International-vergleichende Forschung zur Erwachsenenbildung

During the last decade, the configuration of international-comparative research in adult and continuing education has been interwoven with influences of stakeholders of (inter-)national educational policies and their agendas. This paper works with a broad understanding of international-comparative research in adult and continuing education. This understanding includes the interpretation of similarities and differences as well as studies which focus on the cultural interrelationship networks of phenomena in adult and continuing education. Based on this approach, four approaches can be differentiated: (1) phenomena-oriented country studies, (2) juxtapositions and comparative studies, (3) studies based on cultural theories, and (4) methodological studies. The analysis shows that subjects and methods of research in most current studies have relations to the agenda of stakeholders of international education policies and their agendas. Moreover, studies are evoked by their agendas. A main task of international-comparative research in adult and continuing education will be a disciplinary configuration by examining these contexts and governance impetus. Thereby, affiliations to the discipline can be created.

In the last years the issue of adult literacy has gained international and national importance – not least due to the comparative surveys IALS, ALL, and PIAAC, conducted by the OECD. The result was a series of developments in education policy, in particular regarding the promotion and financing of adult literacy programmes. Based on country reports, the present article provides internationally comparative insight into the discussion regarding the promotion and financing of adult literacy programmes since IALS. Referring to the results of the leo.-GER-Linking Study, this paper will discuss the question what should be deemed the appropriate level of competence when promoting literacy in Germany.

In international comparative analyses on further education the clustering of countries is widely established. Frequently, such typologies are derived heuristically, referring to theoretical approaches or single indicators, which make it difficult to obtain a systematic overview. This contribution presents the main arguments of two theoretical approaches (welfare state regimes Esping-Andersen 1990 and varieties of capitalism Hall/Soskice 2001) that refer to indicators on the macro level for explaining cross-country specific patterns of further education participation and which are frequently applied. We discuss the impact of these approaches for international comparative analyses regarding the influence of further education systems on participation patterns. Finally, we provide an outlook on the arising challenges for research on further education by adapting the presented theoretical approaches.

Despite a relatively similar education system, the way how people can get a qualification for adult and continuing education is different in Germany and Switzerland. Germany has established an academic track within educational sciences with the focus on planning and management. Switzerland follows a vocational track with a basic qualification for teaching adults that could be extended by qualifications within the vocational system for positions in planning and management. This paper analyses these different frameworks for the qualification for adult and continuing education as framework conditions for the staff in adult and continuing education. It has three parts: We will point out first the differences in how adults and continuing education has progressed in both countries. Subsequently, the available data about the staff in adult and continuing education in both countries are presented. At last, these data are discussed as a comparison of sociodemographic attributes of the staff in adult and continuing education. In this analysis we seek to outline the impact of the different framework conditions on the availability of data about the staff and its composition in both countries.

Based on the background of selective access to further education institutions and the relevance of intercultural understanding and opening, the focus on transition processes within further education institutions will provide benefits for research and development in further education. Results from a qualitative study that was part of the LIQ project will be presented. The analysis of the interviews could be used to highlight diverse and complex aspects that influence the transition from target group programmes with emphasis on groups with a background of cultural migration in the open programme of adult education institutions. The important role of course instructors in the processes driving transition is being emphasized.