Mapping out the Research Field of Adult Education and Learning (eBook)

Series Editors’ Note 6
Contents 8
Part I: Introducing and Historicizing the Field 10
Chapter 1: Introduction: Mapping the Research Field on Adult Education and Learning 11
1.1 Introduction 11
1.2 A Brief History of Adult Education Research 12
1.3 A Qualitative and Heterodox Turn 14
1.4 Introducing the Chapters 16
References 20
Chapter 2: Examining the “Weak Field” of Adult Education 22
2.1 Introduction 22
2.2 The Social World of Adult Education Research 24
2.3 The Scientific Field of Adult Education 26
2.4 Previous Findings Regarding Adult Education as a Scientific Field 27
2.5 Discussion 31
2.5.1 Regional Fragmentation of the Field 31
2.5.2 Hollowing Out of the Field 32
2.5.3 Relevance Deficit 33
2.6 Concluding Note 34
References 35
Chapter 3: Adult Education Research in Germany: Approaches and Developments 39
3.1 Introduction 39
3.2 Adult Education Research in Germany: Theoretical Frameworks 40
3.3 ‘Learning’ or ‘Bildung?’ The Aims of Adult Education 43
3.4 Adult Education Research: A Short Historical Overview 44
3.4.1 The Beginnings: 1900–1933 45
3.4.2 Adult Education Research in the Federal Republic of Germany 1949–2000 46
3.4.3 The Role of the Scientific Community 48
3.5 Trends and Topics in Adult Education Research Since 2000 50
3.5.1 Topics of Adult Education Research 50
3.6 Discussion 52
References 56
Part II: Invisible Colleges and International Recognition 58
Chapter 4: Exploring the Adult Learning Research Field by Analysing Who Cites Whom 59
4.1 Introduction 59
4.2 Governed by Peers 61
4.3 Previous Research 62
4.4 To Understand Research Through Citations: Theory and Method 63
4.4.1 Method, Data and Analysis 64
4.5 The Space of Citations: A Telescopic and Bibliographic View 67
4.6 Moving Across the Field 70
4.7 Concluding Remarks: A Bibliographic Field Analysis of Research on Adult Learning 71
4.7.1 Some Notes on Bibliometrics and Suggestions for Future Research 74
References 75
Chapter 5: Invisible Colleges in Research on Adult Learning: A Bibliometric Study on International Scholarly Recognition 77
5.1 Introduction 77
5.2 Invisible Colleges 79
5.3 The Study: Invisible Colleges in Research on Adult Learning 82
5.4 The Top 100 Cited Authors 83
5.4.1 The Dominant Duo: UK and US 86
5.4.2 The Male Domination 87
5.5 The Journal-Specific Citation Networks 88
5.6 Discussion 94
5.6.1 The Academic Power of Editors 97
5.6.2 The Research Field(s) 98
References 99
Chapter 6: The Politics of Publications and Citations: A Cross Country Comparison 102
6.1 Introduction 102
6.2 Methodology, Data, and Analysis 104
6.2.1 Limitations of the Study 105
6.3 Result 106
6.3.1 The Politics of Indexation 106
6.3.2 Politics of Scholarly Gatekeeping 108
6.3.3 Politics of Publication and Citations 110
6.4 Discussion 113
6.5 Conclusions 115
References 117
Part III: Research Approaches and Research Objects 119
Chapter 7: Adult Education and Learning: A Pluralistic Research Field? 120
7.1 Introduction 120
7.2 Categories and Principle of Classification 122
7.3 Findings: Content Analysis and Bibliographics Based on Citations 123
7.4 Authorship 126
7.5 Bibliometric Trends in the Field of Adult Education Research 129
7.5.1 A Qualitative Research Paradigm 129
7.5.2 Three Theoretical Perspectives 131
7.5.3 Authorship 133
7.6 Concluding Notes 135
References 136
Chapter 8: Quantitative Research in Research on the Education and Learning of Adults 139
8.1 Introduction 139
8.2 Hypotheses on the Limited Presence of Quantitative Research in the Adult Education Literature 140
8.3 Research Paradigms 141
8.4 Review Procedure Distinguishing Between Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches 142
8.5 Results 143
8.5.1 General Patterns 143
8.5.2 Primary Data in Quantitative Research 144
8.5.2.1 Participation Scales 145
8.5.2.2 Scales Measuring Learning Experiences 147
8.5.2.3 Psychometric Scales 147
8.5.2.4 Scales Measuring Learning Styles 148
8.5.3 Secondary Data in Quantitative Research 149
8.6 Limitations, Discussion and Conclusions 151
References 153
Chapter 9: Adult Education Research from Rhizome to Field? A Bibliometrical Analysis of Conference Programs of ESREA from 1994 to 2016 156
9.1 Mapping Adult Education Research 156
9.2 Data and the Method ‘Program Analysis’ 158
9.2.1 Data: Papers of ESREA Triennial Research Conferences 158
9.2.2 The Method Applied: Program Analysis 160
9.3 Results of the Analysis 161
9.3.1 The Role of Conference Sites 161
9.3.2 The Role of Countries and Supranational/International Organisations 162
9.3.3 The Most Visible Scholars 166
9.3.4 The Methods and the Fields of Research 168
9.4 Discussion of Results 170
9.4.1 Places Matter Immediately But Briefly 170
9.4.2 The Still Fragmented European Research Rhizome of ESREA 170
9.4.3 The International Actors and Policies Become More Influential in the Field 171
9.4.4 Citing Adult Education Researchers and Scholars Like Bourdieu and Foucault 171
9.4.5 Preferred Approach and Method of the Field: Interviewing Learners 172
9.5 Concluding Remarks: Research in ESREA Between Field and Rhizome 173
References 174
Part IV: Debating International Comparative Adult Education Research 177
Chapter 10: Revisiting the Debate on International Comparative Adult Education Research: Theoretical and Methodological Reflections 178
10.1 Introduction 178
10.2 Jullien de Paris as an Ancestor of International Comparative Adult Education Research 180
10.3 The Pre-foundation or ‘Bridging’ Period 1900–1930 182
10.4 The Foundation Period After World War II 187
10.5 The Phase of Institutionalisation 189
10.6 Comparison as an Instrument of Governance 191
10.7 Discussion 195
References 197
Chapter 11: Debating (International) Comparative Adult Education Research: Reflections on Conceptual Clarity and Methodological Challenges 200
11.1 Introduction 200
11.2 Adopting a Comparative Mind-Set to Researching Adult Education 201
11.2.1 Conceptual Degreeism and a Qualifier’s Intrinsic Features but Nonunanimous Interpretation 202
11.2.2 Flacking vs. Connecting Qualifiers, and Internal Conceptual Coherence 204
11.3 Global and Comparative Adult Education Research on Policy 206
11.4 The Challenges of Comparative Adult Education Research on Policy Through Country Comparisons 209
11.4.1 The Researcher’s Positioning 210
11.4.2 Validating the Selection of Countries 211
11.4.3 Comparing Country- and Cultural-Sensitive Units of Analysis 213
11.5 Concluding Remarks 214
References 216
Chapter 12: A Rejoinder on the Debate on International Comparative Adult Education Research 219
References 221
Part V: Looking Ahead 222
Chapter 13: The Research Field of Adult Education and Learning: Widening the Field 223
13.1 Introduction 223
13.2 Mapping Out the Field 225
13.3 Widening the Field 226
13.4 Final Words 228
References 228