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Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 51, Special Edition, December 2011
Through the looking glass: adult education through the lens of the Australian
Journal of Adult Learning over fifty years
Roger Harris and Anne MorrisonUniversity of South Australia
In this paper we review fifty years of articles published in Australian Journal of Adult Learning in its various iterations. We examine the different roles of the journal: to illuminate the history and trends of adult education authors; to be the flagship of the adult education profession in Australia; to reflect on significant national events; and to mirror the changing knowledge base of the discipline. We analyse the authorship of the articles over fifty years, and determine patterns in contribution to the journal by gender, location, institutional affiliation and author numbers. We also examine key themes that have surfaced in the writings on adult education. The articles published in the journal are significant because they are primary sources of the day, unfettered by the perspectives, viewpoints and standards of later periods. Our paper serves as a useful looking glass through which we might be able to view more clearly the shifting research interests of the past and the challenges in the future for the adult and community learning sector.
18 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Introduction
Contentanalysisofpublicationactivitycantellusmuchaboutagivenfieldofstudy,aspublicationsreflecttheknowledgebaseofadiscipline.ThefieldofadulteducationinAustraliahasbeenwellservedbyitsnationalassociation,(now)AdultLearningAustralia,anditstwokey‘voices’:theannualnationalconferencesandthejournal.Thefivedecadesoftheassociationhavebeensuccinctlysummarisedinvolume50(3)ofthejournaland,thoughthisprovidesacontextualbackdropforthispaper,thefocushereisratheronthejournal,currentlyentitledtheAustralian Journal of Adult Learning.
Thejournalhasjustwitnessedfiftyyearsofpublication(itwasfirstpublishedinJuly1961).Itisoneofthelongestrunningjournalsonadulteducationintheworld:webelievethatitmaybethethirdmostdurable,aftertheIndian Journal of Adult Education startingin1939andAdult Education Quarterly in1950.Forexample,Studies in the Education of Adults (UK)beganin1969,Studies in Continuing Education(Australia)in1978,whiletheCanadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education andtheInternational Journal of Lifelong Education (UK)bothcommencedonlyin1981.TheAustralianjournalhas,therefore,playedacrucialandsustainedroleinthepromotionofadulteducationinthiscountryoveralongperiod,andassuchmeritscloserexamination.
What role has this journal played?
AdulteducationinAustraliahasconsistentlybeenindesperateneedofavoice.Hannawroteinanearlyissueofthejournal:
AdultEducationisregardedasamarginalactivitystuckontooureducationsystemsomewherebetweenourleavingprimaryschoolandourgoingsenile;wehavetorunitwithmeagrebudgets,leftoverfacilitiesandotherpeople’ssparetime…Thoughthesituationisimprovingslightlyallthetimeadulteducationhasnotachievedarecognisedstandinginthiscountry.(1965:3)
Through the looking glass 19
HannalamentedthelackofrecognitiongiventoadulteducationintheMartinCommitteereport(1964)ontertiaryeducationinAustralia,andthelackofresearchtothattimeintoadulteducation,methodsofteachingadultsandtheadultlearnersthemselves,despitethegrowthofadulteducationinthepostwarperiod.Fastforwardtothe1990sandtherewasarosyglowofoptimismfollowingtheSenateInquiryof1991,Come in Cinderella.ThiswasthefirstnationalaccountofadulteducationsinceDuncan(1973[1944])andformallyrecognisedACEasthefourthsectorofeducation.TheSenate’sfollow-upreport,Beyond Cinderella: Towards a learning society(1997),recommendedanunequivocalcommitmentbygovernmenttotheconceptofalifelonglearningsociety,andthebringingtogetherofthenationalACEpolicyandVETpolicy.However,notmuchhasactuallyhappenedsince,andthecelebratoryfiftiethannualconferenceofAdultLearningAustralialatein2010wasstillearnestlyinquiring:WherehasCinderellagone?
Yetthejournal(aswellastheassociationanditsconferences)haspersistedasthevoiceforthefieldinstrivingtobuilditsstatusandcredibility.Theverytitleofthejournalprovidesaglimpseofthemetamorphosisofthedisciplineoverthesefiftyyears.Therehavebeenonlytwochangesofname,withthejournaltitlemirroringthechangingnameoftheassociation—fromAustralian Journal of Adult EducationcommencinginJuly1961,toAustralian Journal of Adult and Community EducationinApril1990andtoAustralian Journal of Adult LearninginApril2000.Thesechangeshavereflectedatleasttwosignificantshiftsoverthistime—thefirstfromeducationtolearning,thesecondfromemphasisingtheassociationtoemphasisingthefield.Wesuggestthatthesere-alignmentsmirrorquiteaccuratelythediscipline’schangingfocusonlearningascorebusiness.
Significantinthecontinuinglifeofthejournalhavebeenitseditors.Therehavebeensevenmaineditors(Table1).Acrosshalfacentury,theygavebirthtoandnurturedthejournal,providing‘aregular,
20 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
informativeandspiritedpublication…andhavethereforeleftalegacyaboutwhichadultandcommunityeducatorsinAustraliatodaycanfeeljustifiablyproud’(Harris,1997:56).Forexample,Helygaveus‘ajournalwhich…wecouldproudlysendoverseas’(Crowley,1968:42)and,underShawandAllsop,thejournal‘becameanadulteducationpublicationofhighreputeinternationally,…ofhighstanding,…thepublicationofwhichhasalwaysbeenrecognisedasoneofthemainreasonsfor[theassociation’s]existence’(Crowley,1976:60).Thisstandinghascontinuedtothisday,asevidencedbyitshighstatusaccordedundertheformerExcellenceforResearchinAustraliaregime’sjournalrankingsystem.
Table 1: Editors of the journal
1961–1963 ArnoldHely AdelaideUniversity
1963–1965 DesCrowley AdelaideUniversity
1965–1970 JohnShaw UniversityofNSW
1971–1973 JohnShaw/JoanAllsop UniversitiesofNSWandSydney
1974–1976 JoanAllsop UniversityofSydney
1976–1978 Seriesofguesteditors(BarrieBrennan,ChrisDuke,AlfWesson,JackMason/JackMcDonell,DougRobertson)
UniversityofNewEngland,AustralianNationalUniversity,PrestonInstituteofTechnology,MonashUniversity
1979–1983 NicolasHaines AustralianNationalUniversity
1984–1989 BarrieBrennan UniversityofNewEngland
1990–2012 RogerHarris UniversityofSouthAustralia
Wecontendthatthejournalhasplayedatleastfoursignificantroles.First,ithasilluminatedthehistory,trendsandpatternsofadulteducationauthorsinAustralia(andevenbeyond)acrosshalfacentury.Second,ithasbeenthemostvisible,accessibleandlastingvoiceoftheadulteducationdisciplineinAustralia—theflagshipoftheprofession.Third,ithasprovidedareflectiononsignificantnational
Through the looking glass 21
eventsandtrends.Andfourth,ithasbeenamirroroftheknowledgebaseofthedisciplineanditsissues,andhowtheychangeovertime.Theanalysesinthispaperprovideevidenceforeachofthesefourroles.
