Tracing Our Roots: Imagining Our Future - Lessons to Learn from the Life Histories of Adult Educators in the Republic of Ireland (1970-2010)

Oct 15, 2026

This article provides a contextual foundation for analyzing changes in adult education since 2010 by presenting findings from an in-depth study of six adult educators’ life histories in the Republic of Ireland across the decades leading up to 2010. Drawing on these educators’ reflections, the work traces roots and legacies of the field while considering how the future was envisioned at a pivotal moment in time.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

The Role of Adult Educators

Methodology

Mode of Inquiry: The Life History Approach

Participant Profile

‘Tracing Our Roots: Imagining Our Future’: Lessons to Learn from the Life Histories of Adult Educators in the Republic of Ireland (1970–2010) catherine maunsell Abstract This article seeks to provide a contextual backdrop to this edition’s focus on analysing the changes from the perspective of policy and practice since 2010, through presenting the findings of an in-depth analysis of the life histories of six adult educators, working in the field of adult education in the Republic of Ireland in the decades leading to 2010. Through the reflections of these six adult educators, this article offers the opportunity to trace the roots and legacies of the field and imagine the future, as they had envisioned it, at that given juncture in time. Keywords: Adult Educators, Life History Our understanding of contemporary education in Ireland is greatly informed by gaining some insights into contexts and changes in the past.(Raftery, 2009, p. 9) Introduction Acknowledging the extent to which adult education has experienced significant change, nationally and internationally, in the recent past, this article contends that before we turn our gaze to imagining the future, we would be wise to trace the roots of adult education in Ireland at the turning point of 2010. The findings from a study of the life histories of six adult educators, captured at that moment in time, affords a valuable opportunity to reflect on the legacy of adult education in Ireland before discerning the best actions going forward. In the context of the Republic of Ireland, and indeed internationally, it is unequivocal to state that the role and function of adult education has changed over time. Peter Jarvis, an eminent adult educator writes that ‘the concept of education will always be relative and reflect the social conditions of the time of definition’ (Jarvis, 2010, p. 25). Changing population demographics and the ever increasing pace of technological developments warranting continuous updating of skills and training are some of the main challenges facing the discipline, in both a national and global context, in the 21st century. While consensus on the value of adult education and lifelong learning has been one of the most remarkable features of the education policy discourse, both in the Republic of Ireland and internationally, it is contended that the field of adult learning and education at policy, structural and implementation levels remains fragmented and is somewhat of a ‘Cinderella’ character within the Irish education system (Fleming, 2012) . If we accept, as given, the central role of adult education in meeting the needs of individuals in contemporary society, then such fragmentation needs tobe challenged further and deeply. One further challenge, that maybe seen as underpinning many of the others in the literature is that, within the lifelong learning agenda and discourse, the role and place of adult learning and education continues to be underplayed (Maunsell, Downes and McLoughlin, 2008; Holford, Riddell, Weedon, Litjens and Hannan, 2009; Downes, 2014). What then of the role of adult educators? The Role of Adult Educators On examination of the literature on the role of adult educators, it is clear that whether one perceives oneself to be an adult educator is a matter of context. There is no accepted taxonomy that includes all those engaged in facilitating adult learning. Even the term ‘adult educator’ is not universally accepted (Youngman and Singh, 2005) . Usher and Bryant (1989, p. 2 as cited in Merriam and Brockett, 2007, p. 16) suggest that a spectrum exists in terms of practitioners’ ‘consciousness of having an educational role in working with adults. This continuum ranges from the full-time “professional” educator of adults [to] the individual whose vocational and non-vocational activities have repercussions for adult learning.’ While studies exploring the professional identities of teachers in formal education settingsand hig

FAQs

What does the article aim to analyze regarding adult education since 2010?

It examines changes in adult education from the perspective of policy and practice, using findings drawn from the life histories of six adult educators in the Republic of Ireland.

How was the study conducted?

The study uses a qualitative research paradigm and employs the life history approach to connect participants’ accounts to historical, social, and political contexts.

Who were the study participants?

The article focuses on six adult educators who, at the time of interviews in 2010, had worked in adult education for all or most of their working lives, with the study’s timeframe spanning 1970–2010.

Oct 15, 2026

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