Balázs NÉMETH
This open-access book, available from BRILL Publishers, provides a good insight into the evolving identities, practices, and challenges faced by adult educators across Europe in the context of recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and economic and social upheavals. These events have reshaped the educational landscape, constrained adult learning, and demanded rapid adjustments from adult educators. Accordingly, this book analyses how these crises shape up educators' identities, agency, and professional practice in the context of the precarious working conditions many face. Through empirical studies and theoretical reflections, the book scrutinizes how adult educators cope with these turbulent times, focusing on identity formation, professionalisation, and adaptation, while underscoring the ethical and social dimensions of their work.
The twelve papers, together with the foreword by Emilio Lucio-Villegas, clearly reflect how recent trends and issues have constrained adult educators as they respond to economic and environmental challenges, resulting in social inequalities and instabilities. Lucio-Villegas argues that not only the COVID-19 Pandemic but several other events have made adult educators’ work more difficult, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians—which have already resulted in significant loss of life—and actions of the Trump administration, especially during its second term, which sought to limit freedom of critical voices, reduce autonomy, and weaken fair international relations grounded in mutuality, respect, and solidarity, as represented by the United Nations and its organizations such as UNESCO and WHO.
However, Lucio-Villegas, in his preface, highlights ways adult educators might respond to the aforementioned challenges and the associated trends and issues. Invoking Antonio Gramsci, he points out that an Optimism of the Will is essential to advancing a pedagogy of hope. He also emphasizes that education must remain a humanistically driven endeavor, promoting equity, inclusion, and equality, particularly for underrepresented and vulnerable adults and their communities. At the same time, he contends that adult educators should foster collective encouragement and engagement, rather than be overshadowed by unchecked, absolute authority; thus, they must strive for dignity, critical thinking, and participatory action to establish a foundation for knowledge sharing and skill development. Finally, Lucio-Villegas closes his foreword by stressing that adult education is primarily a tool for fostering individuals and personalities committed to active and democratic citizenship, a theme reflected in all the papers within this book.
In the first chapter, Larissa Jõgi and co-editors reflect on the challenges arising from the crisis in adult education and outline steps educators should take in response. The collected chapters address matters of profession and professionalisation amid uncertainties around identity, agency, practice, and precarious working conditions.
Book chapters on theoretical elaborations and empirical analyses provide a thorough scrutiny of identity formation, professionalization, and adaptation, while demonstrating the ethical and social dimensions of working with adults. It also addresses the choices and limitations of digitalization in learning environments, including access and opportunities, and the emergence of new learner groups with vulnerable and underrepresented aspects of participation and non-participation.
This collection of 12 chapters provides readers with an overview of current issues and trends. It helps them understand and critically engage with the professionalization of adult educators and the profession’s search for resilience and innovation. The book addresses the importance of quality development in adult education to improve knowledge transfer and skills development, considering methodological, digital, and technological advancements. This focus aligns with the 2021 New European Agenda on Adult Learning (EC, 2021) and the 2022 UNESCO Marrakech Framework for Action (UNESCO, 2022). These recommendations address the emerging skills agenda of organizations such as the OECD, the World Economic Forum, and the ILO and promote the professionalization of adult educators to help develop adult learners’ basic skills.
Editors of this book: Larissa Jõgi, George K. Zarifis, Susanne Lattke, and Maria N. Gravani
Contributors are: Anna Anastasopoulou, Olena Anishchenko, Nataliia Avsheniuk, Carmel Borg, Brigitte Borsche, Maria Brown, Maria N. Gravani, Larissa Jõgi, Kristi Jüristo, Katrin Karu, Evangelia Koutoulianou, Susanne Lattke, Borut Mikulec, Stephen O’Brien, Eleni Papaioannou, Halliki Põlda, Cynne Põldäär, Ilona-Evelyn Rannala, Maria Santa, and George K. Zarifis
Copyright Year: 2026
Availability: Adult Educators in the Face of Crises in Europe – Managing Challenges, Shaping Identities and Changing Cultures | Brill
E-Book (PDF) open access
ISBN: 978-90-04-74798-2
Publication: 24 Nov 2025
Publisher: De Gruyter Brill