Durstonnotedasearlyas1968that‘TheAustralian Journal of Adult EducationisprobablythemosttangibleproofoftheAssociation’sstatedconcernforencouraginginquiry,researchexperimentandpublicationinthefieldofadulteducation’(1968:79).Twentyyearslater,continuingthistheme,Brennanconcludedthat‘Oneoftheotherimportantservicestomembers,andadulteducatorsgenerallyinAustraliaandoverseas,wasthe[journal]…WorkingfromAdelaide,HelyensuredthatthenewjournalfromanewAssociationwouldmakeanimpact’(1988a:34–35);and‘Publicationscontinuedtobesignificantintheserviceofmembers.Thejournal…continuedtoserveAustralianandoverseasreadersinthetraditionsetbyHelyandCrowley’(1988b:28).
Thepolicyandpurposeofthejournal(usuallystatedontheinsidefrontcover)hasnotchangedmarkedlyovertheyears,continuingtoemphasiseitskeyfunctionsofadvocacy,researchandknowledgegeneration:
1961:Toprovideaforumfordiscussiononadulteducationmatters.
1973:Todescribeanddiscussactivitiesanddevelopmentsinthefieldofcontinuingeducationforadults;topublishaccountsofinvestigationsandresearchinthisfield;toprovideaforumforthediscussionofsignificantideasabouttheeducationofadults;andtoreviewrelevantbooks,reportsandperiodicals.
1984:ItshouldbeofaqualitythatwillcommandrespectinAustraliaandoverseas.ItshouldprovidesubstantialoriginalinformationandviewsonthepracticeofandresearchintoadulteducationinAustraliaandoverseasandthereportingoforiginalresearchofsignificancetoAdultEducation.
22 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
1990:Itaimstoprovideinformationandanalysisonthetheory,researchandpracticeofadultandcommunityeducation…;andtopromotecriticalthinkingandresearchinthisdevelopingandincreasinglysignificantfield;…[Its]primefocusisonAustralia,thoughpapersrelatingtoothercontextsarealsopublished.
Inthispaper,weanalyseauthorshipofpapersoverfiftyyears,anddeterminepatternsincontributiontothejournalbygender,location,institutionalaffiliationandauthornumbers.Wealsoexaminekeythemesthathavesurfacedinthewritingsonadulteducation.Anon-refereedjournaluntilApril1999,double-blindpeerreviewwasintroducedinthatyearforthemajorityofsubmissions,whichincreasedbothrateofflowandqualityofcontent.However,allarticlesareinformativeinstudyingthehistoryofaprofessionanditsjournal.Theyaresignificantbecausetheyareprimarysourcesoftheirday,unfetteredbythestraightjacketsoflaterperiods’perspectives,viewpointsandstandards.Sooftenwearepronetojudgingthepastusingourpresent-daylenses/frameworks/paradigms.Inthefinalanalysisthispaperis‘postdictive’ratherthanpredictive,andthereforetellsusmoreaboutthelasthalfcenturythanwhatislikelytohappeninthefuture.Giventhebrevityofthispaper,ouranalysisspanningfiftyyearsis,bynecessity,abroadsweep.Nevertheless,webelievethepaperservesasausefullookingglassthroughwhichwemightbeabletoviewmoreclearlytheshiftingresearchinterestsofthepastandthechallengesinthefuturefortheadultandcommunitylearningsector.
Methodology
Wehaveanalysedthejournal’scontentoverthisfifty-yearspan—asizabletask.Mostcontentanalysesofacademicsembraceonlyadecade.Previouslyinthisjournal,Durston(1968)reviewedthefirstsevenyears,Long(1983)studied‘preoccupations’throughtenyears,andHarris(1997)examinedvariousaspectsofthejournalduringitsinitialtenyears.Inrelationtoadulteducationjournals
Through the looking glass 23
internationally,Taylor(2001)examinedallsubmissions,bothacceptedandrejected,totheAmericanAdult Education Quarterlyfrom1989to1999;MorelandexploredintheBritishThe Vocational Aspect of Education(nowtheJournal of Vocational Education and Training)‘someoftherecurrentandemergentissueswhichhaveoccurredinthejournal,particularlyinthelast10years’(1992:3);whileLongandAgyekumwrotetheir‘reflectionsofachangingdiscipline’(1974:99)byanalysingthejournalAdult Education(theforerunnerofAEQ)from1964to1973.Anexampleofatwenty-yearanalysiswasDickinsonandRusnell’sstudyofAdult Educationbetween1950and1970,‘toascertaintrendsandpatternsinthecontentsofthejournalasindicationsofthedevelopmentofthedisciplineofadulteducation’(1971:177).
Wehavenotidentifiedanyattemptsinadulteducationatjournalcontentanalysisoverafifty-yearspan.Twoinstanceswehavefoundinotherdisciplinesareinsociologyandtraininganddevelopment.Shanas(1945)analysedtheAmerican Journal of Sociologythroughfiftyyearsinthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury,whileGalagancelebratedfiftyyearsoftheAmerican‘magazine’Training & Development bypresentingabriefsamplingofsomeissues,ideasandpeopleoverthesecondhalfofthetwentiethcentury:‘Fromtheno-nonsenseidealismofthe1940sand50s,throughthesocialconsciousnessofthe60sand70s,tothebottom-linethinkingofthe1980sand90s,Training & Developmentmagazinehasbeenthevoiceoftheprofession’(1996:32).
OurprocessinanalysingtheAustralian Journal of Adult Learning hasinvolvedhuntingdownbackcopiesofthejournal,adifficulttaskgivenchangesinstorageoverfiftyyearsandtheabsenceofelectronicaccessformuchofthatperiod.Therewereafewissuesthatwecouldnotlocate,butmostwereobtained.Wecompiledaninventoryofallthearticles,bothrefereedandnon-refereed.Decisionsneededtobemadeonwhattoinclude:wedefinedtheterm
24 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
‘article’asareasonablysubstantialpaper,andweomittededitorials,commentpieces,bookreviews,researchabstractsandeulogies.Weexperiencedconsiderabledifficultyintrackingdowndetailsonsuchmattersasauthorgender,institutionalaffiliationandgeographicallocation,sinceearlyissuesoftendidnotrecordsuchinformation(e.g.theearlypreferenceforauthorinitialsdidnotprovidegenderclues).Somemissingdetailswereidentifiedthroughalternativesources(e.g.electronicdatabasesorotherwritings)butafewcouldnotbeidentifiedatall.Themostdifficulttaskandonethatrequiredconsiderablediscretionwasdecidingonthemajortheme(s)ineacharticle.Weallowedamaximumoffourthemeallocationsperarticle.Weminimiseddistortionbyusingtworesearchersworkingindependently,andanydiscrepancieswereresolvedbynegotiation.Weconsolidatedandcheckedthemes,tabulateddatausingExcel,compiledtablesandgraphs(andstandardisedwhereverpossiblewiththeverticalaxisto30%),andundertookanalysisandinterpretation,searchingfortrends,explanationsandsurprises.Someearlythemesthatreceivedfewallocationswerecollapsedintoothers,andwefinishedwith22themes.Intotal,ouranalysiscovered143issues,1100authorsand844articlesoverthefiftyyears!
Trends in authorship over fifty years
ThefirstkeyroleofthejournalisthatitillustratesthehistoryofwritersonadulteducationinAustralia(andevenbeyond)overhalfacentury.Belowwehaveanalysedauthorshipbygender,location,institutionalaffiliationandnumbersofwriters.
Author gender
Overthefiftyyearstherehasbeenadramaticreversalintheproportionsofmenandwomenpublishinginthejournal(Figure1).Whileinthe1960s,90percentoftheauthorsweremale,bythe2000sthatproportionhadmorethanhalvedtoonly41percent.Thus,femaleauthorscurrentlyoutnumbermaleauthors.Thistrend
Through the looking glass 25
isconsistentwithfindingsofotherjournals(e.g.theAdult Education Quarterly,seeTaylor,2001:329).
Figure 1: Gender of authors, by decade
Location of author(s)
ThreequartersofallauthorspublishinginthejournalhavebeenlocatedinAustralia.However,theproportionofinternationalauthorshasbeengraduallyincreasing,from14percentinthe1960sto30percentinthe2000s(Table2).DespitethenameofthejournalspecificallyreferringtoAustralia,ithasalwaysencouragedcontributionsfromoverseas,andasthepresstopublishhasincreasinglybeenfeltworldwide,sotoohavethenumbersofarticleemanatingfrominternationalwritersincreased.
Table 2: Location of all authors, by decade
Location of authors
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total
% % % % % %
Australia(n=831) 86 75 84 79 70 76.6
International(n=254) 14 25 17 21 30 23.4
Total(N=1085*) 100 100 101 100 100 100
*Thelocationsof15authorsintheearlyyearscouldnotbeverified
26 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
WithinAustralia,authorsfromNewSouthWaleshavebeeninthemajority(37%overall).However,thetrendhasbeenforproportionsfromthatstatetodecline(46%inthe1960sto27%inthe2000s),ashavethoseforWesternAustralia(13%to5%).TheproportionsineachofVictoria,SouthAustraliaandQueenslandhavecorrespondinglyincreased,whilethoseintheotherthreesmallerjurisdictionshaveremainedrelativelyconstant(Table3).
Table 3: Location of Australian authors, by decade
Location of author
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total
(n=87) (n=114) (n=155) (n=219) (n=270) (n=845)
% % % % % %
NewSouthWales 46 51 40 36 27 37
Victoria 16 13 12 17 24 18
SouthAustralia 12 5 10 22 14 14
Queensland 4 - 20 13 17 13
AustralianCapitalTerritory 5 15 7 - 6 6
WesternAustralia 13 10 5 3 5 6
Tasmania 5 4 4 5 4 5
NorthernTerritory - 1 3 4 3 2
Total 101 99 101 100 100 101
Ofspecialinterestinthesejurisdictionalpublishingpatternsisthepeaksinparticulardecades.Manyfactorsmayaccountforthispattern,butonethatstandsoutisthelocationofthejournaleditoratanypointintime.ComparingTables1and2,wefindthattheeditorshipofthejournalwaslargelyinNSWduringthefirstthreedecades,whenthepercentagesofcontributionsinthatstatewerehigherthaninthelasttwodecades.ThepeaksinSAinthe
Through the looking glass 27
1960s,andagaininthe1990sand2000s,mayalsobeexplainedinthisway,aswiththeACTinthe1970sand1980s.Thisisaveryinterestingphenomenon.Wearenotsuggestingthatthisisevidenceoffavouritism(anditcouldnotbeanywayonceblindpeerreviewwasintroduced),butitcouldbeexplainedbythepresenceoftheeditorraisingregionalawarenessofthejournal,perhapsthroughseminarsinlocaluniversitiesorbyprocuringlocalreviewwriters.
Internationalauthorshipexhibitssomeinterestingpatterns(Table4).Publishedcontributionshavecomefrom37countriesaroundtheworld.Twocountriesshowamarkedincreaseincontributionsovertime:India(overall16.5%)andNigeria(overall13%),possiblyduetoanawakeningtotheimportanceof(andevenpressuretoproduce)publications,andtothefocusofthejournalonadultcommunityeducationwhichremainscriticallyimportantinthosecountries.Itshouldbenotedthatnodistinctionhasbeenmadeintheanalysisbetweenrefereedandnon-refereed(practice)papers—iftherehadbeen,thepatternsmayhavebeenratherdifferent.Overall,thepatternsinpublishedarticlesfromtheUSA,CanadaandNewZealandaresimilar(around12%),thoughtheproportioncomingfromtheUKhasbeensurprisinglysmall(5%)giventhesimilaritybetweentheadulteducationsectorsinAustraliaandtheUK.
28 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Table 4: Location of international authors, by decade
Location of author
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total
(n) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) (%)
India - 4 1 15 22 42 16.5
Nigeria - 3 1 3 26 33 13.0
USA 1 11 - 10 9 31 12.2
Canada 1 1 7 9 12 30 11.8
NZ 2 7 8 3 10 30 11.8
UK 4 3 2 2 2 13 5.1
Sweden - - 1 - 10 11 4.3
Fiji - - - 7 - 7 2.8
Germany 2 - 2 - 3 7 2.8
PNG 1 3 1 1 1 7 2.8
Others 2 5 7 8 21 43 16.9
Total 13 37 30 58 116 254 100
Institutional affiliation
Two-thirdsofallauthorsworkinuniversities,notsurprisinglygivenpublishingisoneofthecorebusinessactivitiesforstaffandhigherdegreecandidates(Table5).Thisproportionhasremainedfairlyconstantoverthefiftyyears,thoughithasrisentojustoverthreequartersinthepastdecade.Thisincreasecanbeaccountedforbytherecentpressbyuniversitiestohavetheirhigherdegreestudentspublishingbothduringtheircandidatureandaftercompletion.Thiswouldnothavebeensourgentinthefirstthreedecades.Theimportanceofpublishingforstaffincollegesofadvancededucationisreflected,especiallyastheirinstitutionsmovedtowardsuniversitystatus,intherapidlyincreasingfiguresofpublicationsinthe1970sand1980s.Theapparentfallawayfromtheendofthe1990sisduetotheirchangeofstatus,resultingintheirresearchproductivitybeingsubsumedunderuniversities.
Through the looking glass 29
Table 5: Institutional affiliation of authors, by decade
Institutional affiliation of author
1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Total
(n=100) (n=152) (n=185) (n=277) (n=386) (N=1100)
% % % % % %
University 64 60 36* 65** 77*** 64
Adult/communityeducationorganisation 22 13 14 10 7 11
OtherHEinstitution(e.g.collegeofadvancededucation/teacherscollege/instituteoftechnology)
2 13 21 1 1 6
VET/TAFE - 3 10 5 2 4
Researchinstitute - - 1 3 2 2
Private(includingretired) 1 3 4 4 2 3
Governmentdept.(e.g.education,agriculture,health)
3 6 13 9 5 8
Other 8 3 2 2 3 3
Total 100 101 101 99 99 101
*Includes4HDR(higherdegreeresearch)students(whereindicated)**Includes15HDRstudents(whereindicated)***Includes61HDRstudents(whereindicated)
Itisnoticeable,anddisappointinggiventhejournalspecialisesinadultlearning,thattheproportionofarticlesbeingpublishedfromadulteducationorganisationshasreducedbyonethird(from22%inthe1960sto7%inthe2000s)overthefiftyyears.Itwouldappearthatthissectorisbeingsqueezedbythenumberofcontributionsfromthehighereducationsector,butalsofromgovernmentdepartmentsandtoalesserextentfromtheVETsector.Thosewhoworkinadultandcommunityeducationareinclinedtopractice,ratherthanpublish,especiallyasthequalityofpublishedworkcontinuestorisesteadily.
30 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
TheintroductionofamorestructuredandenlargedTAFEsystemaftertheKanganReport(TAFE,1974)isreflectedinthesefigures,withnoTAFEarticlespublishedinthe1960sbut3percentinthe1960sand10percentinthe1980s.Theincreasing‘vocationalisation’oftertiaryeducation,especiallyfromthemid-1980s,probablyaccountsforthepercentagesfromtheVET/TAFEsectordecliningfromaroundthattime.Furthermore,thoseauthorsinthesectorundertakinghigherdegreeswouldhavebeencountedinuniversityfigures(accordingtotheirarticle’sinstitutionalaffiliationby-line).
Single/multiple authorship
Overfiftyyears,thisjournalillustratesamarkedtrendtowardsmultipleauthorship.Nodoubtthisisasmuchindicativeofthemorecollegial,collaborativeandintensifiedworkenvironmentsineducationalinstitutionsnowadays,asitissymptomaticofthe‘publishorperish’syndrome.Figure2,whichshowstheratioofthenumberofauthorstothenumberofarticles,revealsthatpaperswereusuallysoleauthoredinthe1960s,whilemultipleauthoredpapersweremorecommonbythe2000s(withameanof1.7authors).
Figure 2: Number of authors per article, in five-year periods
Through the looking glass 31
Itisinterestingthatmultipleauthorshipcontinuestorise,despitesomeuniversitiesimplementingrecordingsystemsthatreduceanindividual’spublicationproductivityaccordingtothenumberofco-authorsspecifiedonagivenarticle.Inthisway,university‘counting’regimesactuallyworkagainstcollegialandcollaborativepractices—eventhoughinrealitytheprocessesofobtainingresearchgrants,conductingresearchprojectsandpublishingfromsuchactivitiesaremostappropriately,andbecomingnecessarily,carriedoutinteams.
Key themes in the journal
Asummaryofthe22keythemesanalysedinthisstudy,andtheirfrequencyacrossthe844articles,ispresentedinTable6.‘Students/learners’wasthemostfrequenttheme,occurringinonequarterofarticles,followedby‘philosophy/theory’and‘vocationaleducation’inonefifthofarticles.
Table 6: Frequency of themes in the journal over fifty years, 1961–2010
Key themes across 844 articlesAllocations
Number* %
Students/learners 208 24.6
Philosophy/theory 170 20.1
Vocationaleducation 163 19.3
Lifelonglearning/education,continuingeducation,later-lifelearning
151 17.9
Adultandcommunityeducation 147 17.4
Teachers/educators/teaching 146 17.3
International 136 16.1
Evaluation 127 15.1
32 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Key themes across 844 articlesAllocations
Number* %
Informal/non-formallearning 118 14.0
Highereducation 117 13.9
Literacy/basicskills 66 7.8
Rural/regional 63 7.5
Methods/methodology 61 7.2
Historical 57 6.8
Formallearning 56 6.6
Curriculum 54 6.4
Technology 52 6.1
Gender(female/male/general) 34 4.0
Indigenous 32 3.8
Bridging/foundationeducation 27 3.2
Competency 18 2.1
Environment 15 1.8
*Uptofourthemeswereallocatedtoeacharticle
Havingdiscussedthepatternsinauthorship,wenowbrieflydiscusseachofthesethemesinthesectionsthatfollow,structuredaccordingtotheremainingthreerolesofthejournal(voiceofthediscipline,reflectionofsignificanteventsandtrends,andamirroroftheknowledgebase).
Voice of the adult education discipline
Thesecondroleofthejournalisthatithasservedasthemostvisible,accessibleandlastingvoiceoftheadulteducationdisciplineinAustralia—theflagshipoftheprofession.Asthevoiceofadulteducation,itisinformativetoexaminetheproportionsofarticles
Through the looking glass 33
focusingonphilosophy/theory,lifelonglearning/education,historyandinternationalmatters.
Philosophy/theory (20%) and lifelong learning/education (18%)
Philosophy/theoryhasalwaysbeenafocusinthejournal,thoughthedeclinefromthemid-1970sisaninterestingandconcerningtrend(Figure3).Toacertainextentthismaybeexplainedbythegreateremphasisonresearch-basedarticles,ratherthanrelyingmerelyontheoreticalviewpointsandopinionpieces.Durstonnotedinanearlyreviewofthejournalthat
therehasbeenanemphasisoninquiryandpublicationbutverylittleresearchandexperiment...thefactremainsthatthereareexceedinglyfewstudieswhichmeetthecanonsofadequateresearch.Therehasbeenlittlesystematicattempttoisolateandinvestigateparticularproblemsscientifically.(1967:5)
Thedeclinemayalsoreflectthevocationalisationofthefield,especiallythevocationallyorientednatureofadulteducationwithintheneweruniversitiesprimarilyconcernedwithdevelopmentofpost-schooleducators.Thiscanbecontrastedwiththefirstfewdecades,whenthedisciplinewasintenselydebatedastheassociationestablisheditself,asitbecameveryinvolvedwithinternationaladulteducationdevelopments,andasarticleswerewrittenbyacademicsindepartmentsofadulteducationwhosecorebusinesswasthestudyofthediscipline.AsBrennanreflected,‘[t]hereweremanyheatedargumentsintheearlydaysonwhat“adulteducation”wasandthereforewhatitwasthatwasbeingadvocated’(2001:377).Rossell,likemanyothersofthistime,lamentedtheneglectofadulteducationintheMartinReportof1964,andsuccinctlysummarisedthedisappointmentinthisway:
Thechallengefacedbyadulteducationtodayisinfacttobridgethegulfbetweenthetheoryofcontinuingeducationandpractice;ifwefailtobridgethegulf,thenwedeservetheobscuritywithwhichtheMartinReporthasshroudedus.(1966:13)
34 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Smith,forexample,believedthat‘theterm“adulteducation”hastendedtobeusedalmostexclusivelyforgeneralenlightenment,hobbyandrecreationclassesandnon-vocationalstudies…[andthat]thisisfartoonarrowaconcept’(1968:69).Ayearlater,Duke,inclaimingthat‘adulteducationhasbeendubbed“therapyfornormals”’(1969:105),compiledaremarkablepieceofprescience:
Butsolongasimmediatelyneededinformationortechniquesappearmorenecessarythanteachinghowtothink,Ifearthatcontinuingeducationwilltaketheformofshort-termtechnicalinstructioninawiderangeoffields,withold-styleadulteducationasakindofsocialandpersonalfringebenefit.Itwillprobablybeonlyafterbitterexperienceofredundancy,unemployability,employeeandmanagerialinflexibilityinthefaceofinnovation,andoftheeconomicandsocialcostsofthese,thattheneedforcontinuingeducationratherthanjustforad hocshotsofreinstructionwillberecognised.(p.106)
Butevenby1978,Roothcouldlamentthedeclineinthestudyofadulteducationasadiscipline:
theformalstudyofthetheoryandpracticeofcontinuingeducationisregrettablymissingintheAustralianscene…ItmustbeacknowledgedthatinAustraliacontinuingeducationisstillintheprocessofemergingbothasadisciplineandasaprofession.Itlackssomeofthedefinitiveconceptsandprecisionthatgiveformtoadiscipline.(1978:39–40)
Aroundthistime,withspecificreferencetolearningtheory,Corsonpronouncedthat‘anymentionoflearningtheoryinadulteducationcanproducemiscarriagesamongstfemaletutorsandprematureimpotenceamongstthemales’(1976:73–74)!Debatesovertheverynatureofadulteducationhavecontinuedunabated,withSmithstillaskingin1983:
Whatexactlyisadulteducation;whodoesit;howdotheydoit;whodotheydoitfor—andwhy?Anappealtoadulteducators
Through the looking glass 35
(whoevertheymaybe)tocloseranksandstopbickeringdoeslittletohelpthemtoanswerthisalmostimpossiblequestion.(1983:19)
TheviewofthesituationthiscenturywasneatlyencapsulatedbyMcIntyre,whowrotethat‘adulteducationwasdefinedasthenegativeotherofvocationalworth—asnon-award,non-vocational,non-accreditedlearningfor“leisureandpersonalenrichment”’(2001:65).
Figure 3: Percentages of articles on philosophy/theory and lifelong learning/education
Oneprominentandtangibleexpressionofthephilosophicalapproachisthetrendinpublishingonlifelonglearning/education.Theclearpeakinthefirsthalfofthe1970sillustratestheintensefocusatthattimeinternationallyonthenotionoflifelongeducation,promotedinthepublicationLearning to be‘asthemasterconceptforeducationalpoliciesintheyearstocomeforbothdevelopedanddevelopingcountries’(Faureetal.,1972:182)andenergeticallyfosteredbyUNESCO.Emphasesontheimportanceoftheindividuallearnerandlearningoccurringinawidevarietyofcontextsandsettingswereespeciallyappealingtoadulteducators.Encapsulatedinthisnotionweresuchprinciplesas:‘Everyindividualmustbeinapositiontokeeplearningthroughouthis[sic]life.Theideaoflifelongeducationisthekeystoneofthelearningsociety’(p.181)and‘Educationshould
36 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
bedispensedandacquiredthroughamultiplicityofmeans.Theimportantthingisnotthepathanindividualhasfollowed,butwhathe[sic]haslearnedoracquired’(p.185).Inthiscountry,theKanganReport(TAFE,1974)shortlyafterwasstronglyimbuedwiththisphilosophy.
Thenotionoflifelonglearninghasbeenresurrectedinrecentyears,thoughmorestronglywithaneconomicflavour.AsBrownwrote,‘untilveryrecently,thesecondwaveofthelifelonglearningdebateconcentratedalmostentirelyontheeconomicbenefitsofeducationreform’(2000:12).Somewritersinthejournalhavetakenacriticalapproach.Clark,forinstance,warnedthat‘inthecontestedgroundoflifelonglearning,therearerealriskswhenoneinterestgroupgainshegemonicascendency’(2000:144),andSanguinettibelievedthat‘Akindofmissionaryzealexudesfromtheideathatlifelonglearningwillsolvetheindividual,national,economicandsocialproblemsofourtime’(2000:1).Cruikshankcontinuedthedebateovertheeconomicpredominanceintheconcept:
Wemustchallengethecurrentfocusoftheneweconomyandthewaythatlifelonglearninghasbeenshapedtofitintothiseconomy.Lifelonglearningmustbemorethana‘competitiveadvantage’inajobsearch,andameansfordisplacingothersinthejobmarket.Itmustbenefitboththewholepersonandthebroadercommunity.Wemustre-thinkthevalueoflifelonglearningasitiscurrentlyconstructedandworktowardpromotinglifelonglearningpoliciesandpracticesthatwillimprovethequalityoflifeforpeople—asworkersandascitizens.(2003:20)
International matters (16%) and history (7%)
Thejournalhasalwaysmaintainedakeeninterestininternationalmatters,evidentintheproportionofarticlesfocusingoninternationalthemes(Figure4).Suchinterestwasgreatest,notunsurprisingly,intheearlydaysofthejournal,whenthoseinthefledglingassociationoftenlookedoverseasatinitiativesanddevelopmentsinothercountriesandastheAustralianadulteducationleadersplayeda
Through the looking glass 37
significantroleininternationaladulteducationactivities.Suchafocusoninternationalmattersisanimportantindicatorofthehealthofthejournal,inthatitdemonstratesthatithasnotbeenoverlylocalisedinitsinterestsandhascontinuedtoacceptarticlesfromoverseaswritersinformingAustraliansofeducationalactivitiesandtrendsinotherregions.
Figure 4: Percentages of articles on international and historical issues
Thefluctuatingpatternofpublishingonhistoricalmattersrevealsanumberofpeaksofinterestoverthehalfcentury.Thereweremanyarticlesinthefoundingyears(1960s)oftheassociationandthejournal,thenanotherresurgenceinthelatterhalfofthe1980swhentrainingreformwasbeginningtobedebatedseriouslyfollowingtheKirbyReport(Kirby,1985)andtheannouncementoftheCBTimperativebyministerialdecreein1989,andtheSenate(1991)inquiryintotheACEsectorstimulatedpublishinginterest.
A reflection of significant national events and trends
Thethirdroleofthejournalisthatithasprovidedareflectionofsignificantnationaleventsandtrends.Wecanseethis,forexample,inthehistoriesofthethreepost-schoolsectors,andinmanyofthe
38 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
issuesembracedinthepublicationsuchasliteracy/basicskills,regional/ruralmattersandtechnology.
The three post-school sectors (voc. ed. 19%; ACE 17%; and HE 14%)
Figure5illustratestheproportionsofarticlespublishedinthejournalthatrelatetothethreepost-schoolsectorsofadultandcommunityeducation(ACE),highereducation(HE),andvocationaleducationandtraining(VET).TheearlydominanceofpublicationsonHEdemonstratesthepre-eminenceoftheuniversitysectorinadulteducationinthe1960sandearly70s.TheAustralianAssociationofAdultEducationwasestablishedbystaffindepartmentsofadulteducationintheseuniversities.Sincethentwosignificanttrendsbecomeevidentinthefigure.OneistheincreasingnumberofarticlesonACEespeciallyinthesecondhalfofthe1980sasthetwoAustralianassociationsforadulteducationandcommunityeducationgrewcloserandultimatelyamalgamatedin1989tobecometheAustralianAssociationofAdultandCommunityEducation(thischangebeingreflectedinthenewnameofthejournal)andhighlightingthestrengthofinvolvementofthecommunityandneighbourhousemovementatthattime.Thisflurryofactivitywasreflectedinrenewedpublishing.Thesecondmarkedtrendistheincreasing‘vocationalisation’ofthetertiarysector(includingadultandcommunityeducation)fromtheearly1980ssothattheproportionofarticleswithavocationaleducationflavourrosesharply,peakinginthemidtolate1990s.Bythebeginningofthenewcentury,Merlyncouldwriteconcerning:
thepervasivenessofthefundingpressuresonsmallcommunityorganisationstovocationalisetheircurricula.Indeed,adulteducationhashadthegroundunderitshiftedsofarintothevocationalistcamp,eventhosewhoalignthemselveswiththestatusquoarebeginningtorealisethatwiththelossofethicalpractice,criticaldevelopmentandlearnervolition,liberaldemocracyitselfisunderthreat.(2001:309)
Through the looking glass 39
Figure 5: Percentages of articles relating to the three post-school sectors
Literacy/basic skills (8%)
Fromthemid-1970s,therewasamarkedriseintheproportionofarticlespublishedonliteracy,andanothersmallerincreasefromtheearly1990s(Figure6).ThistrendcorrespondswiththeexpansionofTAFEfollowingtheKanganReport(TAFE,1974),withitsemphasisondevelopmentoftheindividualandthegrowthincommunitycolleges,andsubsequentlywithfederalgovernmentpoliciesrequiringliteracyprogramstobeincludedasanessentialpartofretrainingandupgradingexistingskills—forexample,theNationalPolicyonLanguagesin1987,theAustralianLanguageandLiteracyPolicyin1991andtheNationalCollaborativeAdultEnglishLanguageandLiteracyStrategyin1993.Theconsequenceofsuchemphasiswas‘areframingofadultliteracyandnumeracyprogramsawayfromliteracyforsocialpurposestowardsliteracyforproductivity,fornationaleconomicgoals’(Castleton&McDonald,2002:5).
40 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Figure 6: Percentages of articles relating to literacy and basic skills
Regional/rural issues (8%) and technology (6%)
Thepatternforpublicationsonregionalandruralmattersisasteadystream,withincreasinginterestfromthe1990s(Figure7).Fromearlywritingsonsuchsubjectsasagriculturalextensionandruraladulteducation,thefocusshiftedlatertowardsruralhealthissuesandlearningcommunitiesinregionalareas.Thisrisecorrespondswithincreasingpoliticalinterestinregions,aswellastheincreaseininternationalarticles,particularlyfromcountrieslikeIndiaandNigeriawhereruralissueswereunderstandablytopicsofintenseresearchinterest.AspecialissueontheMurray-DarlingBasininNovember2009alsogeneratedanincreaseinthenumberofarticlesinthiscategory.
