Despite communities in emergency situations expressing the desire and need for education beyond schooling to support the learning needs of adults and youth, the focus tends to remain on providing conventional, school-based education for school-aged children. Taking a decolonial approach to interrogating this prioritisation of schooling in…

For more than 50 years, governmental and independent reviews have published proposals for strengthening adult learning opportunities, showing a remarkable consistency in the advice offered to government. They have, however, had little more than short-term impact on policy or provision. Since the early 2000s, under the influence of neoliberal…

This article critically examines how monitoring strategies currently track progress on country commitments to adult learning and education (ALE). These commitments are laid out in three main international initiatives and policy tools: (1) the Belém Framework for Action (BFA); (2) the 2015 Recommendation on Adult Learning and Education (RALE); and…

Adults' development of literacy and numeracy skills that can enable them to navigate the demands of contemporary life and be prepared for the future is central to their economic, social, and personal well-being and the functioning of society. This article discusses the role of literacy and numeracy in adult learning and education, beginning with…

'Learning the lessons' looks at the history of learning and skills policy, going back to the late 19th century. It is the third report produced as part of our Ambition Skills programme of work, supported by City & Guilds and NOCN, which considers the economic and social case for a higher ambition for learning and skills, and how we can achieve…

This chapter argues for the centrality of spirituality in lifelong and adult learning theory and practice. As embedded in human experience, the spirituality of learning, including exploring awe and wonder, is vital. We introduce the processes and outcomes of lifelong spiritual formation, profound learning, and human flourishing as underpinnings…

In the era of digital transformation, the intersection of adult learning, digital competence, global progress, and sustainable development emerges as a pivotal focus. This article dives into the complex interaction of these factors centering on the pivotal role of digital competence in advancing sustainable development goals through adult…

Andragogy was the first adult learning model to identify adult learners' characteristics and provide a pragmatic framework for responding to them. It is still considered a foundational and significant contribution to understanding adult learners despite substantial critique over the last 50 years. Current research supports the notion that…

This essay introduces a juxtaposition of adult education, futures perspectives, transformative learning theory, and democratic engagement. Within adult education, the promise of education, and the possibilities of transformative learning (TL) are often linked to democracy and human freedoms, yet that democratic promise is often left unfulfilled or…

Participation rate in adult and continuing education (ACE) is one of the multiple indicators of distributive justice. Nonetheless, the literature of recent decades has turned it into a cardinal principle and value. Expansive paradigm that envisages the progressive and generalised development of participation rate in ACE is examined in this…

In this article, I argue that critical discourse in Mezirow's theory of transformative learning is a constructionist, ontological act that serves to support an individual's critical reflection, which, in turn, is a constructivist, epistemological act. The notion of onto-epistemology is helpful in bringing to the fore the entanglement of these two…

Adult education has historically played a role in modern democracies in support of civic participation and democratic engagement. In the context of a relatively stable and unchanging society, learning "about" and participating "in" the democratic process allow for tweaking the mechanisms of democracy. In present times, taken…

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms higher education, faculty are increasingly expected to integrate AI tools into curriculum design, assessment, and instruction, often without adequate preparation. This article examines how Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) can effectively support faculty adopting AI technologies through…

One of the core outcomes of the Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA VI) held in 2009 was the Belém Framework for Action (BFA). Its signatories committed to monitoring the most recent development stages of adult learning and education (ALE) worldwide on a regular basis, and to present and assess results in a global report.…

A "mind, brain and education" (MBE) approach applies the best evidence regarding how people learn to real classroom settings. Much of the work in the field to date has involved child learners, but MBE is increasingly turning to the study of adult education, supported by a growing understanding of how adults and children differ in their…