This article presents a general and overarching view on partnerships between adult education and STEM disciplines. Drawing from their individual STEM backgrounds, personal perspectives and experiences with such partnerships, and the science of team science, the authors consider the benefits of adult education for STEM, the benefits of STEM for…

This autoethnographic study documents the stories of two adult education faculty members' experiences when their respective academic programs were closed. We situate our stories within changes in higher education economics and two theoretical frameworks: expectancy theory and psychological contract theory. Despite our isolation as the sole faculty…

Adult education has a historical and ongoing commitment to fostering democratic relationships, demonstrated by the tendency of adult education to be called upon when social change and realignment are most desirable. This article considers the philosophical and pragmatic possibilities for adult education at this moment, when White Christian…

In this chapter, we provide a snapshot of critical theories with salience for adult education to illuminate their enduring efficacy within the discipline, including critical feminism, queer theory, and race-based critical theories. Critical theories seek to make individual change while dismantling the structures that suppress freedom and…

This article highlights the multiple crises experienced since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 that have encouraged adult educators to rethink and revitalize their professional practices to respond to learners with understanding and care as they work through their own challenges. The reflections and perspectives shared inform our own…

This article draws together the diversity of practices and experiences presented in the previous articles. We identify the challenges and opportunities facing adult educators in Latin America and the Caribbean in a context of growing social movements and discuss the potential relevance of these practices and experiences for US adult educators.

This article discusses the interwoven disruptions caused by the multiple crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, violent incidents against persons of color, social justice concerns, and political and civil unrest. Discussion will center on how these crises impacted and continue to affect careers, schools, workplaces, and personal lives. The chapter will…

This article provides a critical analysis of adult educators' cherished notion of "experiential learning" and of the ways in which our assumptions limit our ability to respond effectively to a world of "truthiness" and "alternative facts."

Using the lens of endarkened feminist epistemology, two women of color think through the question of how we use adult education to create brave spaces and develop practices for teaching, research, and service in an unsafe, fear-laden, and punitive context shaped by White Christian nationalism (WCN). Because of the cultural-historical context of…

Adult educators are often seen as proponents of social justice but what does it really mean to be an advocate for racial justice in and outside the classroom? Draconian policies implemented by the Trump administration have placed additional hardships on Americans. The increasing attacks on education have clear ramifications for adults in formal…

Since the January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the influence of White Christian nationalism (WCN) has become even more pronounced and concerning. Adult educators and the public need a better understanding of whether and how WCN can be unlearned, and the roles ordinary citizens and adult educators can play in this process. After describing WCN…

As the population ages, more older adults seek learning opportunities in various educational settings. This article highlights the understanding of older adult learners and the greater heterogeneity within this demographic. I explore why and how older adults learn, including their learning needs, the challenges of aging that may affect their…

This closing article urges adult educators to continue to question our role, our ideas, and our pedagogical strategies in order to renew our efforts to support social change and social justice.

Military service members belong to a unique culture identified, in part, by their clothing, language, job requirements, and relationships. Their experiences within the military set them apart in ways that are unlikely to be understood by most in the civilian employment community. When transitioning into civilian employment, veterans navigate…

This paper uses the constructs of capacity and competencies to explore how transversal and vertical skills are becoming more central than in the past for adult educators and higher educational design teaching. In this chapter, the authors will describe the context where this idea was created and describe two approaches that develop transversal and…