Redefining Adult Education in England: A Grounded Complexity Analysis of the Transition from Civil Duty to Economic Imperative (1903-2023)

Barrell, Emily (2025) Redefining Adult Education in England: A Grounded Complexity Analysis of the Transition from Civil Duty to Economic Imperative (1903-2023). Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This thesis argues that the evolution of adult education's purpose and function in England over the past 120 years has been shaped by a persistent ideological shift from civic and holistic aims towards market-driven imperatives. It focuses on the influence of dominant political and social ideologies on the sector, particularly neoliberalism and New Public Management, in refining the sector's goals and practices. By analysing historical policy documents, including the 1919 Final Report, the 1973 Russell Report, and the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act debates in conjunction with practitioner interviews, the research demonstrates how these key policy moments embedded ideological change within civil and state society, as well as the adult education sector.

Through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and document analysis within a Grounded Complexity Analytical Framework, the research investigates the practical and ideological tensions that emerge from the normalisation of performative management in and of adult education. It reveals the dynamic interplay between hegemony and counter-hegemony, illustrating how organisations and practitioners within the sector respond to neoliberal pressures. The findings reveal the evolving professional identities of adult practitioners and their ethical navigation and resistance to performative cultures.

This research offers an original contribution by developing the Grounded Complexity Framework (GCF) to analyse ideological entanglement in adult education. It highlights the importance of utilising such a framework to promote a deeper understanding of the complexity of adult education. It advocates for a nuanced, value-driven, and politically aware dialogue about how the purpose of adult education aligns with the broader needs of society. The implications for practitioners, policy development, and the broader educational landscape are critically assessed, arguing that reclaiming civic purpose is essential to resisting further erosion of democratic and relational aims, to provide insights into creating a more equitable and reflective adult education system.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	12 Aug 2025 08:42
Last Modified:	12 Aug 2025 08:42
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100128
DOI:

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