Are teachers agents of change? Teacher training and the gender dimension in adult education: Italy and Nigeria in comparison

Adult education can play a fundamental role in changing existing gender hierarchies, break-ing down gender stereotypes, and promoting gender equality. Teachers can be important agents of change, but they not only have to be aware of their behaviours, attitudes, and views, they also have to be able to understand the specific needs and interests of learners, to use gen-der-based methods, and to implement practices free of gender stereotypes. In order to do this, adequate education and training are needed, but both in Italy and Nigeria, gender issues are not part of the education and training curriculum, and much remains to be done for raising awareness of this issue.

Curriculum globALE: A Global Tool for Professionalising Adult Educators

Curriculum globALE (CG) is a cross-cultural core curriculum for training adult educators worldwide. It was developed jointly by the German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) and DVV International. In five modules, it describes the relevant skills needed to lead successful courses and provides guidance on their practical implementation. Curriculum globALE has been applied in many partner countries and in Germany itself. Evaluation results show that CG is a professionalisation tool for adult educators that can be applied successfully world-wide. Graduates confirm a wide use of the newly acquired competences for their educational work. However, the practical application of CG is also faced with a number of challenges.

EAEA Younger Staff Training as a learning journey

The EAEA Younger Staff Training is a good example of a successful initiative that encour-ages the professional development of adult education staff, builds new collaborations, and explores the diversity of policy and practice in adult learning in Europe. Organized annually since 2011, the training programme has undergone several modifications over the years to adapt to the changing needs of adult education professionals. The paper looks at the content and structure of the programme, with specific attention to how these have evolved and the rationale behind the changes. It also briefly describes why the training programme continues to be successful and its benefits for both the participants and the organizers.

Comparative adult and continuing education: A guiding essay

This paper provides a guide for developing a research design for comparative studies in adult and continuing education. To that end, a research methodology will be presented that was developed at the COMPALL and INTALL Winter Schools on Comparative Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning. Central elements for systematic comparisons in adult and continuing education are (1) the object of comparison, (2) research fields for comparison, and (3) inductive comparative categories. These elements form the reference points for the development of a comparative research question in adult and continuing education. The comparative analysis proposes a three-step approach from juxtaposition to interpretation: step 1 – descriptive juxtaposition; step 2 – analytical juxtaposition; and step 3 – analytical interpretation.

Adult education policies and sustainable development in Poland and Portugal: a comparative analysis of policies and practices

Education for sustainable development is presently a relevant topic in the policies of interna-tional organisations (such as UN/UNESCO and the European Union) and in national contexts such as Poland and Portugal. Within the policies implemented, civil society organisations and social movements undertake (adult) education for sustainable development projects and activ-ities that have an important impact by raising awareness and promoting changes in the behav-iour and attitudes of both countries’ populations. However, several challenges can be pointed out regarding the implementation of these initiatives. These challenges will be highlighted in this article, which focuses on the comparison of policies and practices implemented in Poland and Portugal.

Facilitating comparative group work in adult education

The purpose of this chapter is to describe and reflect on scholarly-based practices that can help facilitate comparative group work within the international and transnational[1] context of adult education. The first section of this chapter situates comparative group work within the larger context of comparative adult education, followed by a focus on how to facilitate a group of diverse learners with different societal and cultural experiences. The chapter emphasiszes an outcome-based approach, describing how to set up incremental learning outcomes to enable comparative group work to be successful; a team-based approach, elaborating on coaching strategies to facilitate comparative work group; and a strength-based approach about adult learner-centered strategies for engagement, empowerment, mentoring, collaboration, fun, and accountability when facilitating comparative group work.

National qualifications frameworks as a policy instrument for lifelong learning in Ghana, Malaysia and Serbia

The development of national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) around the globe has been influenced by Anglo-Saxon countries and a global policy of intergovernmental organisations. The main aim of this paper is to explore how recently developed NQFs in diverse global con-texts—Ghana, Malaysia, and Serbia—fulfil two proclaimed objectives: recognition of prior learning (RPL) and support for lifelong learning. Based on a comparative analysis of official national and international policy documents relevant to the NQFs in these selected countries, conducted using the method of documentary analysis, our findings indicate that despite dif-ferences according to type, scope, and stage of development, all three NQFs are used as a policy instrument for lifelong learning on the one hand, while on the other hand, they rein-force a vocational perspective of RPL, lifelong learning, and adult education.

Studying Adult Education. A comparison of master’s degree programmes on ALE in Germany and the US

Earning a university degree in adult education continues to be one prominent way of becom-ing an adult educator. That is because obtaining a comprehensive academic education is con-sidered essential, especially in conjunction with the aim of professionalising adult education. But how do the contents, structure, and aims of study programmes differ internationally, and how does this relate to different concepts of the professional role? This study compares mas-ter’s programmes in adult education in Germany and the United States. The findings point at characteristic differences in the relation between academics and practice.

Employability as a Global Norm: Comparing Transnational Employability Policies of OECD, ILO, World Bank Group, and UNESCO

This article analyses transnational policies on employability to understand the development of employability as a global norm and reflects about its consequences for stakeholders in the field of lifelong learning.