with their outdoor activities. This paper considers participants' current embodied engagements. The evidence suggests that as they age, their bodies become less able to deal with discomfort. Yet, the participants, as a consequence of their lifelong knowledge and experience, manage injuries and ill-health, choosing to adapt in various ways to enable their continued engagement/enjoyment in being active in nature. The study stresses the significance of lifelong engagement in the outdoors and the necessity for opportunities for outdoor nature-based experiences throughout the lifespan.

Board gaming is a popular activity, growing despite all the pressures of digitalization. People are gathering to play socially. Besides this ludic movement, modern board games can be used directly or adapted to achieve other goals beyond entertainment, approaching serious game methods as a modding exercise. This paper describes a process where a facilitator selected a sequence of modern board games (mostly party games) and played them with the employees of an enterprise (design and marketing) during an informal meeting. The games were played in a restaurant, in an environment, testing whether participants could recognize learning and training utility. The game facilitator observed the game dynamics and collected participants' comments during gameplay and debriefing. Participants recognized the activity as a pleasant learning and training informal session. The author argues that these informal playable learning spaces can be beneficial for institutions that wish to foster them because participants would train, learn, and strengthen social bonds.

Residential care services are under increasing pressure to lower service provision costs while maintaining quality of care. Using a translog cost function, this paper examines the relationship between cost, quality and output in England's learning disability (LD) residential care sector. It finds genuine but diminishing economies of scale in LD residential care services vis-à-vis output (i.e., care weeks). However, some variation exists: higher-quality LD residential care homes appear to have larger economies of scale than lower-quality ones. Supplementary regression analysis, examining quality-size, further finds quality (a) is negatively associated with LD care homes of six or fewer beds; (b) shows no association with homes of more than six beds. These findings enhance residential care literature and raise the possibility that, by promoting the establishment of larger high-quality care homes, cost savings may be achieved without sacrificing quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an enhanced evaluation framework for teacher professional development programmes, which is based on one originally proposed by Huber in 2011. This paper draws on a study on the Professional Up-skilling of English Language Teachers (ProELT) programme in Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia. The study adopted a mixed methods exploratory sequential design using a questionnaire survey, individual interviews and a focus group discussion. Based on the findings from the study, four new components have been added to Huber's original framework, namely (1) selection of participants, (2) incorporation of the Adult Learning principles, (3) follow-up support, and (4) assessment of programme impact. This enhanced framework has significant contributions to make to programme designers and programme providers, in providing them with additional guidelines to consider when designing the pre-, ongoing and post-phases of a teacher professional development programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Caribbean, the number of students pursuing postgraduate studies in higher education institutions (HEIs) has increased over the years. Consequently, locally contextualised epistemologies and empowering methods are needed to help adult learners in Caribbean higher education (HE) navigate their studies. This paper presents findings from a photovoice study undertaken with postgraduate adult learners at an HEI in Jamaica. Participants used photographs, written reflections and group discussions to explore their HE journey. Given the intervening nature of the pandemic in the immediate period after the study was conceptualised and participants engaged, this paper focuses on the ways in which photovoice offered participants opportunities to make meaning of their HE journey. Findings demonstrate that the use of photovoice was transformative in how it empowered participants through the opportunity to engage in self-discovery and discuss their thoughts and emotions, facilitated peer support, and how it enabled adult learners to forge resilience as they undertook their studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-directed study is a crucial need for learners to emphasize its central role in language education. Fostering and improving students’ ability to take initiative in their learning is considered crucial, for achieving success in both their present and future careers. In addition, recognizing the significance of being open to communication and willingness to communicate (WTC) works as a measure of learning, which can lead to attitudes, among students. This paper aims at finding out the relationship and the effect of learners’ self-directed motivation on WTC by answering the following questions. Is there any relationship between self-direction and WTC? Does self-direction have a positive impact on willingness? The paper examines WTC with 3rd grade students in the English Department, from the College of Basic Education at Salahaddin University-Erbil for the academic year 2022–2023. The participants are (60) students. The paper was conducted through a quantitative method. The data have been collected by a questionnaire and the tool adopted for analyzing the data is a Statistical Package for the Social Science. It is concluded that the most common factors that influence on students’ WTC are motivation, reliance, and anxiety about making mistakes and challenging situations. Another concluding point is that students were unwilling to utilize only English while expressing an idea or discussing a matter with classmates or teachers. Moreover, students