New Publication: How Does Erasmus+ Affect Adult Learners?
Erasmus+ is the EU’s flagship programme for promoting education, youth and sport, and makes a significant contribution to sustainable growth and social cohesion in Europe. Since 2021, Erasmus+ has also offered various cooperation and mobility opportunities in adult education, thereby promoting lifelong learning.
The recently published study by the RIA-AE network (Research-based Impact Analysis of Erasmus+ Adult Education Programmes) examines how such short-term learning experiences under Erasmus+ affect adult learners. As previous research has mainly focused on students and young people, this analysis thus fills a significant research gap. In addition to findings from qualitative content analyses, the evaluation draws on 24 problem-oriented interviews with participants from Austria, Germany, Latvia and Slovenia. Specifically, it examines learning outcomes and changes in the participants’ social, professional and societal lives.
The interviews consistently show that Erasmus+ promotes intercultural learning, social interaction, well-being, the skills needed for independent living, and communication in multilingual environments. With regard to environmental awareness and vocational skills, however, the results vary depending on the thematic focus of the programme and the learners’ individual backgrounds. These findings highlight the importance of Erasmus+ and its transformative role in lifelong learning, and provide valuable insights for the development of future mobility programmes in adult education.
The full article can be read here. Stefan Humpl from 3s is co-author of the study.
image by Markus Spiske auf Unsplash
Contact: Stefan Humpl
