2026-02-11
J. Adam Perry, Robin` Neustaeter, Myriam Zaidi
As we share this Fall 2025 issue of the Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education , we find ourselves reflecting on the tensions, possibilities, and everyday practices that continue to define adult education in a moment marked by global displacement, ideological polarization, ecological urgency, and ongoing questions of social justice. As always, the journal’s vitality rests not only on scholarly contribution but also on collective commitments to care, reflexivity, and to the diverse learning worlds that adults inhabit. This issue showcases those commitments through research and reflection stretching across communities and sectors.
2026-02-11
Milagros Calderon Moya, Domenique Sherab, Arianne Maraj, Ratna Ghosh
Young adult Syrians who arrived in Canada with ‘disrupted education’ in recent years are in a vulnerable position as they are transitioned into an education sector designed for independent and self-directed adults. This study examines how Syrian refugee young adults’ agency and freedoms are supported in the adult education (AE) sector in Quebec. Specifically, how do they navigate the AE system to achieve their educational goals? How do they perceive the progress of their learning in the AE system? Data were collected from 10 Syrian students (18-24 years) through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Findings revealed that despite their strong self-motivation and drive to achieve their educational goals, these students are vulnerable due to several factors, among them, the different methods of teaching in Syria and unfamiliarity with independent teaching methods in AE in Quebec that make it difficult to navigate this new system, all whilst having to learn new languages.
2026-02-11
Anna Zagrebina
Teaching multicultural groups of adult learners has become a widespread practice in immigrant-receiving countries. However, not enough was said about the practical strategies for managing these groups, where all the participants may have different cultural values and, consequently, very different ideas about the educational process and the roles of a student and an instructor in it. This article, therefore, presents an effective strategy for creating a supportive learning environment while working with adult immigrant learners from different countries. This approach was developed and tested in practice over years of working with such groups of students in linguistic integration courses in Quebec and can be summarized as follows: treat students on a human level and avoid emphasizing their cultural identity in the educational process.
2026-02-11
Ludovic Joxe
The non completion of a thesis can be explained by institutional or individual factors; nonetheless, several works note the presence of conflict between doctoral students and supervisors, sometimes extending to physical and psychological bullying on the part of the supervisor. Based on a monograph specific to France, the present article seeks to study a dysfunctional doctoral supervision relationship through the lens of care. This approach first highlights the multiple facets of dependency a doctoral candidate is subject to, then examines the supervisor’s power to eliminate this dependency through care or to instead reinforce it or even abuse it through a lack of attention termed “discare”. Finally, it explores the ambivalent importance of transfers of care within university and friendship networks, called “substitution care”. The underlying implication throughout the monograph seeks to point out the social reproduction in which the French doctoral institution is complicit by selecting, among the doctoral candidates suffering from discare, the ones that are more privileged while excluding those most vulnerable.
2026-02-11
J. Adam Perry
2026-02-11
Myriam Zaidi
2026-02-11
Denneisha Griffin, Pierre Walter
As adult educators in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, public health workers and those with lived experience of drug use create supportive environments and educational programs that foster harm reduction and community empowerment to address the Opioid Crisis. Using Community Empowerment theory as its conceptual framework and an Appreciative Inquiry with public health experts as its methodology, this research study contributes to understanding community-led adult education initiatives for marginalised adults, specifically in public health education. Through this exploration, we examine the working relationships and aspects of community culture, public education, social media and cell phone apps employed for education, communication, and life-saving tools to promote positive social change. Findings provide an overview of the educational work currently being done by public health adult educators, the community, and activist users of drugs and highlight the need to address social determinants of healthcare, including systemic oppression and access to internet technology for community empowerment.
2026-02-11
Evelyne Mottais, Rachel Bélisle, Sabruna Dorceus
Devices for the recognition of prior learning are promoted as a means of contributing to social justice towards disadvantaged populations, including adults without a diploma. This article aims to examine, from a social justice perspective, the pathway of recognition of prior learning in vocational educational training (RPL-VET), of adults without a diploma, from entry into the process to obtaining a diploma of vocational studies. The capability approach is used. Using administrative data, the results of comparative analyses show that RPL has the potential to contribute to more social justice under certain conditions.
2026-02-11
Lawrence White