Der Erwachsene in der Erwachsenenbildung

Over the past years, the term »adult« has been exposed to signs of disintegration – in this context, the author critically reflects upon the disciplinary view of adult education on adults, which held on too tightly to concepts of autonomy following the physical characteristics of adulthood. The scientific adult educational debate was disconnected from the goals of maturing the human soul. Within a psychologically broadened and deepened view, »grown up« may imply »grown over«, which requires not only a socially attributed status but also the integration of inner potentials as a base for a spirited and autonomous lifestyle.

Following Piaget and recent research on psychodynamics, the author establishes theses on distinctively suitable adult learning. She recapitulates essential theses from her book »Zur Konstruktion des Erwachsenen« (On the Structure of Adults) and refines them with regard to autonomy as a learning incentive. The author believes that learning processes, which are characteristic for adults, occur mainly when old structures are overcome and learning procedures are modified. The learning incentive is another specific characteristic of children’s and adult learning. Acknowledging the autonomy of adult learners is one of the micro-didactic challenges for the field of adult education as well as for the adult educational staff.

The mature adult who participates voluntarily in free educational programmes is a basic assumption, which equally often supports theories and practices of adult education as it is empirically challenged. Neither supply nor demand is consistently characterized by voluntariness. Up to a certain degree, programmes and participation are mandatory. The assumption that responsible adults do not want to, should not and cannot be taught is also considered to be problematic. The article reveals good reasons for teaching and the profession’s usual paternalistic argumentation. With respect to these differences and the plurality of learning forms, the article declines the leading image of a free adult and calls for philosophies of adult education, which reflectively reveal their principles of dealing with adult learners.

The article studies the image of adults behind the concept of lifelong learning. Educational policy documents are studied, which substantiate strategies of lifelong learning on a global, European and national level. Papers issued by the UNESCO, OECD, EU-Commission and Federal/State Commission for Educational Planning and Research Promotion (Bund-Länder-Kommission – BLK) rarely explicitly include adults. The adult is – if included at all – outlined as a working person, as a citizen and as a responsible being. The line between adults and children/young adults is dissolved with regard to the requirement to learn.

The paper reviews developmental-psychological research on the (in-)stability of adult personality aspects. Big Five personality traits as well as surface characteristics are addressed. Hereby, the direction and the extent of change are compared for various personality aspects, and the influences on personality changes are discussed. Finally, conclusions are drawn for the field of adult education.

Vocational continuing education is becoming more significant in modern employment biographies. A growing range of work-based study programmes and the recent opening tendency for persons holding vocational qualifications attracts attention to universities as providers of continuing education. Still, academic formats play a comparatively small role in the market of continuing education. The report explores the reasons for the low acceptance of academic continuing education. For this purpose, 72 people were interviewed who participate in continuing education on the topics of coaching and fundraising. A lack of time due to work and family-based commitments, financial difficulties and information deficits were revealed as the main reasons for not choosing academic programmes.

The article focuses on the historically empirical data of DIE Zeitschrift für Erwachsenenbildung and contributes to adult educational journal research. By analyzing bibliographic meta data, continuities and changes in the content spectre are identified. The compositions of authors is differentiated between occasional and regular authors and compared to other scientific journals. Data on the journal’s reputation in the field complete the picture.