The Adult Learning Research Group is interested in adult learning, from young to older adults, in organized forms such as municipal adult education, higher education, popular education, as well as informal contexts such as working life and leisure time. Furthermore, the conditions for participation and the transition between different forms of education, education and working life and working life and leisure time are studied. 

At a time when people are required to both develop competencies for a changing working life and to form an active citizenship to contribute to the development of civil society, it is important to explore the social conditions for access, participation and completion in formal education and its contribution to professional learning, professionalization and professional expertise.

Adult learning and its conditions is studied on an individual, organizational and societal level, from different theoretical perspectives using different types of methods (see each researcher). The researchers have solid experience in the following areas:

  • Adult learning, identity formation, career development and transitions
  • Study success, employability, drop-out and completion
  • Traditional and non-traditional students/participants 
  • Social and ethnic background and family situations among students/participants. 
  • Organizations and professions,
  • National and international educational policies
  • Migration

The group works actively with research applications from both national and international financiers. Several members have extensive experience of research at the European level. 

The group members are active in several research partnerships and have been partners in EU projects, as well as having taken part in research networks nationally and internationally:

  • ESREA (the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) 
  • EERA (European Educational Research Association) 
  • Nordic Research Network on transition, career and guidance 
  • Research Network and Career guidance (KAV)

The research team has a seminar, the "Adult Education Seminar", where interesting research in the field is discussed. The seminar invites guest researchers from various parts of the world. The seminar is also a forum to discuss texts from master’s, and doctoral students and senior researchers. The Adult Education Seminar is organised once a month and has English as the working language.

Some of the researchers are also organizing the ‘Seminar for Education Sociology and Education Politics’ and the ‘Seminar of Educational Issues in Relation to Migration’. The first is mainly in Swedish and the second mainly in English.

Researchers

Camilla Thunborg, Professor
Agnieszka Bron, Professor
Carina Carlhed Ydhag, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor
Malgorzata Malec Rawinski, Senior Lecturer, PhD
Staffan Nilsson, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor
Anna Nørholm Lundin, Senior Lecturer, PhD
Ali Osman, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor

PhD Students

Morteza Eslahchi
Dagmar Hedman
Fariba Majlesi
Verena Meister
Annica Källebo 
Wei Lu Larsson
Blanka Ráhel Rósa 
Mattias Stjernqvist
Katarzyna Twaróg    
Dragana Vujanic Eriksson

 

A more extensive presentation on the Swedish web page click here