Adult Education Discourses

Navigating the unconditional: doing research the only way you can

Rob Evans — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Researching Thoughtfully

Hazel Wright — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents aspects of my personal journey from novice to thoughtful researcher drawing attention to things I learned along the way that may be of benefit to others travelling in the same direction. In passing, I discuss the messiness of real research, two doctoral studies (one in Geography, abandoned after data collection, and one in Education, successfully completed), my background in more scientific approaches and my more recent ventures into aspects of ethnography, auto-ethnography, auto-biography and life-writing, and with non-traditional ways of collecting, analyzing and presenting qualitative data, including fictionalization. In places, the text also draws attention to resources useful for exploring what it is to research thoughtfully.

Epistemological and methodological foundations of adult education research – a personal statement

Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This text outlines the author’s personal epistemological and methodological foundations in adult education research, emphasizing a journey of continuous learning and openness. It is written on the basis of 25 years of research experience and many empirical projects. One main thesis is that a curious and open approach to research paradigms is crucial, alongside lifelong learning research. Further, maintaining clear epistemological and philosophical positions is essential to avoid arbitrariness.

Here a constructivist view is adopted, acknowledging that the social world is interpreted and meaning-laden, interpretations are shaped by shared patterns (culture, language) and individual experiences. However, social structures and inequalities, while socially constructed, impact individual actions. Social phenomena in this sense are both objectively structured and subjectively interpreted. Thus, research must address the interplay of individual agency and social structures.

A pragmatistic methodology, advocating for flexible method selection based on the research question, is put at the forefront. Pragmatism acknowledges the context-dependent nature of research and the influence of researchers’ beliefs. Aiming for use-inspired basic research, generalizable knowledge derived from real-life problems should be addressed. Research can inform pedagogical practice by offering new perspectives and challenging traditional interpretations. At the same time, one has to be aware that research findings are subject to diverse interpretations, requiring clear and honest communication.

Regarding the concrete realization of research projects, the article argues for selecting methods carefully and considering a range of factors. Ethical considerations are paramount, and the pros and cons of mixed-method designs are discussed. Certain preconditions that are relevant for all research projects are examined here, namely openness, teamwork and collaborative exchange, continuous dialogue, networking, and time.

Can I be a universal academic and stay loyal to my cultural roots? A Danish researcher reflects on the choices this entails

Marianne Høyen — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

To write this article, I examined my own educational journey through a series of critical lenses. My intention was to identify and share my experiences of learning to function within the dominant Anglocentric academic discourses when I grew up and worked within a very different cultural tradition, my foundational Danish heritage. I present my ‘findings’ here as a series of ‘Strands’ that I had to unpick and then re-twine to understand my story, interspersed by ‘Strategies’ – pauses where I share the processes I used to enable me to excavate my academic life with integrity and share my ideas with others – as I believe there are many academics working within Europe, and beyond, who will have encountered or be working through or around similar hurdles. There are many like me who lack the privilege that being a native English speaker bestows in a world where this is the dominant lingua franca.

Doing research in a postcolonial context. Navigating the unconditional from a biographical research perspective

Angela Pilch Ortega — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of the article is to focus on the question of what is absolutely necessary for me in research and how to navigate it. To answer this question, I will refer to key experiences that are of great importance to me as a researcher. Based on my previous research, particularly in relation to my investigations in the highlands of Chiapas in Mexico, I will attempt to identify key elements that are essential to my research. More specifically, I will address important challenges that have fundamentally questioned and influenced my understanding of research and have been important for my development as a scientist. In particular my research in postcolonial contexts has led me to many limits of my understanding of science and helped me to explore new paths and to further develop my original attitude as a researcher. Thinking about the question of the legitimacy of scientific (re-)presentation, for example, was an important turning point for my understanding of research. Against this backdrop I will focus on doing research with postcolonial narratives and will highlight related epistemological, methodological and ethical issues I had to deal with during my research.

