Adult Education & the Recession Literature Review

Adult Education & The Recession (Early 2000's)

Samantha McFadden

Ball State University

Your Name	Commented On
Samantha McFadden	Darla Harrington (Group 1)

Introduction

               Life experiences play a significant role in adult learning. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, the emergence of science and the scientific method, industrialization, and urbanization mandated a new approach to education, one that was more responsive to a growing industrial society (Merriam & Brockett, 2007). Adult education began a radical transformation from liberal education to a more focused view on promoting social change, and over the course of many years and challenges, the scope of adult education has continued to evolve. We know that money makes the world go around, so naturally when the U.S. was faced with a recession at end of 2007, into 2009, the effects on all areas of life, including adult education were profound.

Social psychologist Kurt Lewin (1946, 1951) is often credited as the driving force behind a style of social change, called action research, but it is more accurate to think of it as an ensemble production with a number of social activists, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and researchers having direct and indirect influences (Glassman, Erdem & Bartholomew, 2013). Action research is a form of social inquiry through which members of social groups interact with one another, engage in open dialogue about their intergroup relationships, and collectively participate in a learning process to create social change within their communities (Glassman, Erdem & Bartholomew, 2013). This type of interaction between people of the same and differing social groups was especially important before, during, and after the Recession. Learning through open communication, and understanding different perspectives, was likely a pivotal role in changing the landscape of social and financial institutions in the United States.

Highlights & Influential Factors

Beginning at the end of 2007, the United States experienced a Recession which lasted well into 2009. Many people were displaced from their homes and jobs. Particularly interesting, was the effects that the recession had on adult education. Many establishments’ training plans were blown off course by the 2008–2009 recession, with reduced coverage of adult training and especially of off ‐ the ‐ job training (Mason & Bishop, 2015). With employers unable to afford paying for adult education to increase employee’s skills, changes to the landscape of training were necessary. The effects of such cutbacks on skill levels have been partially alleviated by more precise targeting of on ‐ the ‐ job training on meeting skills improvement needs (Mason & Bishop, 2015). Rather than focusing on certifications through institutions, some employers have revamped their training departments and provided non-formal education to meet the needs of the market. Non-formal education is any organized educational activity outside the established formal system - whether operating separately or as an important feature of some broader activity - that is intended to serve identifiable learning clienteles and learning objectives (Smith, M., 2001).

While employers were embarking on differentiating training methods for adult learning within their current organizations, the opportunity for advancement for new graduates were limited. Based on an analysis of both closed and open-ended survey data of Michigan's 2012 graduates, it was found that women and first generation college graduates fared the worst in terms of their employment status, debt and income levels, and subjective assessments of job opportunities and financial stress (Aronson, P., Callahan, T. & Davis, T., 2015). It was as if the country was at a crossroads. Employers were trying to find new ways of training their current employees to keep up with skills associated with the changing landscape of the economy, yet adults completing degrees through universities were being looked over for competitive jobs, due to lack of experience.

Statistics show that due to the struggling economy, may adults had returned to school. Overall college enrollment levels fell after the recession from 19.8 million (2008 to 2011 recession period average), to 19.4 million (2012 to 2015 postrecession period average). Part of this was the result of students who had returned to college after being in the labor market or otherwise out of school. The number of college students in this category grew by 30 percent from 2006 to 2010, but by 2015, it had returned to a level that was not significantly different from the level of 2006 (Jordan, 2018). With many adults returning to higher education settings, they brought a wealth of life experiences. Rather than college courses centering on the lectures of the professors, students were able to share different perspectives on many topics, prompting discussions of social change, largely centered on the political and economic areas of the United States.

Outside of the formal establishments, social movements were prominent, due to many people in the community coming together with the common struggles associated with the recession. Rather than keeping to oneself, people were speaking out against the unjust doings of bankers (which resulted in many people’s homes being foreclosed on). Adults that had yet to purchase their own home, were being swayed away from such a decision due to the informal education they were receiving from friends and colleagues of their troublesome experiences. Even into 2019, the evidence of young adults avoiding purchasing homes are seen, which likely stem from the things they witnessed as they were teenagers in 2007-2009.

Implications

Technological changes that were underway during this same time period, gave way to different opportunities for obtaining an education. Youtube was created in 2005 and rising in popularity. Community leaders, such as pastors, were given new platforms to share their wealth of knowledge in many different areas of life. Universities began offering distance learning courses, which enabled people to learn form the comfort of their homes. With many people having to take lower paying jobs, or working longer hours due to the Recession, the flexibility in classes helped to meet all needs of the adult learner.

This time period showed us that there is not “one correct way to educate”. While universities offer specific programs that are vital to our society, even today, there are many ways of sharing the information that do not rely solely on sitting behind a desk in a school building. Communicating with our neighbors and peers can inevitably help to promote social change, as the knowledge of the whole is better than the knowledge of a few. The economy plays a vital role in how adult education is assimilated, and we are likely to continue seeing the scope transform as the landscape of our lives do so as well.

Areas	Summary
Social Background	The recession of 2007-2009 and technological advances
Highlights	Employers had to cut costs on educating employees. Technological advances including YouTube and distance learning changed the way adult educators gained knowledge. Economic down turns affect adult education.
Influential Factors	Technology advances. Employment changes. Economic difficulties.
Implications	Adult education comes in many forms. Learning from different locations, on different devices is efficient for adult education. Adult education will continue to change as our society does.

References

Aronson, P., Callahan, T. & Davis, T. (2015). The transition from college to work during the great recession: employment, financial, and identity challenges. Journal of Youth Studies 18(9).

Glassman, M., Erdem, G. & Bartholomew, M. (2013). Action Research and its History as an Adult Education Movement for Social Change. Adult Education Quarterly. 63(3).

Jordan, J. (2018). Postsecondary Enrollment Before, During and After the Great Recession. United States Census Bureau.

Mason, G. & Bishop, K. (2015). The Impact of Recession on Adult Training: Evidence from the United Kingdom in 2008-2009. British Journal of Industrial Relations. 53(4).

Merriam, S. & Brockett, R. (2007). The profession and practice of adult education: An introduction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Smith, M. (2001) Non-Formal Education. The Encyclopedia of Informal Education.