Educational Sciences

The IBW presents the work of the Department of Adult Education/Education Counselling, which was formed in 2001. Its main research areas are “Further Education and Biography” (own scientific series) and “Women’s Research and Gender Studies” (own scientific series with additional editors). At the centre of scientific interest is the relevance of biographical learning to the development of a professional self-concept in adult educators, especially in leading positions and in educational counselling. A textbook compiled by the Department on Educational Counselling was published in 2010.
Several research projects began in 2010 on subjects including gender aspects of implementation and accreditation of BA and MA programmes, and female professors. In December 2009, the Department (Professor Ekkehard Nuissl) took part in the “Learning Cultures in Adult Education” International Course of Lectures 2009/10. This was followed in February 2010 by a conference on the theme of “Open Future by Loss of Experience – the Generation and Gender Relationship in Adult Education”. Research cooperation exists with the German Institute of Adult Education (DIE) and the VHS Essen adult education centre. Professor Anne Schlüter is a member of the administrative board of the German Institute of Adult Education (DIE) and speaker of the Women’s Research Network NRW.