Dignity through touch for an ethics of care: pandemical tales

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Six women came together to write this paper. Two from Norway, two from Italy, one from England, and one an Italian living and working in England. Their aim was to experiment with writing a collaborative auto-ethnography to share their personal stories about people whose life events at the time of the pandemic resulted in a loss of dignity. They attempt to reveal the importance of dignity, and of touching-non-touching in the lives of elderly and unwell people who lack the resources to demand the rights and respect they deserve and have earned. With varying academic backgrounds, the authors welcome the complexity this creates and learn to speak with a single voice, aware that differences will remain. The authors are feminists who lean towards a new materialist and post-humanist stance and they explore the importance of this in this text.

Biographicity as a project. On the foundation of a research programme on lifelong learning

Peter Alheit — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The following considerations are a cautious attempt to answer the question how modern biographies can be understood and which impact their real course has on social learning processes. Four conceptual accesses discuss possible solutions: a “time – diagnostic access” (section 1), a “phenomenological access” (section 2), a “comparative access” (section 3) and an “alternative theoretical access” (section 4). The first thought relates to the observation that late modern life courses seem – unplanned – to be becoming a kind of “laboratory” in which we have to develop skills that have no “curriculum” for the time being. The second step will be to clarify the phenomenological originality of the concept “biography”. Does this concept really announce a new problem or is it just another label for questions that have long been known? The specific pedagogical applicability of the term will then be discussed. The large number of biography – oriented approaches, particularly in the educational sciences, is certainly not an indication of their indispensability, but it is also not necessarily the symptom of a mere fashion. Finally, in a pointed discussion of a polemic remark by Pierre Bourdieu, the outline of a programmatic framework concept will be presented.

The way of perceiving oneself as an adult learning subject and the importance of higher education in a phenomenographic reconstruction of the statements of Generation Z people about the experience of studying

Alicja Jurgiel-Aleksander, Zdzisław Aleksander — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this article is an attempt to deal with the issue of adult learning from the perspective of a participant in higher education (university). The key to recognizing this issue is the phenomenographic reconstruction of the concept of studying and the way it describes the adult as a learner. The authors of the article reveal the results of their own research, the subject of which was the analysis of the experience, understanding and perception of studying by students from Generation Z. The reference to the collected empirical material present here is of a two-stage nature. First, in a simplified way, the authors present the categories of description that make up the image of studying in the perspective of Generation Z students in order to show that the key to distinguishing them is the roles that students assign to themselves as adult learning subjects. And these are the following roles: (a) participant in the formal education system, (b) user and consumer of knowledge, (c) practicing social independence, (d) adapting to the new (as opposed to school) academic didactic culture, (e) initiator of learning to be with others. The authors then look at what kind of validation of higher education (university) accompanies student-developed concepts of studying and the roles inscribed in them. As a result, they come to the conclusion that the process of justifying education in higher education takes place by emphasizing the importance of achieving the individual needs of individuals, recognizing the civilizational acceleration as a state describing the modern lifestyle, treating studying through the prism of learning that takes place on the terms of a meeting.

Generation Z’s expectations towards distance learning at the higher education level

Anna Kławsiuć-Zduńczyk — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Higher education is subject to constant change. It is influenced by external factors, such as demographic and generational changes, globalization, technological progress, as well as internal factors, such as the forms and methods of education used, and the way the institution is managed. In recent years, one of the key changes in higher education, which was influenced by both internal and external factors, was the popularization of remote education, caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In many ways, this was a challenge for education providers, lecturers, and students. The lack of preparation of participants on both sides of the education process for the unexpected situation resulted in numerous errors. Their consequences were significant for the quality of education, but also for the mental condition of students. Currently, remote education is used as a supporting or basic form of education, which is why it is so important to study the factors that are significant for its quality. Additionally, today’s students belong to Generation Z, which also determines the introduction of changes in the approach to learning.

