ESRA 2027 sessions by theme
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Advancing Survey Research in Adult Education and Learning: Methodological Challenges and Innovative Approaches |
| Coordinator 1 | Dr Verena Ortmanns (German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning,) |
| Coordinator 2 | Dr Kerstin Hoenig (German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning,) |
| Coordinator 3 | Professor Ellen Boeren (University of Glasgow) |
| Coordinator 4 | Professor Jan Kalenda (Tomas Bata University) |
| Coordinator 5 | Dr Natascha Massing (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences) |
Session Details
Research on adult education and learning relies comparatively heavily on qualitative methodologies, while survey-based research remains less prevalent than in other sectors of education and largely depends on data collection efforts by international and governance organizations. Survey research involving adult learners, education providers, and professionals faces methodological challenges arising from the fragmented, heterogeneous, and dynamic nature of adult education and lifelong learning. Learning activities are often non-formal or informal, short and irregular, and encompass a broad range of subjects, courses, qualifications, and certification pathways. At the same time, education providers are numerous and continuously changing. These characteristics complicate not only the measurement of adult education and learning manifestations but also sampling, participant recruitment, and retention, particularly in complex stratified samples and longitudinal panel studies.
International comparative research presents additional challenges, as adult education and learning systems differ substantially in their institutional embeddedness, organizational arrangements, regulatory frameworks, and provision. Such heterogeneity can further limit the comparability of survey measures and complicate the development of cross-nationally valid sampling strategies and indicators. Despite these challenges, several national and international surveys of adult education providers, professionals, and learners have been established, including the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), the Adult Education Survey (AES), and the Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS). Recent advances in spatial data analysis, machine learning, and web crawling further offer new opportunities for data collection, data integration, and mixed-methods research.
Against this background, this session aims to foster methodological and substantive exchange among researchers collecting and analyzing survey data in adult education. Contributions addressing substantive research questions and methodological developments are welcome. Particular attention is given to innovative research designs and data-collection methods, development and validation of new measurement instruments, integration of survey data with complementary data sources, and international comparative research.
