2019 Annual Conference

International Adult Education

Shared Concurrent Session (Approx. 12 or 20 minutes)

The USA has professionalized Adult Learning and Education occupational groups in ways that affect adult education in Career and Technical Education fields.  Through Egetenmeyer's (2017) adaptation of Bray and Thomas' (1995) cube framework, I present a multi-dimensional approach to understand a national spectrum of formality, tradition, ambiguity, and transnational comparison.

For this presentation, I hope to draw educators and administrators interested in the progress of Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathyways for adult educators.  I also hope to draw others interested in considering implications this information makes with regard to the globalization of the CTE field as it continues to be professionalized. 

The learners will be able to reflect on historical data to understand the foundational picture of CTE in the USA.
The learners will be able to compare situations of formal, informal, and non-formal education scenarios that occur in the CTE setting in the USA.
The learners will be able to define traditional and nontraditional students as well as comment on overlapping gray area in this area.

This essay identifies and defines the professionalization of occupational groups that work in adult education as well as the specific positions or roles these groups take in the United States (US) today. These definitions help explain how the developments have affected adult education in fields of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and what is considered as a more recent development or a current challenge. 

A national analysis using factors of the cube framework developed by Bray and Thomas (1995: 475), adapted by Egetenmeyer (2017), focuses on the place, people, and preparation of society through educational means. This framework constructs a multi-dimensional approach to understanding types of formal, non-formal, and informal structures involved in the national best practice of adult education professionals. Limitations regarding traditional students, nontraditional students, and overlapping grey areas further define areas of progress and potential need. 

In conclusion, this essay highlights the significance of these elements with regard to international research and implications for further research. Additionally, the structure and conceptual framework of this essay provide a foundation on which transnational comparison may take place.

I plan to organize an audo-visual presentation in a shared concurrent session.  This would involve a summary of the major components of the piece:

1. Occupational Structures Overview
2. Brief Narrative in Literature Review
3. Contexualizing the National Perspective
4. Explaining the Methodology
5. Discussing and Analyzing Implications and Future Application

I do not have preferences concerning with whom I share the session.