What is adult education?
The White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life (2000) defines adult education as 'systematic learning undertaken by adults who return to learning having concluded initial education or training.'
What is lifelong learning?
The communication 'Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality' by the European Commission (2001) defines lifelong learning as 'all learning activity undertaken throughout life, with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competences within a personal, civic, social and/or employment-related perspective.'
What is vocational education?
Vocational education is essentially education that provides competence in an individual to engage in a work. The OECD contribute the following definition: "Vocational education prepares participants for direct entry, without further training, into specific occupations. Successful completion of such programmes leads to a labour-market relevant vocational qualification. Some indicators divide vocational programmes into school-based programmes and combined school and work-based programmes on the basis of the amount of training that is provided in school as opposed to training in the workplace."
What is community education?
Community education is non-formal, process-focussed learning that takes place in non-hierarchical settings, and offers opportunities for individual development and social analysis. It also creates the potential for the learner group to engage in local or social change to address structural barriers.
The AONTAS Community Education Network defines it as:
Community education is a process of personal and community transformation, empowerment, challenge, social change and collective responsiveness. It is community-led reflecting and valuing the lived experiences of individuals and their community. Through its ethos and holistic approach community education builds the capacity of groups to engage in developing a social teaching and learning process that is creative, participative and needs-based. Community education is grounded on principles of justice, equality and inclusiveness. It differs from general adult education provision due to its political and radical methodologies.
Key Thinkers on Adult and Community Education
Paulo Freire
The Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's work has influenced people working in education, community development, community health and many other fields. Freire developed an approach to education that links the identification of issues to positive action for change and development. While Freire's original work was in adult literacy, his approach leads us to think about how we can 'read' the society around us.For Freire, the educational process is never neutral. People can be passive recipients of knowledge -- whatever the content -- or they can engage in a 'problem-posing' approach in which they become active participants. As part of this approach, it is essential that people link knowledge to action so that they actively work to change their societies at a local level and beyond.
Jack Mezirow
Jack Mezirow is called the father of transformative learning theory and he describes transformative learning as the process by which we transform our present mind-sets and ways of thinking (frames of reference) to make them more inclusive, reflective and open to change. This leads to learner empowerment and change in the learner and in the group. This process is based on the ability to question or critically reflect on ourselves and our society.
Stephen Brookfield
Stephen Brookfield defines critical reflection as reflecting on the assumptions that underpin our ideas and actions. This requires being self-aware, making sense of experience, deconstructing and reconstructing meaning with critique and analysis. Critical reflection focuses on the empowerment and autonomy of the learner to explore alternatives to current ways of thinking and working. Critical reflection means asking "why?" in such a way that the learner questions not only their learning, but also the assumptions that have underpinned their actions to date. This is done in a space that supports the learner to engage in exploring their ways of thinking and their experiences.
bel hooks
bel hooks, a black American feminist theorist, gives us new meaning for teaching adults in any setting. She stresses the demands this places upon educators in terms of authenticity and commitment.
"Progressive, holistic education, "engaged pedagogy" is more demanding that conventional critical or feminist pedagogy. For, unlike these two teaching practices, it emphasizes well-being. That means that teachers must be actively involved committed to a process of self-actualization that promotes their own well-being if they are to teach in a manner that empowers students." (hooks 1994: 15)
Ivan Illich
Known for his critique of modernization and the corrupting impact of institutions, Ivan Illich's concern with deschooling, learning webs and the disabling effect of professions, most notably in his work Deschooling Society (1971). His work focuses on the value of an individual's knowledge and its development throughout and opposed the notion that education is the preserve of institutions.
For further information see: www.infed.org
And http://www.niace.org.uk/links/other-useful-organisations
