In many regions of the world, professionalisation in adult and continuing education is brought into the focus of educational policy and research. Various fields of practice are looking for scientifical and political support in raising the level of professionalism. While there are no simple lessons to be learned from other countries, a closer analysis of international experience may reveal common and diverging interests. It may also provide worthwhile insights into opportunities and risks surrounding professionalisation. This edited volume is intended to further stimulate international exchange, cross-country approaches and comparative research in this field. It includes contributions to the theoretical debate and to the development of (comparative) research as well as reports on research findings and development activities concerning the professionalisation of adult educators.

Contents: Wolfgang Jütte/Susanne Lattke: International and comparative perspectives in the field of professionalisation - Helen Murphy: The professionalisation of adult education in Ireland. An exploration of the current discourse, debate and policy developments - Richard Wittorski: Professionalisation: Issues, meanings and ways in the French context - Joachim Ludwig/Stephanie Günther: Insights from Germany: Theoretical models of professional knowledge and their relevance for empirical research - Petra Heidegred Steiner: Professional cultures and a new conceptualisation of profession. Theoretical contributions to professionalisation of adult education - Regina Egetenmeyer/Ingeborg Schüßler: Academic professionalisation in Master's programmes in adult and continuing education. Towards an internationally comparative research design - Katrin Karu/Larissa Jõgi: From professional studies to learning experiences - creating learning possibilities for adult educators - Susanne Lattke: An international core curriculum for the training of adult educators: Curriculum globALE. Professionalisation between convergence and diversity - Georgios K. Zarifis/Achilleas Papadimitriou: Identification of key comparable professional competences for adult educators in the European context. A proposed model framework - Christian Marx/Annika Goeze/Josef Schrader: Adult education teachers' pedagogical-psychological knowledge. Potential elements and test development - Bernd Käpplinger/Thomas J. Sork: Making program planning more visible: what to do when they don't know what they don't know - Annika Goeze/Dorett Schneider: What creates and regulates access to the adult education profession? A research project on recruiting practices.