Adult Education and Lifelong Learning (PhD)

The PhD in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning allows you to undertake an in-depth analysis and research of adult education and lifelong learning. Warwick's Centre for Lifelong Learning provides a rich, transdisciplinary academic environment with a dedicated personal tutor.

Course Overview

This PhD provides an opportunity to undertake in-depth research in the field of adult education and lifelong learning. In recent years, as societies have undergone social, political and economic changes, adult education and lifelong learning has become an important aspect of the education sector. Adult education and lifelong learning encompasses a wide range of learning situations from informal through to formal education.

Research in this area can include:

• learning in community and adult education, further and higher education as well as informal learning in the family or community
• popular and radical adult education
• issues of class, gender, ethnicity, age and disability
• access to education and learning experiences, retention and drop-out
• transitions and learner identity and issues of agency and structure
• transformative learning
• motivations to learning

The above is not an exclusive list of research areas and you are free to propose additional topics or themes.

Areas for PhD supervision

Adult Education in HE, FE, Lifelong Learning, community education, popular/radical adult education, informal learning and work-based learning. – with a focus on issues of inequality, (class, gender, ethnicity and age), access issues, experiences of learning, learning transitions, theoretical enquiry, identities, transitions into the labour market.

Teaching and Learning

We provide a pleasant PhD study room and dedicated personal tutor support in addition to the supervisory team. A combined staff and student seminar programme provides a collegiate forum for sharing and discussing current topics and ideas.