Developing critical literacies in US adult education degree programs: What is advertised on university websites?

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

Analysis of course titles and descriptions in core adult education university curricula across nearly 50 US higher education institutions examines how well degree programs address developing critical literacy and critical literacies to advance diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and social justice. Findings show references to critical literacies linked to DEI are limited in program offerings. Building on results, the paper proposes stronger integration of critical literacies and DEI topics aligned with critical literacy goals to support learners’ career success in global, multicultural, and multilingual contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

DEI, critical literacy, and the higher education agenda

Challenges and political contestation in curriculum integration

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 64, Number 3, November 2024 Developing critical literacies in US adult education degree programs: What is advertised on university websites? Petra A. Robinson Louisiana State University, USA Maja Stojanović Kansas State University, USA The purpose of this paper is to report the findings ofan analysis of course titles and descriptions which are part of core adult education university curricula in the United States. The focus of the analysis was on understanding how well these adult education programs, and their curricula, address the need for developing critical literacy and critical literacies for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and social justice. Further, we discuss strategies for promoting critical literaciesand DEI in adult education degree programs. The research process included a content analysis of course/class titles and descriptions pertaining to courses/classes offered in adult education programs in almost 50 US higher education institutions, most of which were at the graduate level. The findings revealed that references to the development of critical literacies with a focus on DEI were notably limited among adult education program offerings at identified institutions. Building on these findings, we propose an increased effort in integrating critical literacies (e.g., intercultural literacy, information Developing critical literacies in US adult education degree programs: 423 What is advertised on university websites? literacy, racial literacy, etc.) and DEI-related topics that align with critical literacy goals into adult education curricula, which would contribute to adult education students’ career success by preparing them to navigate contemporary global, multicultural, and multilingual contexts. By developing critical literacy and related critical literacies, students would engage in critical thinking in a way that supports DEI and promotes social justice within organisations and communities globally. Keywords: critical literacy, critical literacies, adult education graduate programs, adult education curricula, United States, critical literacies advancement model (CLAM) Introduction Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the development of critical literacy has been on the agenda of higher education institutions for decades.Calls for promoting critical literacy and advancing DEI have pointed to reasons such as the need for critical thinking in students, increasing diversity in the student population and the drive to internationalise higher education (Özturgut, 2017), addressing the effects of globalisation and the need for a more responsive and fair education system (Lund, 1998), preparing students for an increasingly diverse society (Turner et al., 2008), and advancing social justice and global citizenship (de Oliveira Andreotti, 2024), among others. Many higher education institutions have expressed commitment to supporting DEI, expanding these efforts to include belonging (DEIB) and accessibility (DEIA) (Friedman & Vlady, 2024).In the United States, some of this commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging/accessibility (DEIB/A) came as part of institutional change efforts in response to national racial and social injustice pressures, especially during the spring and summer of 2020 (Wesley et al., 2021). Further, the global COVID-19 pandemic also highlighted significant systemic racial inequities within health and education (see Garcia, 2022; Gravlee, 2020; Mitchell & Easton-Brooks, 2022) centring the discussion even more squarely in the nation’s psyche, including higher education. However, within a central activity of these academic institutions—teaching—DEIB/A efforts still seem to be limited. 424 Petra Robinson and Maja Stojanovic In fact, including DEI concepts in teaching can be perceived as problematic because of, among other things, polarised political climates. This is significant because

FAQs

What does the paper analyze in US adult education degree programs?

It analyzes course titles and descriptions within core adult education university curricula in the United States, focusing on how they address critical literacy and critical literacies related to DEI and social justice.

What is the main finding about DEI-linked critical literacies?

References to developing critical literacies with a focus on DEI are notably limited among the adult education program offerings identified across nearly 50 institutions.

What strategies does the paper recommend to improve critical literacies and DEI in curricula?

It proposes increased integration of critical literacies (e.g., intercultural literacy, information literacy, and racial literacy) and DEI-related topics that align with critical literacy goals to better prepare students for contemporary global contexts.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa