A distinctive feature of contemporary professional, vocational and continuing education is the prevalence of the 'competency' approach. So-called competency-based education or training (CBE/T) can be adopted as a basis for programs of learning, frameworks for development within occupations, or for national systems of vocational education. Its…

In the field of lifelong learning, it is universally accepted that education for and during old age is a powerful tool in the process of successful aging. This paper presents the results of a research and intervention project that worked with older people at a Day Centre belonging to a Private Institution for Social Solidarity in the north of…

Jurgen Habermas offered a revolutionary way of thinking about the relationship between knowledge, learning, and the human condition in knowledge and human interests. He provided us with a powerful means of understanding the unity in diversity of human learning. The article presents a philosophical framework that enables vocational and adult…

This qualitative, interview-based study examined the experiences of 14 teachers with their professional development. The research was conducted to understand teacher perspective of professional development. Many billions of federal dollars have been spent on teacher professional development, and there has been neither a dramatic increase in…

This is a response to "The Ethical Knower: Rethinking Our Pedagogy in the Age of Trump" by Elana Michelson. We appreciate Michelson's critical evaluation of the appropriateness of transformative learning and the use of personal narrative, as well as the frames and tools she offers to help us deal with current challenges such as…

This paper reports the results of a study of adult ethical development in Christian congregations. Using an empirical hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, this study examined how five pastors understand and encourage ethical development, creating an in-depth analysis and interpretation of their perceptions of the phenomenon of adult ethical…

This article seeks to begin a conversation about pedagogical responses to the current moment. Specifically, I argue that two of adult learning's most venerated practices--transformative learning and the use of personal narrative--are insufficiently nuanced to respond effectively to the political divisions and the epistemological chaos represented…

The paucity of professional development opportunities in the adult basic education (ABE) teacher field is alarming, suggesting the need to explore the challenges that impede a stable professional development delivery among ABE teachers. Given that teacher professional development is repeatedly magnified in the K-12 educational sector, it is…

In this commentary, Elana Michelson responds to Chad Hoggan and Tetyana Kloubert's critique of Michelson's "The Ethical Knower: Rethinking Our Pedagogy in the Age of Trump" (2019). Michelson concludes that Hoggan and Kloubert are right to call attention to the reemergence of fascist discourse and action across much of the globe and to…

This research paper considers the place of the European lifelong-learning philosophical concept of Bildung (self-formation) and how Socratic questioning activities might be used to facilitate its development. Originating with the great philosophical thinkers of the German Renaissance, it is a concept that is again attracting attention because of…

In this chapter the authors examine the role of spirituality in the lives of Black gay men.

This study is concerned with emotional highs in experiential learning and, more specifically, determining triggers that lead to emotional highs. The research aims not only to understand the invisible side of emotions, but also genuinely consider how learners make sense of their experiences. To study the triggers of emotional highs, a deliberate…

Despite knowing that positive emotional experiences tend to be beneficial for adult learning, our incomplete understanding of the emotional system rarely allows us to incorporate emotion adequately in real learning situations. The experience of emotional highs, as observed in adult experiential learning courses, has been selected as the phenomenon…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of travellers on the Camino de Santiago in order to find out the pattern of their travel lived experience and the meaning of learning experience. For this purpose, eight Korean travellers were selected for the study; the study was performed using the hermeneutic phenomenological method.…

This paper reports on the results of a research study conducted in two colleges of further education in Scotland and Wales. The aim of the study was to begin to understand the ongoing effects of initial lecturer education programmes. Using the accounts of respondent lecturers and detailed documentary analysis, an accurate picture of the…