Conference Agenda

Organizational learning is understood, studied and practiced from different theoretical perspectives, as Elkjaer (2022), among others, shows many examples of. When we as researchers work with collective competence and development processes, for example in schools and kindergartens and across municipal service areas, our theoretical perspectives and basic understandings of organizational learning will have an impact on how we work in practice. We always have some presuppositions when we work with research (and development) (Bateson, 2002, Bhaskar & Danermark, 2006). In a time of great uncertainty, combined with a high degree of complexity in the organizations where collective competence development is to take place, it is also an important ethical question how we as researchers contribute to development processes. How do we handle the uncertainty and complexity? Are we able, as Elkjaer (2022, p. 598) points out, to contribute to what is best for society and act responsibly and openly? And do we contribute to learning becoming a method for developing and maintaining critical thinking? Elkjaer argues for a learning theory of organizational learning inspired by pragmatism. In the study that this paper deals with, we will follow Elkjaer's suggestions for what is important for organizational learning in the future, but we will not pursue pragmatism, but rather go to critical realism, which incidentally has a kinship with pragmatism (Zotzmann et. al., 2022), and we will also connect critical realist insights within systems theory, what Price (2023) refers to as third generation systems theory. Like pragmatism, critical realism is a meta-theoretical position (Bhaskar, 2016), and meta-theory specifies ontological, epistemological and methodological presuppositions in scientific practice (Bhaskar & Danermark, 2006). These assumptions can often be less explicit in research and development work, while it can be very enlightening both for researchers themselves and also for the organizational participants involved in collective competence development if they are made explicit and clear, and preferably understandable - because this should be possible and desirable if the researcher is to act responsibly.

There are two intertwined research questions that are discussed in this paper: What is central to a theoretical basis for organizational learning from critical realist meta-theory and third generation systems theory? And what could be important practical implications in light of these theories, for collective competence development in schools and kindergartens, and for the good of society? The aim of the study is to contribute to a theoretical basis for organizational learning related to collective competence development that both addresses uncertainty and complexity, and at the same time provides the most "simple" possible directions for competence and practice development. This contribution is intended for both researchers and organizational participants who are involved in concrete, practical development processes, and who seek basic understandings that can contribute to more sustainable development processes than has often been the case in, for example, school development.

The theoretical frameworks that will be addressed and applied in this study are organizational learning, based on Elkjaer's article (2022) and other relevant publications in this field. Furthermore, critical realism is the most central framework in the study, which also underpins the third theoretical perspective, namely third-generation systems theory, as presented by Leigh Price (2023). Critical realism is a comprehensive meta-theory with a large international literature, and in order to extract some of the main points, I particularly use Bhaskar's 2016 book Enlightened Common Sense, which also points in the direction of emphasizing common sense and simplicity, while maintaining an understanding of the complex and avoiding reductionism.

In the field of adult and continuing education curricula are less regulated than in other areas of education and participation is usually voluntary (Schrader, 2019). Thus, participation in continuing education is a complex phenomenon which depends on various factors (Rubenson & Desjardins, 2009). Boeren (2016), for example, explains participation in continuing education by a multilevel model, which illustrates the interrelationships between factors at different levels. Within this model, organizations and providers of adult and continuing education are recognized as a factor to participation at the meso-level.

The field of continuing education is characterized by dynamic change. Particularly when it comes to program planning, the challenge is to keep pace with social changes and address current needs. Program planning in continuing education has to mediate between the three instances of social needs, addressees, and pedagogical mission (von Hippel et al., 2008). Thereby, it has the task to react on foreseen future problems and awaken new educational needs (Siebert, 2014). Constantly changing socially relevant developments can be understood as uncertainty in the sense of this network’s call.

Against the background of current developments such as differentiation of the continuing education market, competitive pressure, and digitalization, reaching and addressing new or changing target groups is becoming increasingly important (Echarti et al., 2023; Kraft, 2018). The recruitment of participants as an organizational process is therefore a central challenge for continuing education staff (Caffarella & Daffron, 2013; Käpplinger et al., 2017). Course design is one relevant factor in order to attract participants. Without curricular regulations, it is important to constantly adapt the program to current topics, individual needs and interests, as well as to external changes.

Futhermore, the relevance of participant recruitment is underlined when taking into account the “matthew effect” (Boeren, 2016, S. 24), which refers to the actuality that the majority of people who take part in continuing education are those who already have a higher formal qualification, or as it says in Matthews’s Bible story: Those who already have receive more (Boeren, 2016; Rubenson, 1998). In order to promote educational equality, it is particularly important to make efforts to reach the educationally disadvantaged groups (Boeren, 2016).

For the German discourse, Mania, Ernst and Wagner (2022) point out that there is no established form or category under which participant recruitment is discussed. In their systematic review, they developed and systemized an overview of the current state of German discussion and research on that topic. Accordingly, participant recruitment is merely treated as a subtopic, viewed from different angles, such as the institutional, organizational, and professional perspective, as well as from the perspective of target group research.

Against this background, our intention is to focus on the international state of discussion and research. Up to now there exists no empirical based systematic overviews systematizing the international state of discussion and research on this topic.

Our contribution therefore aims to take stock of and systematize the topic of participant recruitment and outreach strategies in adult and continuing education in the international (research) discourse. Our review will focus on the perspective(s) from which the topic is captured and discussed, and on strategies and concepts for addressing participants that can be identified in the sector of adult and continuing education. Our specific interest is the area of literacy and basic education, this due to its particular importance (to reach educationally disadvantaged) and specifics of the recruitment process (e.g., must go beyond written offers). The conceptual framework of our approach is informed by the procedure of conducting a scoping review (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005).