Today, people are required to constantly learn and develop competencies for a changing working life. At the same time people are also required to become active citizens to be able to contribute to civil society and democracy.

To study the conditions and consequences of participation in education, work, and leisure activities are important to understand how adults are formed as persons and members of society, but also develop within a profession or vocation.

Researching adult learning, what people learn and how, as well as the conditions for learning involve analyses on individual, organizational and societal level, using different theoretical perspectives and different types of methods.

Our expertise

The researchers in the group have solid experiences researching:

• Adult learning during the life course and in different learning settings,
• Identity formation, life course, career development and transition,
• Traditional as well as non-traditional participants/students and how their social, ethnicity, background, family situations, age, disabilities and how these have an effect on their learning and possible careers,
• How adults learn when participating in education, working life, culture and civil society organisations,
• Civic education and how conditions for learning for an active citizenship can be enhanced.

Researchers in the group also have a great deal of experiences in applying and working with national as well as international research project and experiences of hosting international doctoral students as well as post docs.

Research networks

The researchers are part of different research networks nationally and internationally, such as ESREA (the European Society for Research on the Education of Adults), NoRNet (Nordic Research Network on Transitions, Career and Guidance), (PIA) Pedagogik i arbetslivet (Working life pedagogy)

The research group is also involved in two research schools: "Finnfram" and "Vuxnas Lärande" (Adult Learning):

FinnFram is a doctoral school focused on career learning, career guidance and transitions between school, further education and work. The doctoral school is organised in collaboration between Umeå, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö universities. Vuxnas lärande is a research school that is focusing on adult learning in Municipal adult education and is organised in collaboration between Linköping, Jönköping och Stockholm University.

Our seminar

The research group has a seminar: Adult Education Seminar, in which research within the field is discussed. The seminar is open to anyone interested in the field. We invite reserachers from different parts of the world, discuss texts from master students as well as doctoral students and senior researchers. The seminar is held in English and usually takes place the last Thursday in each month, 10-12. Warmly welcome!