Through the looking glass 41
Figure 7: Percentages of articles with a focus on regional/rural and technology issues
Interestintechnologyhasalsobeensteadyoverthelifeofthejournal,withapeakintheearlypartofthiscentury.Naturally,whatcountsastechnologyhaschangedmarkedlyovertime.Earlyconceptsoftechnologywereconcernedwithradio,audiovisualsandtelevision.WhileKristeracknowledgedthat‘theselectionofmediaforteachingisatasksurroundedbymystiqueanduncertainty’,thissameauthor,commentingontheroleoftechnologyinadulteducation,observedthat‘abadlectureisstillabadlecturenomatterhowmanytechnologicalgadgetsituses’(1980:24).Gradually,computerskills(oftenforlater-lifelearners),computer-basedlearning,satellitetechnology,theinternet,podcastingandonlinelearningenvironmentsbecameimportanttopicsfordiscussion.
A mirror of the knowledge base of the discipline and its issues
Thefourthsignificantroleofthejournalhasbeentoactasamirrorofthediscipline’sknowledgebaseanditsissuesastheychangeovertime.Whathasbeenthepatternofpublishingoverthefiftyyearsonitscoreareasoflearning,teaching,evaluationandcurriculum?Thefollowinggraphsprovideinsightsintothesethemes.
42 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Teachers (17%) and learners (25%)
Understandably,giventhenatureofadultandcommunityeducation,highproportionsofarticleshavefocusedonteachersandlearners(Figure8).Inthe1960s,theemphasiswasontheeducatorsratherthanthelearners;Wendellamentedin1974
ourinadequateunderstandingofhowpeoplelearn.Wehavenotyetclosedthegapbetweenourviewsofteachingmethodandourunderstandingofwhatactuallyoccursinlearning…whatisneededinadulteducationisalearningmethod,notateachingmethod.(1974:4)
Forthenexttwentyyears,thesetwothemesbegantofollowremarkablysimilartrajectories.However,bythelater1980s,learnershadclearlybecomethekeyandsustainedfocus,tothepointwherecurrentlythreetimesmorearticlesconcentrateonlearnersthanteachers.Thisshiftoverthepasttwodecadesmaywellbelinkedtoagreaterfocusonequitygroupsandtheirlearningneeds,aswellasonthelearningapproachesmostappropriateforthosestudyingwithincompetency-basedprograms.Theroles,characteristicsandcapabilitiesofeducatorshavereceiveddecreasinginterest,especiallywiththeadventofcompetency-basedprogramsandwiththepredominanceoftheCertificateIV(intrainingandassessment)thathasbeendeemedtobesufficienttrainingforeducatorroles.
Through the looking glass 43
Figure 8: Percentages of articles on teachers and learners
Evaluation (15%) and curriculum (6%)
Theevauationthemeexhibitsafluctuatingtrendwith,interestingly,higherinterestthancurriculum(Figure9).Thegradualrisefromtheearly1990snodoubtcanbeexplainedbytheincreasingpressforaccountabilityineducationgenerally,andinparticularinthiscontextintheadultandcommunityeducationandvocationaleducationsectors.Thedemandforevidenceofoutcomeshasbeenfeltstronglyinthesesectors.Incontrast,therehasbeenasteadyinterestincurriculumoverthehalfcentury.Theheightofwritingoncurriculumwasinthelate1970sandinthe80s,andwhatismoststrikinginthetrendinFigure9isthedropinarticlesdealingwithcurriculumfromthelate1980s.ThiscoincidesexactlywiththeintroductionoftheNationalTrainingReformAgendawithitsemphasisoncompetency-basedtrainingandthedevelopmentofcompetencystandards,andfromthemid-90swhereemphasiswasontrainingpackagesinplaceofcurriculum.Thosepublishingpapersgravitatedtothesetopicsratherthancurriculumper se.
44 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Figure 9: Percentages of articles with a focus on evaluation and curriculum
Formal (7%) and informal/non-formal learning (14%)
Thedisciplinehasseenamarkedriseininterestininformal/non-formallearning,stimulatedbyresearchinto,inter alia,thenotionofsituatedlearning,workplacesaslearningsites,andlearninginnon-formalorganisations.Thisrisehasbeenreflectedinliteratureandresearch.Thepatternforthisjournalconfirmsthepopularityofpublishinginthisareavis-à-visformallearning(Figure10).
Figure 10: Percentages of articles on formal and informal learning
Through the looking glass 45
Blakelythoughtinthemid-70sthat‘non-formaleducationisanideawhosetimeforimplementationhascome,thoughthescholarlyframeworkneededtopropagateandextendthatideaislagging’(1976:11),andcertainlyduringthe1980stheproportionofarticlesrosesubstantially.Atcentury’sturn,Clarkidentifiedthat‘theviewthattheonly“reallearning”isaccredited,competency-basedandvocationallyfocusedhasbeenunderchallengeforsometime’(2000:143).Yetthejuryappearstoremainoutonitsvalueandcredibility.MasonandRandalllamentedthat‘fewadulteducatorshavebeenabletoconvincegovernmentsthatnon-formaladulteducationprovidesvocationalandlifeskillsandshouldbeaswellsupportedasformalvocationaleducationandtraining’(1992:179).Someyearslater,Whytewroteinsimilarveinthat‘generallyspeakinggovernmentsdonotregardnon-formal,informal,ornon-crediteducationaspriorities’(1987:6).Stillby2009theviewcouldbearticulatedthat‘informalityinthecontextofeducationandparticularlyadultlearningiscurrentlyundervaluedineconomicterms’(Golding,Brown&Foley2009:48).
Methods/methodologies (7%)
Whilenotasustainedpatternofinterest,thereweretwodistinctburstsonthistheme(Figure11).Thefirstwasinthesecondhalfofthe1970s;thiswasanerawhenself-pacingwasatitsheight,self-enhancementgroupswerepopularasamethod,mathsmethodswerebeingdebated,andopenlearningandpersonalisedlearningwerebeginningtobemuchdiscussed.Articlesappearedonallthesetopics.Thesecondflurrywasinthefirsthalfofthe1990s,withpaperspublishedonfeminismandinclusivemethodologies,usingmetaphors,suggestopedicmethodsinlanguagecourses,managingorganisationalchange,RPLmethodologiesandteamteaching.Someofthepapersonthistopicrelatedtoresearchratherthanteaching.
46 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
Figure 11: Percentages of articles on methods and methodology
Thefivethemesleastpublished(referredtoinTable6)allhaverelativelyflatpatternsoverthefiftyyears(andsofigureshavenotbeenincludedhereforspacereasons).However,theydoreflectsomeinterestingtrends,thoughminorintermsofnumbersofpublishedarticles.