The research results were based on the opinions of 261 students representing Generation Z on the implementation of higher education in a remote form and the needs of students for coping with various types of difficulties resulting from remote studying. Based on the quantitative research conducted in this project, comprising a questionnaire and open-ended questions, it can be stated that representatives of Generation Z, studying remotely, felt educational difficulties the most. These resulted from the need to increase their own workload in relation to stationary education and from the form of instruction used by lecturers regardless of the type of classes conducted. Students felt equally strongly about social difficulties caused by the lack of direct contact with lecturers and other students. Remote education also generated difficulties of a psychological nature. Therefore, students expected substantive and emotional support from lecturers, but also from other specialists, including psychologists, mentors, career advisors. They also expected lecturers to present and respect specific principles of study and assessment. Among the factors that are most important for increasing student engagement in studying, the respondents recognized the change in the approach of lecturers to teaching. They postulated the use of activating methods in distance learning, the use of interactive digital media, indicating the practical application of the theoretical knowledge provided, creating opportunities to combine studies with the job market, a partnership approach on the lecturers’ side, as well as the use of positive reinforcement by lecturers and the university.

The final part presents conclusions and recommendations regarding the organization and implementation of distance learning at a higher level for contemporary students, representatives of Generation Z.

Immersive and ‘zapping’ education of Generation Z. A narrative on the significance of technology in the everyday learning of young adults

Zuzanna Wojciechowska — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Contemporary educational trends highlight the growing importance of mobile technologies in the learning process of young adults, particularly those belonging to Generation Z. In this article, the author analyzes the immersive and zapping learning strategies of this generation, based on interviews conducted with its representatives. The aim of the study was to understand how and why smartphones have become an integral part of their learning process and what role Generation Z attributes to technology. The research findings reveal that, for Generation Z, smartphones play a crucial role in accessing information, enabling immediate interaction with educational content, and supporting dynamic and diverse learning forms. The analysis of the interviews also points to specific challenges, such as multitasking, surface learning, difficulties with concentration, and the potential risk of technology addiction. The article provides a new perspective on the impact of mobile technologies on education, as well as the needs and preferences of Generation Z regarding learning methods.

Cultural heritage and re-making community: university and local community collaboration as a case study

Adrianna Nizińska — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The communal character of the European Union is based not only on the labor market and economy but primarily on shared cultural heritage and common values such as pluralism, social solidarity, justice, equality, and dignity. Strengthening and promoting these values is not only culturally enriching but can also play a significant role in preventing and addressing the growing social problems in Europe related to demographic changes, the need for new types of skills development, and troubling xenophobic and racist attitudes. If, from the perspective of Europe as a community of values, educational work with cultural heritage can bring so many benefits, how can it be effectively built? Can engagement with the past and its critical interpretation strengthen communities torn by contemporary crises? What are the conditions for good cooperation based on cultural heritage? What kind of “neighbor” is the university for the community, and what is its own cultural heritage? How do universities understand cultural heritage, and what place do they assign it in the educational process? This text is an attempt to partially answer these questions, placing the empirical material collected within the framework of the international EU_CUL project in the broader context of questions about the role of contemporary universities in social learning projects, and particularly in the processes of possible community renewal based on educational work with cultural heritage.

The subversive strategies of populist power: on the emancipatory potential of citizenship education and the public sphere

Tomasz Maślanka — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this article, the author presents various strategies employed by populist power that lead to ontological and axiological exclusion and the structural blockage of the communicative dimension of the public sphere as a civil space for dialogue. The article refers, among other ideas, to Jürgen Habermas’s normative theory of the public sphere and Chantal Mouffe’s concept of agonistic pluralism to show the threats to democracy, public order, and the functioning of civil society that result from the new forms and mechanisms of symbolic power and that produce polarization, stigmatization, and the exclusion of different ways of defining reality. The author presents the main assumptions of citizenship education in regard to forming social consciousness, developing critical thinking skills and other civic competencies, and forming habits of active participation in public life, all of which can influence the structure and key functions of the public sphere and unlock its emancipatory dimension. The author tries to show that countering the strategies of polarization and ontological exclusion used by populists requires citizenship education, understood as a certain normative project. The article outlines a perspective that could provide an opportunity at the present time for depolarization and the restoration of mutual respect between social groups with antagonistic worldviews and axiologies.

