Exploring learning contexts : implications for access, learning carreers and identities

International audienceThe concept of learning contexts is underpinned by different theoretical approaches and is open to a range of meanings in adult education. On the one hand, we can think about learning contexts as a phenomenon distributed across the social order of educational institutions, the workplace, home or community: they are embedded in practices. On the other hand, the learning context can be seen as an outcome of activity or a set of practices itself. At another level it is important to consider that the notion of lifewide learning and the distinction between formal/non-formal/informal learning are not universally accepted. Different scholars have warned that if the whole of life becomes “pedagogised" many aspects belonging to the private sphere are at risk of being exposed to external scrutiny, evaluation and intervention with related issues of power and control. Furthermore a vision in which learning contexts are everywhere, without a general agreement on their specificity risks to reduce the concept to an empty signifier without real meaning and significance. This raises questions of: What is specific to a learning context which is not to be found in other contexts? And who names these contexts as learning contexts? This e-book offers different perspectives to face these questions. Developed from the ESREA Access, Learning Careers and Identities Network conference “Exploring Learning Contexts: Implications For Access, Learning Careers And Identities,” the book presents in 6 sections and 20 chapters the contributions of 36 contributors from Europe, Australia, Canada and India some complementary answers to these complex questions. The Conference was held 2-4 November 2017 in Rennes (Brittany), with the support of ESREA, of the University Rennes 2 and the involvement of the doctoral students in Adult Education of the research team CREAD