Gender (4%).Thepatternforpapersconcentratingongenderissuesrevealsarelativelylateinterest.Therewasasteadyrisefromtheearly1970s,asharperriseduringthe80sandapeakinthefirsthalfofthe90s.Suchincreasinginterestisprobablylinkedtotheincreasingproportionsofwomenauthorsandtheincreasingsocialandpoliticalawarenessofgenderissues.Thepeakreflectsaguest-edited,specialissueongenderinApril1994.
Indigenous issues (4%). ThevolumeofpublishingonIndigenousissueshasremainedsurprisinglylow,throughrelativelysteady,withminorpeaksofinterestinthelate1960sandagainfromthe80s.TheserisesnodoubtreflectsucheventsastheofficialrecognitionofIndigenousAustraliansin1967,theinterestsurroundingtheMabocasein1992andtheincreasinginterestinandintenseconcernforAboriginaleducationandhealththroughthe1980sand90s.
Through the looking glass 47
Bridging/foundation education (3% of articles).Thistopichasnotgeneratedmuchinterestamongthosepublishinginthisjournal.Twoproductiveperiodswereinsecondhalfofthe1970sandfirsthalfofthe2000s.PaperswerepublishedonbridgingprogramsattheUniversityofNewcastleandUniversityofWesternSydneyintheearlierperiod,whileaguest-edited,specialissueonenablingeducationinNovember2004helpstoaccountfortheriseinthesecondperiod.
Competency (2%).Thisthemewasanotherlatedeveloper,withlittletonointerestinpublishingonthisthemeuntiltheearly1990s.Followingsomeinterestatthistimeasthereformagendafocuseddebateonthenatureofcompetence,thenumberofarticlesfellawayinthelater1990sandearly2000sastheseissuesbecamemoreembeddedandfascinationwithdebatingcompetency-basedtrainingwaned.Later,concernsoverthemuchpublicisedskillsshortagesandfinancialcrisesfromthemid-2000sregeneratedsomeinterestinarticlesrelatedtoskillsdevelopment.
The environment (2%). Interestinpublishingonenvironmentalissuesisanevenlaterphenomenonthanforgender.Nopaperspriortothe1990swerecategorisedashavingafocusonthistheme;therewereafewthroughthe90s,andsincetheearly2000stherehasbeenincreasedpublishingactivity,correspondingtothegreateremphasisinsocietyandgovernmentongreenissues.Aguest-editedspecialissueontheMurray-DarlingBasininNovember2009explainsthesharpriseatthattime.
Conclusion
InthispaperwehaveanalysedfourkeyrolesoftheAustralian Journal of Adult Learningoveritsfiftyyearsofhistory,andillustratedtheshiftingpatternsoverthisperiodinauthorshipandcontent.Analysisofauthorshiprevealsadramaticriseintheproportionoffemaleauthors(from10%to59%),aliftinthe
48 Roger Harris and Anne Morrison
proportionofinternationalcontributors(from14%to30%),asustainedhighlevelofauthorshipfromNewSouthWales(averageof37%),anincreaseinthepercentageofcontributorsaffiliatedwithuniversities(from64%to77%)andamarkedtrendtowardsmultipleauthorship(from1.0to1.7authors).Analysisofthe22contentthemesillustrateshowtheprimefocushasbeen,appropriatelyforthistypeofjournal,onstudents/learners(25%),followedbyphilosophy/theory(20%),vocationaleducation(19%),lifelonglearning(18%),adult/communityeducation(17%)andteaching(17%).
Thejournalhascontinuedtomakeasubstantialcontributiontothecauseofadulteducationinthiscountry,providingamouthpieceandconduitfortheassociationanditsprofessionwhichhas:
• linkedadulteducators,bothintellectuallyandintermsofcommunication,whowereotherwisegeographicallyscatteredandnumericallythin,and
• contributedtothelegitimatingofadulteducationasadisciplineinAustralia.
Ithasprovidedtheopportunityformanytohavetheirfirstpaperpublishedinanacademicjournal.Furthermore,thejournalhasservedasaformofprofessionaldevelopmentforadulteducatorsacrossthecountry,encouragingdebateaboutgoalsandhowtoachievethem,actingas‘amediumforvigorous,independentthoughtaboutadulteducationanditsproblems’(Durston1968:81)andprovidingvaluableinformationonnationalandinternationalinitiativesanddevelopments.
Whiledebateshavecontinuedtorageovertheverynatureofadulteducationanditschangingroleinsociety,andwhileauthorsovertimehavelamenteditsshortcomings(aswellascelebrateditssuccesses),theeditors’toilhasnotbeeninvain.Theirefforts,combinedwiththoseofallthe1100authorsoverthistimewho
Through the looking glass 49
contributedwhattheyperceivedassignificantineachdecade,haveleftapowerfullegacy.FromHannaclaimingintheearlyyearsthat‘adulteducation[had]notachievedarecognisedstandinginthiscountry’(1965:3),Morriswasabletopronounce45yearslaterthat‘thestoryofadulteducation,inAustraliaaselsewhere,hasbeencharacterisedbyafightforformalrecognition’andthat‘suchrecognition…hasnowlargelybeenachieved’(2010:556).Inthis‘fight’,thejournalhasplayedasignificantpart,astheevidenceinthispapersuggests.However,thefuturecanneverbeassured.Brennan,aformereditor,hadwrittenadecadeearlierthat
OrganisationsliketheALA[AdultLearningAustralia]arenotguaranteedafuture.Thereislittlepointplanningforthe50thbirthday—althoughifitdoesarrive,let’shopetherecordsoftheorganisationwillbeavailableforthenewermemberstoconsultandreadabout.(2001:388)
Thatfiftiethbirthdayhasnowpassed,andtheAustralian Journal of Adult Learningcontinuestoplayitsroleinprovidingoneessentialformofrecordforposterity.
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About the authors
Dr Roger Harris is a Professor in the School of Education and Director in the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work, University of South Australia. He has extensive experience in VET teacher education and VET research, with a focus on national training reform. Recently he was director of the national research consortium supporting VET providers in building capability for the future. Current professional activities include the South Australian Training and Skills Commission; Program Leader in the CRC for Rail Innovation; the academic board of a private provider; and Visiting Research Fellow in the Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore for three months.
Dr Anne Morrison is a Research Assistant at the School of Education, University of South Australia.
Contact details
ProfRogerHarris,SchoolofEducation,UniversityofSouthAustralia,MawsonLakes,SA5095Tel:0883026246Fax:0883026239Email:[email protected]
DrAnneMorrison,SchoolofEducation,UniversityofSouthAustralia,MawsonLakes,SA5095Tel:0883026217Email:[email protected]