Research On The Development Of Professional Organizations In American Adult Education

As the concepts of lifelong education,lifelong learning and a learning society are widely disseminated and advanced globally,adult education provides people with the necessary knowledge,talents,skills,abilities and values to achieve equality,inclusion,poverty reduction and The importance of building an equitable,tolerant and sustainable knowledge society is increasingly evident.Throughout the history of the development of adult education in the United States,professional organizations have played an undeniably important role in strengthening the construction of adult education disciplines,promoting the professionalization of adult education and the modernization of the social governance system.Significant achievements have been made in the areas of autonomy and authority of the education profession,accelerating the training of adult education professionals,formulating professional standards and ethical norms related to adult education,and improving the legal system for adult education.This research takes "American adult education professional organizations" as the research object.On the basis of comprehensive analysis of relevant domestic and foreign literature,it clarifies the relevant concepts of adult education professional organizations.By using the literature research method and historical research method,and integrating governance theory,field theory,etc.,it systematically combs the historical evolution of American adult education professional organizations,mainly exploring which adult education professional organizations have emerged in different historical periods,How do these professional organizations participate in the governance of adult education,and what are the characteristics of organizational development? It provides theoretical and practical guidance for further enriching and improving the discipline system of adult education and accelerating the process of adult education specialization.This study divides the development of American adult education professional organizations into four stages.The first stage is the formation of the embryonic form of American adult education professional organizations,mainly exploring the development of adult education professional organizations before the Civil War.The prominence of the importance of education,the emphasis on the dissemination of practical knowledge,the establishment of individualistic values,and the inheritance of the cultural tradition of free association and autonomy promoted the rise of early adult education professional organizations.The joint reading meeting,technician workshop,school park,and various academic organizations have played an important role in stimulating adult learning awareness,providing learning opportunities and possibilities,disseminating practical knowledge and information,and improving citizens’ moral quality.During this period,the organization was relatively free and loose,the members were mainly the elite or middle class,the focus was on individual progress and improvement,and the way of activities was mainly speech and discussion.The second stage is the establishment of mass adult education groups and the expansion of mass education practice in the United States,mainly exploring the development of adult education professional organizations from the Civil War to the 1920 s.After the Civil War of the United States,thanks to the improvement of the requirements of industrialization and urbanization on the quality of labor force,the stimulation of the awareness of adult learning by the generation of progressive education ideas,the extensive development of a variety of adult education campaigns,and the increasingly strong appeal of vulnerable groups to improve their social status,women,farmers,workers,blacks and other people spontaneously gathered together based on the common understanding,attitude,interests,goals,etc,I hope to solve social problems and promote social change by learning practical knowledge.The establishment of mass adult education groups,such as women’s organizations,workers’ organizations,farmers’ organizations,and black organizations,fully reflects the strong voice and appeal of the people to adult education.The main characteristics of mass adult education groups in this period were that the members of the organization changed from the elite or middle class to the ordinary people,the organization focused on serving the social reform and development,the low level of organization specialization,and the weak awareness of organization communication and cooperation.The third stage is the establishment of national adult education professional organizations in the United States and the acceleration of the process of adult education specialization,mainly exploring the development of adult education professional organizations in the 1920 s and 1960 s.Thanks to the extensive use and promotion of adult education terminology in the 1920 s,the growing importance of adult education after the World War II,the active advocacy and promotion of people with insight in adult education,and the strong support and sponsorship of private foundations,national adult education professional organizations began to be established.In 1926,the American Association for Adult Education(AAAE),the first national adult education professional organization,was established to collect adult education information nationwide.Since the 1950 s,national adult education professional organizations have been established one after another.They actively explore and participate in the practice of adult education professional governance,and accelerate the process of promoting the specialization of adult education.Local adult education associations at municipal,state and regional levels have also been established.In addition,adult education professional organizations focus on strengthening cooperation and exchange through mergers and alliances.The main characteristics of adult education professional organizations in this period are the expansion and increase of the size and number of organizations,the specialization of organizational functions,the initial construction of the national local adult education professional organization system,the establishment of organizational institutionalization,and the enhancement of the awareness of organizational cooperation and exchange.The fourth stage is the establishment of international adult education professional organizations in the United States and the expansion of the functions of national adult education professional organizations,mainly exploring the development of adult education professional organizations since the 1970 s.Since the 1970 s,based on the introduction of lifelong education,lifelong learning and learning social trends,the formation of the discourse system of global education governance,and the active promotion of UNESCO,there have been international professional organizations of adult education in the United States,which have played an important role in participating in international adult education governance and building a new pattern of international development of adult education.At the same time,the national adult education professional organizations have further developed.On the one hand,some new organizations have been established;On the other hand,the organizational functions are further deepened and expanded.In addition to continuing to focus on improving the professional level of adult education,it is also committed to improving the international level of adult education and accelerating the construction of a learning society.In addition,the trend of alliance between professional organizations of adult education is more obvious.The main characteristics of adult education professional organizations in this period are the change of organizational concept from "adult education" to "lifelong learning",the significant improvement of the level of organizational internationalization,the continuous improvement and expansion of organizational functions,the increasingly standardized organizational development,and the strengthening of the trend of organizational strategic alliances.