dalena Pokrzyńska Participatory model of documenting cultural heritage: from learning to social connectivity. Fieldwork in Bukovina

Magdalena Pokrzyńska — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article examines collective activities focused on documenting heritage through a participatory model, in which various entities representing different levels of social life are involved in the process of defining and preserving heritage. The aim is to present the educational dimension of such activities and the potential they hold for strengthening social connectivity. The author analyzes two documentary projects carried out in Romania, in Bukovina. The analysis is based on qualitative analysis of materials gathered through participant observation, as well as analysis of participants’ statements, and project documents. The projects illustrate how heritage documentation can become a tool for learning, support social integration, and strengthen intergenerational and intercultural relationships. Participatory heritage documentation fosters both its protection and the personal and professional development of the participants.

Contemporary creation of female identity through conflict in the postmodern fairy tale: an analysis of the film Cruella (2021)

Roksana Pilawska-Gronostaj — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article presents the results of qualitative interpretive research conducted as part of a doctoral thesis devoted to the analysis of the image of femininity in contemporary film fairy tales. The aim of the research is to show the pedagogical potential of popular culture as a space for creating a contemporary female identity, using the example of the interpretation of the attitudes and behaviors of the main character of the contemporary, postmodern film fairy tale Cruella (Gillespie, 2021). The author analyzes the film from the perspective of the process of maturation and shaping the female identity of the main character. The fairy tale protagonist, known in pop culture, must face both challenges resulting from socio-cultural expectations towards women, manifested in her interpersonal relations, as well as internal conflicts, symbolizing the process of shaping her adult identity. The article uses a content analysis method based on the critical paradigm, which allows for a detailed interpretation of how the film’s presentation of Estella’s relationships with other characters and her internal struggles reflect contemporary concepts of gender and cultural identity. The results of the research have shown that the main character’s maturation process is connected with the acceptance of her own personality traits and transformation. The transformation of the title character can be interpreted as a critique of traditional patterns of femininity. The conclusions of the research show that Cruella not only reinterprets the framework of female identity and classic fairy tale motifs, but also emphasizes the importance of individualism, self-awareness, and acceptance of one’s own multidimensional nature in the maturation process. The film presents a new, complex interpretation of femininity, showing the possibilities of its redefinition in the face of contemporary social and cultural challenges, which emphasizes the pedagogical potential of popular culture in creating a contemporary model of identity for young women.

Perspectives of the development of adult education with socio-professional change in the background

Ryszard Gerlach — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The aim of this article is to show the possibilities of developing adult education against the background of socio-professional changes taking place in the labor market and in the social structure. Based on the analysis of literature and economic and educational reports, areas of change are shown that have/may have a significant impact on the directions and scope of adult education. Current and prospective factors that determine activity in the field of adult education are presented. Attention was also paid to the course taken by this education. An attempt was made to answer the question of whether adult education is today a necessity or a free choice.

Representations of old age in contemporary visual culture

Ilona Zakowicz — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Contemporary visual culture plays an increasingly important role in shaping and portraying the images of older adults, thereby influencing how aging is socially perceived in Western societies. This article presents the results of research conducted by the author between 2014 and 2024. The aim of the study was to reconstruct the image of late adulthood in advertising. This objective was pursued using document analysis as the primary research method, supported by techniques such as qualitative content analysis, qualitative analysis of visual materials, and narrative structure analysis. The findings revealed diverse and often ambivalent representations of older people, which simultaneously reinforce traditional perceptions and introduce new narratives about aging. The article aims to draw attention to the significance of visual media in the process of shaping social perceptions of late adulthood. It also highlights the need for deeper reflection on the role of visual media in constructing images of aging within academic discourse, particularly in the context of contemporary adult education.

