Reframing Professionalism in Adult Education – Centering Learners and Enhancing Educator Practice

 

At the heart of adult learning and education (ALE) lies a fundamental question: how do we best support adult learners, particularly those from vulnerable populations, to achieve meaningful educational outcomes? The Working Group 4 (WG4) on Understanding and Integrating Adult Learning Principles into Learning Settings and Professionalization of the Field, led by mentor André Schlӓfli (IACEHOF 2011), convened at the 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Conference in Florence to tackle this question.

 

The session opened with a compelling presentation by the leadership of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE-https://coabe.org/), a prominent U.S.-based nonprofit that provides professional development, advocacy, and leadership for adult basic education practitioners across all 50 states. Their work served as an inspiring case study for how ALE organizations can elevate both learners and the educators who serve them.

 

Championing Learners as Leaders

COABE's initiatives to empower adult learners as leaders and advocates in their own communities were a key focal point. These examples challenged the group to consider professionalization not just in terms of credentials and training for educators, but also in how ALE institutions recognize and uplift learners' agency.

 

Facilitated Dialogue on Professional Development and Practice

Following the opening presentation, Judith Alamprese and Zoltán Várkonyi (https://basicskills.eu/) facilitated an in-depth discussion that split into two subgroups. Each focused on critical elements of educator development and learner success:

 

1.    Skills and Knowledge for Working with Vulnerable Populations: Participants identified the need for adult educators to understand learners' lived experiences and challenges, whether related to socioeconomic status, educational history, trauma, incarceration, or cultural background. Emphasis was placed on equipping educators with cultural competence, trauma-informed approaches, and adaptive instructional strategies.

2.    Organizational Conditions that Support Learning: The second subgroup focused on how institutions can create enabling environments for adult learners. This included establishing feedback mechanisms, promoting learner agency, and fostering lifelong learning strategies. There was agreement that ALE providers must integrate support services and community engagement into their operational frameworks.

 

Identified Areas for Professional DevelopmentThe Learner as the Centerpiece

The working group outlined several high-priority areas for improving educator preparation and ongoing support:

• Understanding Learner Backgrounds: Adult educators must be trained to assess and respond to the motivations, skills, and learning barriers each learner brings.
• Continuous Feedback Loops: Educators should learn how to offer constructive, responsive feedback that builds learner confidence and capacity.
• Developing Learning Strategies: Adult learners need guidance in becoming self-directed, reflective learners capable of navigating diverse learning environments.
• Fostering Learner Agency: Programs must empower learners to set goals, make decisions, and advocate for their learning journeys.
• Contextualizing ALE Delivery: Educators need training tailored to specific settings—workplaces, correctional institutions, community centers, or family literacy programs—each with its challenges and opportunities.

The central takeaway from WG4 was clear: professionalization in ALE must start and end with the learner. Whether instruction occurs in a university classroom, an adult education center, or a prison facility, the learner’s needs, interests, and aspirations must be the focal point.

 

This learner-centered philosophy challenges traditional notions of professionalism. Instead of emphasizing formal qualifications, it highlights responsiveness, empathy, and context-sensitive pedagogy as hallmarks of quality in adult education.

 

Proposed Collaborations and Future Steps

The group recognized that the scope and diversity of ALE settings make it difficult to capture all relevant themes in a single meeting. Therefore, they proposed:

• A series of seminars focused on refining professional development strategies for specific contexts and learner groups.
• Collaborative writing projects, including journal articles that explore new directions for ALE professionalization.
• Ongoing dialogue, with the potential for establishing a long-term network to share tools, resources, and insights.

 

A Call to Reimagine Professionalism

WG4’s dialogue suggests that professionalizing the field does not mean standardizing it. Instead, it calls for recognizing the richness of adult learners’ lives, the diversity of learning environments, and the deeply human work of adult education. True professionalism is demonstrated through responsiveness, equity, and a commitment to empowering learners to shape their futures.

Reimagining Lifelong Learning: Global Ecosystems for a Transformative Future

 

By Pascal Paschoud and Simone C. O. Conceição (IACEHOF 2018)

 

Insights from the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall Conference

In an era marked by rapid technological innovation, shifting demographics, and global challenges such as climate change, the importance of university lifelong learning (ULLL) has never been more urgent. At the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame Conference held in Florence (November 7–9, 2024), Working Group 2 (WG2)—focused on University Lifelong Learning and Inter-University Partnerships—gathered to address this urgency and chart a collaborative path forward.

 

This effort was made possible through close cooperation with the European University Continuing Education Network (EUCEN), whose contributions helped shape a forward-thinking agenda centered on innovation, partnerships, and global impact.

 

Collaboration at the Core

The Working Group recognized that inter-university collaboration is not just a strategic advantage—it's a necessity. Through partnerships, universities can develop joint strategies, share resources, and create flexible learning opportunities for adult learners. Initiatives like the Adult Education Academy and the European Basic Skills Network (EBSN) exemplify how shared educational programs and professional development series can transcend national borders.

 

A pre-conference webinar set the stage, with participants exchanging practices and highlighting successful projects. Featured resources included DVV International’s ALE Toolbox and UNESCO’s Learning Cities initiative—tools and models that reinforce the transformative potential of coordinated adult education.

 

Key Themes and Actions

The Florence workshop reaffirmed the university’s pivotal role in supporting lifelong learning. While national contexts differ, participants shared a common vision: the transformation of higher education institutions into “learning universities” that fully embrace lifelong learning as a core mission.

 

To move this vision into action, the Working Group proposed:

• Building Inclusive LLL Ecosystems: Engaging diverse stakeholders—universities, civil society, employers, and learners—to co-create accessible and responsive learning opportunities.
• Creating Joint Programs: Developing cross-border degrees, certificates, and exchange opportunities to promote global access and recognition.
• Establishing Microcredentialing Frameworks: Inspired by models like MicroCred in Ireland, the group advocated for a global alliance on microcredentials to ensure transferability, transparency, and mobility.
• Developing Sustainable Networks: Initiatives like EPALE serve as a model for an international network of lifelong learning educators and professionals to share strategies, successes, and challenges.

The Road Ahead

Looking forward, the Working Group outlined a series of next steps to sustain momentum:

• Forge lasting partnerships with universities, governments, NGOs, and the private sector.
• Identify funding opportunities to support international projects.
• Promote recognition and accreditation frameworks that validate prior learning across borders.

Above all, the group made a strong call to the broader educational community: to commit to revitalizing adult and continuing education—not just as a response to global challenges but as a means of fostering personal fulfillment and social progress.

 

A Shared Commitment

In collaboration with EUCEN, this work reflects a shared commitment to a global, inclusive, and forward-looking vision of lifelong learning. As universities continue to evolve, their ability to partner effectively—locally and globally—will define their role in building resilient societies and empowered individuals.

 

In the words of the Working Group, this is the beginning of “a new renaissance for lifelong learning”—one built on cooperation, innovation, and a deep belief in education without limits.