Cover -- Contents -- International and comparative perspectives in the field of professionalisation (Wolfgang Jütte, Susanne Lattke) -- Introduction -- International work and comparison in adult education -- Challenges related to international work -- The language issue -- The transfer problem -- Prospects for further comparative research and introduction to this volume -- References -- Structures and Concepts -- The professionalisation of adult education in Ireland. An exploration of the current discourse, debate and policy developments (Helen Murphy) -- Abstract -- The historical development and policy context of adult education in Ireland -- European policy developments -- European policy: a more in-depth view -- A historical perspective on professionalisation -- Professionalisation of adult education: concept and issues -- Professionalisation of adult education: actors and structures -- Conclusion -- References -- Professionalisation: Issues, meanings and ways in the French context (Richard Wittorski) -- Abstract -- Introduction -- 1 The issues and the meaning of professionalisation through some significant research on professionalisation in France -- 1.1 Economic, social, demographic and organisational changes are behind the strong push for professionalisation -- Some trends observed -- Social challenges resulting from today's changes -- 1.2 Changing or emerging professions: activity professionalisation -- Jobs or activities evolving in profoundly changing sectors -- The creation of new activities -- 2 A new interest in the way individuals learn outside school and in places explicitly dedicated to learning: individual "professional development professionalisation" -- 2.1 Professional development requires that skills are incorporated into action and that a hierarchy of the said skills develops.

2.2 Professional development requires experiential development -- 2.3 Professional development by the self, others and things -- 2.4 The development of individuals is fostered by co-determination and co-transformation between the activity and the individual in action -- 3 The ways of professionalisation -- References -- Insights from Germany: Theoretical models of professional knowledge and their relevance for empirical research (Joachim Ludwig, Stephanie Günther) -- Introduction -- Professionalism: Concepts of professional actions -- Pedagogical knowledge as the basis for professional action - between general and professional knowledge -- Models of professional pedagogical knowledge - a proposal for a framework -- The layer of subjective theories and convictions -- The layer of pedagogical knowledge of action -- The layer of specific expertise -- Layer of contextual knowledge -- The outlook: On the empirical research on pedagogical knowledge -- References -- Professional cultures and a new conceptualisation of profession. Theoretical contributions to professionalisation of adult education (Petra Heidegred Steiner) -- Abstract -- Impulse from practical work within the Austrian adult education -- Professional cultures -- Professional culture(s): the concept in adult education -- Professional culture(s): the concept in other disciplines -- Professional cultures as social worlds based on cultural patterns -- Professional cultures by drawing maps of social worlds within arenas -- Thoughts surrounding a new conceptualisation of profession -- Conclusions -- References -- Professional Studies and Training -- Academic professionalisation in Master's programmes in adult and continuing education. Towards an internationally comparative research design (Regina Egetenmeyer, Ingeborg Schüßler) -- Abstract -- 1. Perspectives on academic professionalisation.

2. Empirical results on academic professionalisation in Germany -- 2.1 Development of adult and continuing education in Germany -- 2.2 Curriculum structures in adult and continuing education -- 2.3 Students and graduates in adult and continuing education -- 3. Arguments for internationally comparative research -- 4. Research question and indicators -- 5. Explorative data collection -- Semi-structured interview study -- Survey study -- Further development of the survey -- 6. Perspectives -- References -- From professional studies to learning experiences - creating learning possibilities for adult educators (Katrin Karu, Larissa Jõgi) -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Theoretical consideration -- Learning self and self-concept -- Methods -- Sample -- Data analysis -- Stages of the analysis -- Findings and discussion -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- An international core curriculum for the training of adult educators: Curriculum globALE. Professionalisation between convergence and diversity (Susanne Lattke) -- Abstract -- Introduction - the global call for professionalisation -- Background to the Curriculum globALE project -- Aims and development of Curriculum globALE (CG) -- Structure and principles of Curriculum globALE -- Implementing and adapting Curriculum globALE -- Prioritisation of learning objectives -- Prioritisation of topics -- Selection of material and literature -- Integration of practice -- Selection of teaching methods -- Designing the training format -- Creating elective modules -- Curriculum globALE between convergence and diversity -- Outlook -- References -- Competencies and Profiles -- Identification of key comparable professional competences for adult educators in the European context. A proposed model framework (Georgios K. Zarifis, Achilleas Papadimitriou) -- Abstract.

Introduction: the current debate on professionalisation of adult educators in Europe -- "Professionals" without a profession: reframing the current debate under the light of a "competence profiling" agenda -- A proposed model framework for identifying key comparable professional competences for adult educators based on capacity building perspective -- Discussion -- References -- Adult education teachers' pedagogical-psychological knowledge. Potential elements and test development (Christian Marx, Annika Goeze, Josef Schrader) -- Abstract -- 1 Teachers' competence and learners' performance -- 2 Existing instruments referring to adult education teachers' knowledge and competences -- 2.1 Inquiry based models on adult education teachers' knowledge and competences -- 2.2 Self- and peer-assessment instruments for adult education teachers -- 2.3 Self-assessment instruments for adult educators -- 2.4 Interim conclusion regarding the introduced models and instruments -- 3 PPK and its potential elements as one dimension of teacher competence -- 4 Test development: assessing PPK -- 4.1 What kind of knowledge is PPK? -- 4.2 Different possibilities to assess teacher quality, knowledge and competence -- 4.3 Item example assessing PPK -- 5 Further steps in the test construction and advantages of the test instrument -- References -- Making program planning more visible: what to do when they don't know what they don't know (Bernd Käpplinger, Thomas J. Sork) -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Curricula, standards and program planning -- Possible explanations for the neglect of program planning -- 1. The fragility of the academic field of adult education and its lack of a unique terminology -- 2. The economic challenge: from educational planning to universal management -- 3. Utopian thought and normative thinking in adult education: the extraordinary versus daily practice.

4. The divergent nature of adult education from other educational fields: curriculum versus program -- 5. The critiques of technical-rational planning approaches and a focus on power and interests -- 6. Different contexts/sites of practice and the role of program planning -- Putting models into practice: How to teach program planning -- Key points for teaching program planning -- Outlook and the need for more real international collaboration -- References -- What creates and regulates access to the adult education profession? A research project on recruiting practices (Annika Goeze, Dorett Schneider) -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Theoretical background -- Method -- Outlook -- Acknowledgement -- References -- List of Contributors.