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The market for distance education of adults is experiencing a change of paradigm that has serious consequences on the financial structure of private schools for distance learning. The article sketches the chances and risks of this development: on the one hand the internet offers new possibilities in the form of net-based training concepts (NBT), on the other hand free of charge courses on the internet could cause the financial collapse of distance schools. The author gives reasons why this is n…
The so-called Q-sorting operation is an unknown research method, hardly known as a pedagogically-oriented research method, typically used to compile complex responses and attitudes from a subjective perspective. The following article examines the question whether the Q-sorting methodology might also be implemented as a practical collection instrument to evaluate teacher beliefs in the context of professional development for educators. In particular, it will be examined whether an index formatio…
Transformations in German adult and continuing education (ACE) are discussed in their relation to more far-reaching transformations in society concerning the ways in which knowledge and non-knowledge are processed. Some features of the discourse related to the notion of „knowledge society“ as well as empirical findings on the general spreading of knowledge transfer activities are pointed out, before three instances of change in ACE are discussed. While issues of transferring knowledge appear to…
Changing the focus on Natural Sciences At present, public debates postulate more attention to natural sciences in the education sector. First, we will examine the precarious status of natural sciences in adult education and than argue that the traditional focus on natural sciences need to be readjusted. This change of focus aims at a general understanding of scientific developments by which both the individual and the society as a whole will gain and maintain its capacity to judge and act on…
This article explains what paths adults can opt for in order to acquire a reflexive understanding of time while not being content with a purely goal-oriented, “maximising” improvement in time management. Ms. Hribernik adopts Holzkamp’s approach to first of all describe what such “learning to understand time“ needs to involve before then identifying learning possibilities from an Austrian perspective – possibilities which she sees above all in books, but also in lecture events and the activities…
The rising importance of continuing education in the knowledge-based society is undisputed, but the broad organisational and legal area of continuing education has not been surveyed adequately to date in statistical terms. This article provides an overview of the heterogeneous landscape of providers and explains the existing data situation. Following this, the problems associated with a separation between providers of vocational from general education are discussed. Finally, the current changes…
Profession-biographical formation competence and deliberation on these On national as well as on international level (OECD) there are currently deliberations on the subsequent study for adults (for example PIAAC study of OECD). Besides the rather cognitive domains such as for example literacy, numeracy or problem solving, it proves as significant primarily the survey of vocation biographical formation competence of adults against the background of the labour market political changes and t…
Hattie‘s study »Visible Learning« is no reason to call for didactic changes in adult education - this is this article’s conclusion of the New Zealander’s meta-study from a continuing educational perspective. Nontheless, Hattie provides significant suggestions for the didactic debate. These suggestions include guidelines for suitable teaching activities as well as his rather provocative findings on the positive effects of actively guided lessons, which do not contradict adult educational conside…
Publically funded adult education has rarely contributed to the increase of educational equality. Often enough, it has been beneficial to those who had already enjoyed their share of education and employment. The author reflects on the German post-war history of continuing education and identifies several cycles of financial distribution. The initial focus of adult education was on educationally ambitious citizens. Based on a socio-political motivation, the learning of employees became increasi…