referred to linguistic factors represented as indicative of their preference for taking more foreign courses and feeling comfortable in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a possible future for postsecondary education in the age of AI. The consensus view among economists is that AI is a general purpose technology (GPT), similar to the steam engine, electricity, and the internet. As a GPT, AI will be the main driver of innovation for the foreseeable future in most sectors of the economy, including education. As AI evolves, it holds the promise of fundamentally redefining the educational landscape, influencing not only current practices in institutional management and pedagogy but also shaping future trends in learning, evaluation, and accreditation. While traditional college-aged students have received significant attention in educational studies, this paper emphasizes the needs of adult learners as lifelong learners and explores how AI-driven innovations can enhance their educational experiences, offering personalized and flexible learning solutions. This paper also argues that a dramatic breakthrough is needed in the cost–value equation for education to support workforce development and lifelong learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there is a significant body of research concerning Catholic faith formation in a variety of educational contexts around the world, relatively little attention has been devoted to the notion of missionary discipleship as a foundation for Catholic formation. Recently, the National Catholic Education Commission, in its document Leading Formation for Mission, also elaborates a solid definition of formation and stated: 'Formation is imaginative, creative and honours adult learning principles [...] It engages the 'intellect' and is nurtured by appropriate theological content and it engages the 'Spirit' and is characterised by contemplation and action for mission' (2022). This paper seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of formation for missionary discipleship by presenting an evaluation of the efficacy of In Altum, a student-focussed ministry and leadership program developed at the University of Notre Dame Australia in response to the developing magisterial teaching concerning the notion of 'missionary discipleship'. In particular, we examine participants' personal faith development, understanding of missionary discipleship on campus, preparation for future ministry, and understanding of contemporary challenges to discipleship. The study progresses in three parts: First, it provides a brief background to In Altum, including the philosophical and sociological context, as well as the key theological principles underpinning the formation offered within the program. Second, following an overview of the mixed-methodology approach taken in the study, which details both the use of qualitative and quantitative data derived from focus groups and an online survey, the paper presents the results of the study, which sought to investigate the efficacy of the program as it pertained to the following: (a) the building of (personal subjective assessment of) faith in participants; (b) the building of participants' understanding of, and confidence in, the task of evangelisation as missionary discipleship in a secularised context; (c) building a strengthened sense of community amongst the participants. In the third and final section, the reported strengths and weaknesses of the program are examined. The paper also comments on implications for the program on the culture of the university more broadly, including precepts of the program's findings that may be applied in light of the Australian Catholic Plenary Council's findings to enhance the future directions of formation programs in the Catholic University Chaplaincy, with possible application to Catholic secondary schools and parish youth groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper relates to the practical implementation of lifelong learning, and more closely to its effect related to subjective quality of life. Learning circles are known platforms of adult learning, and nowadays the main motivation of adults is typically to indulge in a certain topic – based on personal curiosity – in cooperation with others with similar interest. The challenges of the previous time period (Covid pandemic, energy crisis, etc.) more and more increase the value of online learning opportunities and community experiences. In this paper a needs assessment is presented on the interest in and demand on online study circles among adult responders, in the frame of a questionnaire research (n=318). Among the questions respondents were asked to give their expectations, and as a result, three types were to identified in the frame of factor analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnering a local nonprofit social agency, the authors developed and implemented a learning program for a group of older persons preparing them to conduct qualitative research within a healthcare setting as community researchers in Singapore. This paper illustrates how learning for new occupations, job identities, and work can be supported via a competency-based approach that enables and clarifies links between research work, older adult learning, and assessment. It demonstrates how learning processes and contexts matter as much, if not more than outcomes, skills, and tasks typical of conventional competency-based training. Thus, the paper builds upon but also challenges the paradigm of competency-based training. It offers a more developmental approach or strategy for older adult learning that promotes dialogic, reflexive, and hands-on/applied learning, corresponding with educational gerontology principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper uses Normalization Process Theory (NPT) to examine staff impressions of Montessori-based program training and implementation at Veterans Affairs Community Living Centers (VA CLCs; nursing homes). Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of Montessori Approaches to Person-Centered Care (MAP-VA) at eight VA CLCs. Trainings were conducted as either a live virtual course or a pre-recorded asynchronous class. Two NPT constructs, coherence building and cognitive participation, informed qualitative interview questions, surveys, and analyses focused on staff movement from knowledge to action during initial implementation. Data collection included staff-completed standardized post-training exams (N = 906), post-training evaluations (N = 761), and optional validated surveys on perceptions of Montessori training (N = 307). Champions (peer-leaders) from each CLC completed semi-structured qualitative interviews post-training (N = 22). Findings: The majority of staff (83%–90%) passed all courses. Staff evaluated the training highly (80%+ agreement) on learning relevant new knowledge and confidence applying new skills. On average, staff felt MAP-VA would become a normal part of their work (7.68/10 scale), and reported increased familiarity with Montessori approaches after training (p =.002). Qualitative interview data from staff trained in Montessori supported three themes concordant with the NPT dimensions of coherence building and cognitive participation. (1) Coherence regarding Montessori: staff demonstrated an understanding of the program and mentioned the benefits of Montessori compared to their previous usual routines. Cognitive participation or engagement with Montessori: (2) staff had positive feelings about Montessori principles/applications and demonstrated a willingness to try the Montessori approach, and (3) staff made sense of the new intervention through early rehearsal of Montessori principles/practices and recognized opportunities for using Montessori in future interactions. Conclusions: Montessori virtual training resulted in high levels of coherence and cognitive participation among multidisciplinary staff, evidenced by high knowledge, self-efficacy, and readiness to act. The asynchronous and synchronous trainings were accessible, relevant, and supported diverse learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-directed learning is a core theoretical construct of adult learning. Importantly, self-directed learning represents a fundamental meta-competence for living and working in our increasingly complex and unpredictable world. Nonetheless, the construct of self-directed learning has become obfuscated. In order to redress this concern, this theoretical paper presents a model of Four Dimensions of Self-Directed Learning. The present paper highlights two original theoretical points (1) that there are four key dimensions of the self-directed learning construct, and (2) responsibility and self-regulation required for self-directed learning is not equivocal to that required for teacher-directed learning. Theoretically, the latter point may, in part, explain why practice of years of teacher-directed learning in formal schooling does not prepare persons for competent self-directed learning in adulthood. So, adult education represents a primary opportunity to foster self-directed learning competence in adult learners, but adult education practitioners must be ready to provide support to facilitate the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We ask for suffrage that we may stand side by side with our fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons, working with them ... for a noble political life for the country's wealth. Not for a man's place do we ask, but for the fullness of women's. (The Argus, 1891, p. 9) In the late nineteenth century, adult and public learning pedagogy were the key instruments utilised in the campaign to achieve Victorian Women's Suffrage. The democratic process of changing state government legislation on franchise demanded multiple pedagogical methods. Through the actions of Bessie Harrison Lee (1860-1950), this international women's culture (McLean & Baroud, 2020, p. 506). Part of this culture featured Australian women adopting the petition as a political instrument. The petition had already had a long history in Britain, used by groups with little political influence. Ian Fletcher's conception of the British Empire as "a set of relations, rather than the sum of their parts, as frameworks structuring political, economic and cultural exchanges between metropole and colonies" is useful in understanding how political ideas travelled to and were adapted in the Australian context (Fletcher, Levine & Mayall, 2012, p. xiv). This paper argues that new ways of knowing were made possible by Lee, who, empowered by the evangelical faith (her cultural capital) spoke out confidently in public spaces such as town halls, outside public bars, and on the front doorsteps of women's homes in both cities and rural towns. These spaces were the places of learning, or as Bourdieu described, the field. Also, the meeting places of the WCTU, whether private lounge rooms or church halls, enabled women to support each other in the political process of debate, addressing community issues, and devising strategic plans to improve the lives of women. Through critical discourse analysis of newspaper reports, WCTU's publication The White Ribbon, the Victorian Alliance publication Alliance Record, and Lee's autobiography, this paper identifies these learning spaces. It also explores the community of practice in WCTU meetings, doorknocking, pamphleteering and the physical act of collecting signatures for the 1891 'Victorian Monster Petition'. The language and actions used to enact democratic activity that involves women in ways of saying, doing, and being full citizens are unlocked; however, the WCTU was exclusionary of Indigenous and non-Anglo-Celtic ancestry. Therefore, their learning spaces were complicit in the Great Silence (Stanner, 1968). