Interrogating Values of Adult Education Practice in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-625
Author(s):  
Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Group Learning ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Dominant Form ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Philosophical Orientations

The practice of adult learning and education (ALE) in Hong Kong is lesser known to the wider community of ALE practitioners due to lack of exchanges with international peers. There is a small community of full-time ALE practitioners working mainly in university continuing education schools but a larger body of uncharacterised or alternative practitioners can also be found. Essentially, both types of practitioners are conservative in their outlook and they adopt strategies that align with market needs and priorities set by public funders. Under the backdrop of neoliberalism which has harmonised ALE practice worldwide, a dominant form of individualised learning makes it difficult to promote group learning for societal advancement. ALE practitioners in Hong Kong are no exception to this influence and have been found to profess philosophical orientations favouring the behaviourist/narrowed progressivist notions of learner empowerment for economic and personal gains. Given recent worldwide renewed enthusiasm in making ALE responsive to societal issues, this paper examines the options and learning areas that ALE practitioners in Hong Kong can make their contributions to, such as: health advocacy, climate justice, and media literacy. Through engaging in these aspects of work, practitioners will have to incorporate methods of facilitating group learning in formal and non-formal ALE programmes and courses. An embrace by practitioners of the original notion of progressivist philosophy in adult education may emerge as one of the outcomes to make ALE practice inclusive, relevant and socially responsible. Even with the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, it is deemed even more pressing to pursue a balanced practice approach that can take care of individual's skills transformation for post-COVID economy as well as developing human bonds that would help to make society progressive as a countercheck to neoliberal-inspired individualistic adult learning.

scholarly journals Relationships between Physical and Social Behavioural Changes and the Mental Status of Homebound Residents in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (18) ◽  
pp. 6653
Author(s):  
Ben Y. F. Fong ◽  
Martin C. S. Wong ◽  
Vincent T. S. Law ◽  
Man Fung Lo ◽  
Tommy K. C. Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Physical Strain

In Hong Kong, social distancing has been adopted in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in physical health, mental health, and social well-being experienced by local residents who were homebound during the pandemic. An online questionnaire in both Chinese and English versions was completed by 590 eligible participants from 24 April to 13 May 2020. The questionnaire found that individuals aged 18 to 25 years spent more time resting and relaxing but experienced more physical strain. Working status was associated with social contact, with participants working full-time jobs scoring higher in “maintaining social communication via electronic means” and “avoiding social activities outside the home”. Additionally, approximately one third of the participants (29.7%) had moderate to severe depression, and participants aged 18 to 25 were found to have higher scores in PHQ-9. Changes in physical health and social contact were significantly associated with developing depressive symptoms. From the results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exert a negative impact on the mental health status of individuals.

scholarly journals How Do the Timing and Duration of Courses Affect Participation in Adult Learning and Education? A Panel Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 074171362110190
Author(s):  
Fabian Rüter ◽  
Andreas Martin
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Temporal Organization ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Matching Process ◽  
Education Participation ◽  
The Impact

Participation in adult learning and education requires the availability of, and accessibility to, learning opportunities provided by educational institutions. One fundamental element is time. Adult learning and education participation can only be realized by successfully matching individual time-availabilities with the temporal organization of provided courses. To address this required matching process, this study contributes to research literature as one of the first studies that investigates the impact of timing and course duration on participation counts (longitudinally). For this, we use organizational data from public adult education centers ( Volkshochschulen—VHS; the main adult education providers in Germany) from 2007 to 2017. Methodologically, random- and fixed-effects models are applied. We find significant positive effects on participation counts between increasing program breadth in terms of temporal formats and increasing average course duration.

scholarly journals Are adult learners in Europe happier than non-learners? Statistical evidence from the European Social Survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 147490412110146
Author(s):  
Ellen Boeren
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Participation Rates ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Relationship

This paper borrows insights from the literature on European welfare regimes to analyse the relationship between happiness and participation in adult education. The academic literature and policy discourses on adult education tend to claim that participation in learning is correlated with happiness despite the lack of strong European comparative empirical evidence on this topic. This paper uses data from the latest Wave of the European Social Survey to analyse the happiness perceptions of nearly 20,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 who live in 16 European countries (15 European Union countries and the United Kingdom). Results indicate that while adult learners on average tend to be happier than non-learners, this correlation weakens when controlling for determinants of participation and happiness and for the countries in which these adults live. Confirming the importance of welfare regimes, this study found that adults in Finland tend to be happier than those in other countries, regardless of their participation in adult education. Happiness scores were lowest in Bulgaria and Hungary, countries with low participation rates in adult education and with the biggest differences in happiness scores between learners and non-learners. It is argued that the presence of well-structured adult learning provision might be an important characteristic of welfare regimes but that happiness is determined by much more than being an adult learner.

Iz istorije obrazovanja odraslih u Bosni i Hercegovini i najznačajnije ustanove i delatnosti (1918-1941)

2019 ◽  
pp. 75-102
Author(s):  
Željko Bralić ◽  
Ljubinka Katić
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
Interwar Period ◽  
General Level ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Archival Documents

The work contents a presentation of the main outcomes of an extensive historical-andragogical research, mainly based on the archival documents kept in Archives of Yugoslavia. An overview of adult education practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina is shaped from the documents data concerning the most signifcant institutions and activities organized as an attempt to contribute to general educational goals in Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes – Yugoslavia between two wars, through andragogical educational activities: raising the general level of literacy and education of wide sections of the population. Institutional basis of adult education praxis at the time mostly rested upon literacy courses, people’s universities, cultural-educational societies, etc. This paper especially distinguishes andragogical activity of momentous and respectable Sarajevo-based cultural-educational establishments (People’s university, Gajret, Prosveta, Napredak), that were amongst the most signifcant and successful in Yugoslavia, and represented example of model work in adult education of the interwar period.

