This study analyzed trends in the academic field of Adult Education by examining the collective perspectives of the senior university professors who framed the field. This phenomenological qualitative research included the use of oral history semi-structured interviews, criterion and network sampling, member checks, microanalysis, and constant comparison. Using conversations and participants' written responses, a structural framework of themes was established to delineate the first three generations of Adult Education professors.
With the goal of collecting third-age wisdom, discussions centered on formative influences, accomplishments, disappointments, present involvement level, defining the field, trends/changes, graduate programs, national associations, and future perspectives. Most participants supported a definition of Adult Education that emphasized core beliefs about the unique differences separating adults from children as learners. Many were self-described generalists, referring to Adult Education as a field of practice, focusing on concepts of andragogy and transformative learning. Some individuals presented more global views, accentuating the widely diverse application opportunities of Adult Education theory in organizational and societal problem-solving.
The implications of this research flowed from the reflective hindsight of the participants. Areas of concern cited were the decline in university graduate programs, fragmentation of the field into various sub-fields of practice, increasingly narrow research and literature, and a lack of political representation nationally. Graduate programs were described as too institutionalized and educational in nature, lacking interdisciplinary opportunities of earlier programs that included a balance of education, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and political science. The fragmenting movements mentioned most often were Adult Basic Education and Human Resource Development whose academic impact were identified as polarizing. Senior leaders recommended that contemporary members of the field work to bridge the gap between disparate camps and set a new course by collaborating on efforts to solve societal problems. Rather than viewing the diverse nature of the field as a roadblock, they suggested using it to develop leaders in various specialty areas, ultimately spreading the message of lifelong learning farther and wider in society. Their message was one of encouragement for future generations to work toward a unified field with a shared vision and mutual respect for diverse views.
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