Well-being and respect for seniors. Exploring the meaning of care farms

Joanna Frątczak-Muller — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This article presents the process of establishing care farms in the Lubuskie Province of Poland, a model rarely implemented in the country until now. The study focuses on two key aspects: the mutual learning process of the team responsible for developing the operational principles of these care farms and the initial outcomes observed after a year of their operation. The research aims to understand how the self-learning process unfolded and to assess the impact of care farms on the wellbeing and respect of seniors, both in terms of self-respect and respect received from others. The study is guided by the theoretical frameworks of inclusive education and green care, with a focus on three core issues: respect and agency, social inclusion, and quality of life. Using a combination of document analysis and qualitative interviews with process implementers (team for developing a model of the operation of care farms in the Lubuskie Province) and participants of care farms, the findings reveal that the collaborative learning environment, enriched by direct exposure to green care practices and interactions with seniors during their daily activities, fostered a shared understanding and commitment to the project. This experience motivated the participants to adapt these practices to meet local needs, promoting respect and agency among seniors. The results suggest that seniors’ involvement in meaningful activities enhanced their self-esteem, sense of agency, and motivation, contributing to their overall well-being. The study concludes that care farms offer a promising model for elder care by enhancing both the external respect accorded to seniors and their internal self-respect, thereby supporting broader social inclusion goals and quality of life.

I sing, I dance, I travel – hobbies as an area of activity and informal education for individuals aged 60 and over

Izabela — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The article discusses hobbies as one of the fundamental areas of activity and informal education for individuals aged 60 and over. The background for the analyses conducted is the concept of lifelong learning, introduced in the opening section of the study, and further supplemented by sociological interpretations of lifestyle. The empirical basis for the conclusions is provided by qualitative panel studies conducted in 2024 and 2025 among residents of Lubuskie Voivodeship aged 60 and over.

The main focus of the discussion revolves around the respondents’ diverse passions and interests, which –alongside their professional careers and domestic and family responsibilities – constitute a significant part of their everyday lives and form a platform for continuous development. They may also be conceptualized as one of the key determinants of lifestyle. The author, quoting excerpts from the respondents’ statements, concentrates on those activities defined by them as hobbies, during which- outside the formal education system, and not always intentionally or consciously -they enhance their competencies and acquire knowledge and new skills. Moreover, they bring the idea of lifelong learning to life and often express their resistance to being categorized as seniors withdrawn from active life. This conclusion is supported by the participants’ high level of engagement in their hobbies, the emotions that accompany them, and their clearly pro-educational orientation. This leads to the conclusion that the need for learning and broadly understood activity constitutes one of the most important psychological and social needs of individuals, regardless of age, and it can be (and it is) successfully fulfilled – also through leisure-time activities that are not driven by obligation.

Ad hoc and proactive approaches of older adults to daily memory problems

Agnieszka Konieczna, Monika Żak — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study focuses on the strategies and resources utilized by older adults in response to everyday memory challenges. A phenomenographic methodology was employed to conduct interviews with 14 community-dwelling older adults, some of whom participated in cognitive or recreational stimulation programs at local senior clubs. The findings indicate that participants used a wide range of compensatory strategies, primarily simple, intuitive memory-supporting methods integrated into their daily lives. However, they rarely sought professional support, and their openness to new approaches was limited. Even those engaged in community-based programs were aware of the theoretical benefits of lifestyle management but implemented these recommendations to a limited extent. The study also discusses challenges related to the adoption of health-promoting strategies and factors influencing seniors’ engagement in preventive activities. A key factor was their need to maintain independence and their belief that their existing methods were sufficient. The results highlight the necessity of developing more holistic support strategies that better address the diverse needs of older adults while respecting their desire for agency and autonomy in health-related decision-making. Adopting a lifelong cognitive development approach may contribute to more effective long-term interventions.