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given public perceptions about those who have sexually offended, there tends to be a focus on offence-specific intervention programs in a bid to address re-offending risk. With a significant portion of the literature on sexual offending focused on the development and evaluation of interventions targeting this behavior, there is little that considers community maintenance programs (CMPs) or those programs in the community where those who are released from prison are attempting to reintegrate. Further, there is no known research considering the theoretical underpinnings of or a framework for delivering CMPs. This paper offers Transformative Learning Theory as a potential framework for the delivery of CMPs and offers that adult learning theory needs to be considered in the delivery of offending interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a debate over many decades concerning the benefits of lifelong learning that have been expressed both in economic and non-economic terms, the latter often expressed in terms of contributions to health and well-being, and to civic solidarity. The extent to which these benefits can be evidenced however remains somewhat elusive and at best mixed. In this paper, I trace the ways in which lifelong learning has emerged in policy discourse in the UK since the 1980s, the arguments and evidence for its benefits and the means by which it has been supported and implemented. In particular, the paper is concerned with the role of the higher education sector in the UK with a particular focus on Scotland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult learning is a complex phenomenon that takes place over an adult's lifetime and is not limited to a particular age. It includes a set of activities to enhance life through improving skills, knowledge and capabilities. The foundational theories of adult learning, such as andragogy theory, place the individual adult centre stage and differentiate adult learning from formal learning. They also shift the focus from the individuals to the environment in which adult learning takes place. In line with this movement, online communities of practice (OCOPs) have evolved from being considered as online environments for learning to specialised forums that allow practitioners to collaborate around a project of mutual interest. The principles of adult learning are directly applicable to engagement in OCOPs because they include practical methods founded on the belief that adults are self-directed, autonomous learners and that learning is most effective when the environment plays the role of a facilitator, rather than being just a supportive and traditional setting for learning. However, how individual adults engage in OCOPs and benefit from them is not well understood. This paper draws on social cognitive theory to examine: how environmental, personal and behavioural factors shape engagement in OCOPs. To answer this question, twenty-one interviews were conducted with members of GitHub, a large online community of practice for IT professionals. The findings revealed that adults' engagement in OCOPs involves project-based activities on mutual interests and willingness to help others. The findings also show that engaging in online communities does not only satisfy intrinsic, well-defined, expected outcomes and shape adults' engagement, but also has an impact on adults' lifelong learning achievements, such as professional experience and credit recognition. Based on these findings, a revised framework for adults' engagement in OCOPs is presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Funded by the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grant, this national study examines arts-based adult education organizations involved in dance, music, drama, and visual arts with a philosophical perspective aligned with a multiliteracies theoretical framework. Multiliteracies considers how cultural and linguistic diversity must be fostered to encourage adults to thrive in all learning environments and recognizes that multimodality provides an expanded way to engage in literacy practices. Utilizing Carey Jewitt's four theoretical tenets to characterize multimodality serves to structure the analytical framework for the findings and discussion of this paper. Multiple case studies and constructivist grounded theory were used for the methodology. Some of the sites discussed in this paper include an art gallery; an immigration museum; and a chamber music organization that offers interactive performances. Participants included adult educators and learners who had options around face-to-face interviews; observations; document analysis of lesson plans or exemplars; or secondary data analysis of original film footage shot in these spaces. This research has found that arts-based approaches can infuse the work of adult educators to engage adult learners in inclusive pedagogy and active citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper responds to Ippolito et al.'s (2021) "wonder," "What preparation and in‐service support do coaches need to become systems thinkers, thought leaders, and change agents within their schools" (p. 182) by describing the obstacles and complexities experienced by two first‐year literacy coaches as they transitioned from classroom teacher to coach. They described challenges related to adult learning principles and communication (e.g., questioning) and understanding their role and position when working with teachers. Ultimately, they wanted to feel valuable to teachers but did not know what that looked like. The findings from this paper highlight the need for specific training in negotiating roles within relationships and adult learning principles. Coaches must understand adult‐centered communication and receive ongoing professional learning to develop a repertoire of adult communication strategies that will help them work with a broad swath of teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor and natural environments have been steadily recognised as conducive to learning and social development. Most practice and research in this field has mostly focused on green spaces, such as forests and parks, and practices such as forest school. This particular paper looks at outdoor learning in a coastal environment, which has not received as much attention. Through the lens of affordance theory, we examine the possibilities for practice in such a space. Interviews with experienced early years and primary-school practitioners provide a rich narrative of ways that the beach environment can support and extend teaching and learning. Findings suggest that space, natural resources and the elements provide a wealth of opportunities for different types of pedagogical approaches and self-directed learning and play. We examine the potential for beach environments to be used more widely for learning in primary settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short paper investigates adult learning in higher education, focusing on its role in promoting diversity, dynamism, and accomplishing societal goals. The study underlines the importance of specialized teaching practices that address adult learners' self-directed nature, goal orientation, and various backgrounds to establish an inclusive, supportive, and effective learning environment. It also emphasizes educators' critical role in creating a healthy classroom environment through active involvement, a respectful atmosphere, and customized feedback, which contributes to academic and personal progress. This strategy supports a culture of lifelong learning, which is critical for adult learners' success in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to present commentary on adult safeguarding designated officers' (nominated senior staff members in the Health Service Executive and its funded services) in Ireland readiness for online learning and their perception of the blended approach used in their training and considers the implications of this for practice. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 233 designated officers were surveyed. A self-administered online survey comprising of two instruments was used. The questionnaire combines two previously validated tools measuring readiness for online learning and perceptions of blended learning. Minor modifications were made to account for local circumstance and language. Demographic questions relevant to the survey population were added. The response rate was 49%. Findings: Designated officers regarded specified competencies for online learning as important to very important with highest importance placed in time management. Designated officers expressed they were confident to very confident in their ability to accomplish all competencies in online learning. The highest confidence was in the technical competencies. Designated officers are demonstrating high readiness for online learning. Designated officers reported positively on online contributions and on blended learning workload. The scores indicate positive perceptions of the blended learning experience. Responses to an open-ended question were largely positive with some suggestions for improvement made. Practical implications: Findings have helped inform planning and development of the Health Service Executive's adult safeguarding training for designated officers with changes made since this survey was undertaken. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first time a survey was undertaken of designated officers in Ireland with a view to improving safeguarding training. Recommendations for adaptions to the blended designated officer programme were proposed and subsequently accepted and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how urban middle-aged education program participants can increase their agricultural entrepreneurship volition (AEV) during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. We examined the direct and indirect effects of formal learning experiences (FLE) and informal learning experiences (ILE) on AEV. Multiple regression, mediation, moderation, and moderated mediation methods using Process Macro were conducted with 411 samples. ILE and outcome expectancy had direct positive effects on volition, while FLE and social networking did not. Both learning experiences had indirect effects on AEV through social networking and outcome expectancy. The group who spent above 100 hours in formal learning had a moderating effect on the relationship between FLE and outcome variables compared to those who spent less than 50 hours. Considering the limited middle-aged adults' digital accessibility, developing user-friendly distance education guidelines, supporting social networking and ILE, and tailoring programs to individual expectations are required to encourage agricultural entrepreneurship. Combining career transition perspective and migration perspective, this article contributes to a theoretical framework explaining urban middle-aged adults' agricultural entrepreneurship. This paper approaches middle-aged adults' agricultural entrepreneurship as a career transition event for their old stage of life and quantifies determinants of AEV during COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-graduate trainees serve a dual role as learner and practitioner, and their clinical education must be supported by an academic curriculum that meets the objectives of their training program. Principles of adult learning that encourage critical thinking and collaboration can enhance the effectiveness of academic sessions for adult learners. This paper will review the practical use of adult learning in the context of an academic half day session for residents in Pediatrics. The specific focus on a single topic models adult learning techniques that can be broadly applied across different branches of medicine and different levels of learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adults used to be the largest online student population before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of online students multiplied during the pandemic, and now includes the complete conglomeration of all student groups. Due to their longer experience of online education, adult students continue to provide valuable insights on how to enhance online learning for other higher education students. This article reports the results of phenomenographic research on the qualitative differences in the ways of experiencing learning by fifteen adult students enrolled in two online postgraduate programmes. The analysis on in-depth, participant-led interviews demonstrated that online learning is conceptualised in three ways: as an investment, as a process that brings structure, and as a process that enables and empowers an individual. The results of this study are of particular importance for those who are concerned with introducing online learning to the higher education curricula. The paper argues that the stigma of online education being the second choice, maintained in the educational research literature, should be replaced by a holistic approach to education as a process that organically incorporates the online educational elements into higher education. Focusing on how adult students experience online learning provides a broader and deeper understanding of adopted effective practices and the variety of online learning opportunities and outcomes for other students' groups. Insights based on the results of this study are summarised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education plays a significant role in promoting human and societal well-being and developing India as envisioned in its constitution. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 discusses how to equip future teachers with transforming the teaching--learning process and innovative pedagogy. A teacher is the central figure in the formal teaching--learning process, and students' future depends on them. The aim of this paper is to provide strategic recommendation for transforming the faculty/teachers of higher education institutes according to the guidelines of NEP 2020 supported with the literature. The critical points for teacher transformation considered are multidisciplinarity, student engagement, leadership, lifelong learning, technology, and faculty as a curriculum designer scientist. Using the keywords "NEP 2020, teacher, transformation, curriculum, and higher education," literature was searched in scientific databases. Relevant literature information related to the key teacher-related sections in NEP 2020 was compiled, grouped, and discussed accordingly. The proposed strategic recommendations are as follows: NEP 2020 is a roadmap for the future; the teachers should train students in multi-disciplinary environment; Student-centric education and supporting self-directed learning should be promoted; teacher to transform as mentor or guide; faculty to be trained in leadership skills; blend learning and life long learning to be promoted; faculty to be trained in digital technology and to take a new role as curriculum designer scientist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (the "Center") has helped to expand or create new courses for two degree programs within a School of Human Ecology: the undergraduate Community and Nonprofit Leadership Bachelor of Arts degree program, and the Applied Master of Science in Human Ecology degree program. A post-baccalaureate Capstone Certificate program was then approved and offered, based on the set of courses that the Center has developed. Courses to meet the needs of these programs were developed with a focus on critical pedagogies and an expanded notion of subject matter, relying on communitybased learning, praxis applications, and course structures which accommodate a diverse community of learners and contributors. This paper will examine how these course models and some of their key features and approaches advance best practices for applied learning in the field of nonprofit and community studies. Promising pedagogical features and strategies of the courses which the authors recommend for course design in this field include: decentering academic knowledge in favor of practitioner and community wisdom and engagement; emphasizing the value of the learning community as a source of diverse perspective and expertise; and critical consciousness development and practical skills building through reflection, action, and praxis--all taking into account the skills, experiences, and needs of adult learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Social Sciences & Humanities Studies / Društvene i Humanističke Studije (DHS) is the property of Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, University of Tuzla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Community Connections: Studies on Education, Culture / Közösségi Kapcsolódások: Tanulmányok Kultúráról és Oktatásról is the property of Szeged University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual reality (VR) based simulation is emerging as an innovative tool for the training and education of healthcare professionals. However, pedagogical frameworks specific to this type of simulation are yet missing. This paper explores participants' experiences with VR-based simulation training in non-technical skills (VR-SIMI) and integrates them with established pedagogical theory. Non-technical skills refer to cognitive, social, and personal resource skills such as effective communication, relational competence, and stress management. An observational study was conducted involving 11 healthcare professionals in children and adolescents' mental healthwho attended four VR-SIMI sessions over one year. Data were collected through field notes during participant observation and informal conversations with the participants. Directed content analysis was conducted, informed by the established practice of VR-SIMI (including INACL standards of best practice simulation), Jeffries simulation theory, Kolb's experiential learning theory, and adult learning theory. The findings indicate that the participants positively evaluated the use of VR-SIMI. However, they also reported that the implementation and learning outcomes should be further refined. Based on these findings, an evidence-based and theory-driven pedagogical framework is proposed to guide and enhance the quality of VR-based simulations of non-technical skills for various of healthcare professionals, as well as inform future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is an editorial from the Australian Journal of Adult Learning, discussing various topics related to adult learning education. It mentions changes in Ministerial portfolios in the Federal Albanese Government and highlights the Labor government's commitment to adult and lifelong learning. The journal includes four refereed papers on topics such as academic advising for adult learners, Bessie Harrison Lee's fight for suffrage, adult community education in the theatre and arts, and perceptions of adult learning for visually impaired individuals during the pandemic. The article also includes book reviews and emphasizes the importance of pedagogy, policy, and practice in adult education. [Extracted from the article]