scholarly journals Integration of Indigenous Knowledge into Adult Learning Material Development and the Facilitation Methodology

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Yalalem Assefa
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Integration ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Material Development

Connecting indigenous knowledge systems and practices with adult education programs has priceless value of promoting and transferring indigenous perspectives from generation to generation. Indeed, education is the surest path to ensuring social continuity when it ought to be based on the real-life experiences of learners and what their immediate environment and social realities entail. This demands the development of relevant adult learning materials and the utilization of participatory facilitation methodologies. Considering this in mind, this study was aimed to explore the integration of indigenous knowledge into adult education practices. In doing so, a case-study design was employed. The study sample was composed of eighteen experts, seven adult education literacy center coordinators, and seventy adult learners. Interview and FGD were considered the major data-gathering tools. Also, thematic analysis was the center of this study’s data analysis. As a result, the finding indicated that even though adult learners have diverse learning experiences, narrow emphasis has been given to the development of learning concepts and objectives in adult learning materials. The application of appropriate facilitation methods through participating experienced learners remains symbolic. To enhance the positive inclusion of indigenous knowledge into adult learning, learning material and its facilitation environment must be conducive and adequately be portraited. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the existing practice of indigenous knowledge integration into adult education in North Wollo, from the perspectives of learning material development and utilization of the facilitation methodology.

Examining Adult Learning Assumptions and Theories in Technology-Infused Communities and Professions

2013 ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Parker
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learning ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Future Application ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Adult Learning Principles ◽  
New Learning ◽  
Learning Principles

Adult learning in today’s society is primarily focused on the needs of adults as they function in their communities and professions. Adult learning principles and theories have been the foundation of adult education practice for over a century. However, a review of the historical context reveals that this new technology-infused learning landscape is dramatically different from its predecessor. This makes a reexamination of these ideas important for their future application. This chapter will reexamine the adult-learning principles of transformative learning, andragogy, and critical reflection in this technology-infused world and propose a new paradigm and corresponding practices for the new learning landscape in communities and professions.

Towards More Socio-Culturally Sensitive Research and Study of Workplace E-Learning

2014 ◽  
pp. 2026-2042
Author(s):  
Karim A. Remtulla
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Career And Technical Education ◽  
Technical Education ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Career And Technical ◽  
Culturally Informed ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Learning Research ◽  
And Training

This article advocates workplace adult education and training researchers and scholar practitioners interested in career and technical education (CTE), adult education and technology, and who are attempting social and cultural critiques of workplace e-learning. The emphasis on the technological and artefactual in workplace e-learning research and study are not producing the expected learning outcomes from workplace adult education and training to the degree anticipated. Given increasingly global and diverse workforces, the research and study of workplace e-learning as a socio-culturally ‘negotiated' space may be an alternate approach toward a more socially and culturally informed understanding of adult learning from workplace e-learning.

A Case Study of Innovation Platforms for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Development

2015 ◽  
pp. 173-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. S. Gboku ◽  
Oitshepile M. Modise ◽  
Jenneh F. Bebeley
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Agricultural Technologies

Stakeholder organizations clearly need to have more than a symbolic role in IAR4D decision making. They are currently hindered by their lack of knowledge of leadership roles and capacity to implement the IAR4D. In this chapter, the authors have presented the use of the IAR4D in Sierra Leone with clear justification of how it fits into contemporary approaches and interventions at the national, regional and global levels. The chapter focuses on the “Dissemination of New Agricultural Technologies in Africa (DONATA)” project in Sierra Leone as a shining example of leadership development and adult learning in both formal and non-formal settings. The authors highlight current challenges of the use of innovation platforms through IARD and articulate implications of the case study for adult education, agricultural extension and non-formal training in agricultural research institutions. The chapter ends with recommendations for surmounting the current challenges of the case described.

Exploring the Role of Adult Learning Theory in Understanding Employees' Participation in Non-Mandatory Training

2018 ◽  
pp. 48-80
Author(s):  
Jayaranjani Sutha
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Adult Learning Theory ◽  
Unique Role ◽  
Mandatory Training ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

The theme of employees' non-mandatory training participation intention has been viewed as being supported by limited theoretical foundations, specifically expectancy theory of motivation and perceived organizational support theory. Although contributions made by adult learning theory have long been acknowledged, it is important to recognize the unique role it has played by incorporating three theoretical pillars and consequently providing a strong foundation for employees' non-mandatory training participation intention. By identifying the relationship between employees' non-mandatory training participation intention and one of its closely allied fields, viz. adult education, this article argues that it is actually adult learning theory that provides a foundation and linkage for both fields.

Theorizing African American Women’s Learning and Development

2012 ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Y. Byrd ◽  
Dominique T. Chlup
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Adult Education ◽  
Adult Learning ◽  
Predominantly White ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Adult Learning Theories ◽  
Women's Narratives

This study is a qualitative, interpretative examination of nine African American women’s encounters with race, gender, and social class (intersectionality) in predominantly white organizations and the learning experiences that emerged from these encounters. Rather than continuing to operate from a Eurocentric view of learning, this study contributes to the scholarly discussion the learning perspectives of African American Women (AAW). Black feminist theory is used as a socio-cultural framework to explain how AAW learn from issues emerging from intersectionality. A narrative approach to inquiry was the research strategy employed. Three major learning orientations emerged from the women’s narratives: learning from influential sources, learning through divine guidance, and learning through affirmation of self. The authors contend that expanding the conversation of adult learning theories to include socio-cultural theories derived from black women’s scholarship may be necessary to move the field of adult education toward more inclusive ways of theorizing adult learning. Implications for the field of adult education and the emerging workforce diversity paradigm are provided.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document