Current PhD Theses
Anika Klein, M. A.
The importance of appropriation processes in the course of biography for dietary habits
Nora Leben, M. A.
Digital platform structures in academic continuing education from a governance theory perspective
(working title)
Julia Plechatsch, M.A.
Participant recruitment in adult and continuing education – inter- and intraorganisational actor relationships in the field of literacy and basic education
Participation in continuing education is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors. Programme planning at the organisational level is a key factor influencing participation in continuing education. The challenge lies in keeping pace with societal changes and to address current educational interests. Programme planning therefore has the task of mediating between social needs, target groups and the educational mandate.
In the field of literacy and basic education, studies show that the diagnosed need for literacy and basic education programmes far exceeds actual participation rates. The recruitment of participants in this programme area therefore plays a particular role in the discussion about selective participation in continuing education.
The specific characteristics of the target groups pose a challenge for this programme area, requiring the development of tailored outreach strategies beyond written announcements to attract participants. Networking and cooperation with various stakeholders are essential for participant recruitment and are among the core responsibilities of programme planners.
This dissertation project focuses on how programme planners in practice develop learning opportunities in the field of literacy and basic education and how they recruit participants. From a network-analytical perspective, it examines the inter- and intra-organisational relationships of programme planners. Central questions include which actors are involved within and outside the institution and what types of relationships emerge in this context.
The cumulative dissertation project consists of three contributions. First, a scoping review systematically presents the international discussion and research status on participant recruitment in adult and continuing education. To examine the network relationships of programme planners in the field of literacy and basic education, a qualitative approach is employed, using semi-structured interviews supplemented by ego-centered network maps.
The dissertation project is part of the research group led by Dr. Ewelina Mania at the German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning (DIE) and is supervised in the Department of Adult Education/Further Education by Prof. Dr. Matthias Alke.
Dipl.-Päd. Ilze Skuja
Further training policy and its significance for the employability of older workers. A comparative study between Germany and Latvia
Laura Uhl, M. A.
Formation and change of occupational profiles in public adult education. A historical analysis from a conventional theoretical perspective.
(Working title)
In comparison to other educational fields there are hardly any legal regulations in adult educa-tion regarding access to employment, qualifications, tasks, and competencies of pedagogical staff. Instead, recruitment and job profiling generally lie in the hands of the providers of adult education themselves. Despite this, attempts have been made since the era of educational reforms in the 1960s and 1970s by educational policy makers, associations, and academic actors to define and establish occupational profiles for adult education. So far, there has been no research on the influence these concepts have had on the collective professionalization of the occupational field. Using the example of adult education centers, this dissertation project examines the historical formation and change of occupational profiles in public adult education.
Methodologically, the study is based on a qualitative-quantitative content analysis of historical documents (ideal-typical occupational concepts, educational policy planning documents, legal texts, and association statistics) and job advertisements from adult education centers since the era of educational reforms to the present, which are analyzed in their relationship to one an-other. Document analysis is used to examine which actors were involved in the development and dissemination of ideal-typical occupational profiles and which tasks, qualifications and competencies they emphasized. Since it is assumed that ideal-typical occupational profiles are dependent on references within the individual organizations in order to establish themselves in the medium to long term, job advertisements from adult education centers across the entire Federal Republic of Germany are analyzed (1952-2022; n=4418). The job advertisements re-veal to what extent ideal-typical occupational profiles have been taken up by adult education centers and what job profiling they have carried out by themselves, for example, in light of new requirements, such as those related to digital transformation. Individual organizations thus con-tribute to the stabilization and change of established and recognized occupational profiles.
The theoretical and methodological framework of the research project is based on the sociolo-gy of conventions. By understanding occupational profiles as form investments, the study also analyzes which quality conventions they are based on and how this may have changed over time.
The project contributes to the history of the professionalization of adult education and to dis-cussions on the change and hybridization of full-time professional work, for example, in the context of the neoliberal reforms or current digitalization.
The dissertation project is located within the DGF-project „StellA“.