Mapping the Framing of Culture in U.S. Adult Education Over the Past Decade

Abstract

We are working with more culturally diverse adult learner populations than we have ever had in adult and continuing higher education (Merriam & Bierema, 2014). Culture has become one of the most popular discussion topics in adult learning classrooms and both instructors and students are showing great interest in culture's interaction with their teaching and learning activities. This study examined how the field framed the concept of culture over the past decade through the review of four premier U.S.-based adult education journals. Research studies that had a focus on understanding culturally diverse adult learners and their learning activities comprised the data. Our data analysis revealed four main themes, including using culture as context, presenting culture as content, treating culture as process, and seeing culture as product. In general, culture has been used either as a lens to examine contemporary adult education phenomenon that involves culturally diverse adult learners or as a tool to address issues and challenges with which today's adult learners and educators are faced. A preliminary mapping was developed to depict how researchers and practitioners can benefit from the themes identified in this study. Future research directions are discussed, including the need for international comparative perspectives on this contemporary adult and lifelong learning phenomenon.

Keywords:

• culture
• adult students
• adult teaching
• adult learning