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.

 

Leading Through Complexity: The Call for Conscious Leadership in Adult Education

By Dr. Kimberly Osborne (IACEHOF 2023)

Dr. Kimberly Osborne

In a world marked by increasing polarization, rapid technological transformation, and mounting global uncertainty, the field of adult and continuing education stands at a pivotal crossroads. More than ever, we are being called not only to educate but also to lead.

As a Hall of Fame member with experience across academia, international institutions, and public service, I’ve witnessed how the demands placed on adult learners—and those who serve them—have shifted dramatically. These aren’t simply incremental changes. They reflect a broader transformation in how we live, work, and relate to one another in a deeply interconnected world. Navigating this complexity requires a different kind of leadership—one rooted in consciousness, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to human development.

Traditional leadership approaches, anchored in predictability and control, are insufficient for addressing today’s fluid and often ambiguous realities. What we need now is what I call conscious leadership: the capacity to lead with self-awareness, humility, and a deep understanding of interconnected systems. This form of leadership sees beyond the boundaries of institutions or disciplines and embraces the ambiguity that defines modern life. In adult education, this kind of leadership is not optional—it’s essential.

Across the globe, educators and institutions are feeling the impact of this shift. The rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) presents opportunities and threats, particularly regarding access, equity, and the preservation of human wisdom in learning. While AI may automate certain tasks or offer new efficiencies, it cannot replace adult education's relational and reflective dimensions. In the face of this technological surge, adult educators must lead with discernment, guiding learners in how to use technology, question it, critique it, and understand its broader implications.

At the same time, demographic changes are reshaping who our learners are. Migration, aging populations, and global mobility are producing increasingly diverse learning communities, often marked by trauma, interrupted education, or systemic exclusion. In these environments, responsive leadership is crucial. We must be able to listen deeply, adapt programs with cultural intelligence, and build trust across lines of difference. This requires technically proficient leaders who are emotionally intelligent and socially aware.

The changing nature of work further underscores the need for leadership evolution in our field. As industries transform and traditional job pathways become less stable, adult learners need an education that is nimble, relevant, and rooted in lifelong learning principles. Micro-credentials, modular learning, and cross-sector partnerships are promising innovations—but only if they are implemented with thoughtful leadership that centers learner agency and community needs.

In my work advising leaders and institutions, I’ve seen how the most effective responses to these challenges are grounded in a balance of strategic vision and deep humanity. It’s not enough to be efficient or innovative; we must be wise. We must ask not only “what works” but also “what matters” and “for whom?” This reflective stance is one of the most powerful tools adult educators have, and it should be nurtured at every level of our field.

Leadership development cannot be an afterthought. It must be an intentional, integrated part of preparing future educators and shaping our institutions. That means cultivating leaders who can hold complexity, work across boundaries, and lead with courage. The work ahead is not easy, but it is necessary.

The challenges of our time—climate change, social fragmentation, global inequities—can not be met with yesterday’s solutions. As adult and continuing education professionals, we have the tools and the reach to contribute meaningfully to a more conscious and connected world—but only if we lead.

As members of the Hall of Fame, we have the platform and responsibility to model this kind of leadership. Our experience matters, but so does our willingness to evolve. Now is the time to share our stories, lessons, and boldest questions. The future of our field depends on it, and more importantly, so does the future of our learners.

 

Dr. Kimberly Osborne is an international leadership advisor and executive coach specializing in strategic communication, conscious leadership, and adult learning. She works with senior leaders, organizations, and institutions globally to navigate complexity and lead transformational change. 

 

Welcome to the IACEHOF Leadership Perspectives Blog!

 

We are thrilled to introduce IACEHOF Leadership Perspectives, a space dedicated to sharing insights, experiences, and thought leadership from some of the most accomplished professionals in the field.

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