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Open research questions in Adult and Continuing Education Topics

123 gap statements mined from Adult and Continuing Education Topics papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 2,996 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on Adult and Continuing Education Topics? See the ranked Social Science journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • Future studies might examine how specific emotions interact to shape meaning making, or how group settings mediate the translation of private emotion into collective learning. We also acknowledge the contributions of ChatGPT 5 and Windows Copilot to help find some gaps in the literature in addition to wordsmithing.

    In the Dark, We Spoke: Emotional Discourse and Transformative Learning in South Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • The research highlights the need for educators to consider the spatiotemporal configuration of training.

    The pedagogical cocoon · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore the application of the spatiotemporal perspective to other educational contexts. The study's findings can inform the development of novel training programmes for adult learners.

    The pedagogical cocoon · 2026 · DOI

  • The comprehensive understanding of the intellectual landscape of transformative learning in digital-era adult education psychology remains limited. There is a need to identify research trends and conceptual clusters in the field.

    PEMBELAJARAN TRANSFORMATIF DEWASA DI ERA DIGITAL: REKONSTRUKSI IDENTITAS MELALUI PENGALAMAN BELAJAR VIRTUAL · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can explore the application of the Etievan Model in various educational contexts. It can investigate the impact of the model on student development and well-being. Further studies can examine the scalability and sustainability of the Etievan Model.

    “Como círculos concéntricos, de mi ser a la comunidad”: la formación de sí y la acción en el mundo mediante el Modelo Educativo Etievan · 2026 · DOI

  • It highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to education that addresses the challenges of the Anthropocene.

    “Como círculos concéntricos, de mi ser a la comunidad”: la formación de sí y la acción en el mundo mediante el Modelo Educativo Etievan · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for greater understanding of the experiences of Latina/o/x learners in the US education system. The paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the effects of the whitestream on these learners.

    Los Pulmones Tienen Una Capacidad Inherente Para Sanarse y Regenerar: Reflections from Almost Drowning in the Whitestream · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of how change management is practiced in adult education. The need for more research on the experiences of rectors and educational leaders in adult education.

    Endringsledelse i voksenopplæringen: En kvalitativ studie fra rektorers og undervisningslederes perspektiv · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper suggests that future research should explore the development of tools that support temporal awareness and reflexivity. The study highlights the need for further research on the concept of rhythmic intelligence and its implications for adult education.

    Timing transitions · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of how individuals make sense of life-course transitions under uncertain and contested social change conditions.

    Timing transitions · 2026 · DOI

  • Teacher education programs need to support second-career teachers in their transition.

    Temporalities and rhythms of identity transitions amongst second-career teachers · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper highlights the need to foreground temporality and rhythm as key analytical dimensions in understanding professional identity transitions.

    Temporalities and rhythms of identity transitions amongst second-career teachers · 2026 · DOI

  • The traditional approach to FYE design may not lead to meaningful learning and transformation. There is a need for a new approach to FYE design, one that emphasizes the importance of embracing uncertainty and friction.

    The Uncontrollability of the First-year Experience: Balancing Chaos and Control in Students Transition to HE · 2026 · DOI

  • The research highlights the need for more studies on the role of student voice and agency in VET.

    Beyond academisation: Freirean praxis and the repoliticisation of VET in South Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • Standardisation in education can marginalise students' perspectives, values, and self-authored goals. The Uniqueness Model of Educational Justice has limitations in addressing standardisation.

    Dialogic Coordination Through the Compassionate Impactful Communication Cycle: Towards Realising Matusov’s (2026) Uniqueness Model of Educational Justice · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding of how teachers interpret student agency in flexible learning ecosystems. Prior work has not fully explored the cultural and institutional context of student agency.

    Teachers Interpretive Understanding of Student Agency within Flexible Learning Ecosystems · 2026 · DOI

  • The study aims to address this gap by analyzing the implementation of these approaches.

    Transformative Pedagogy and Deep Learning Approach in Addressing 21st-Century Educational Challenges · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between access to education and the quality of education remains a fundamental problem within Indonesia's education system. The lack of improvement in learning quality despite the expansion in access.

    The Meaningful-Rhizomatic Paradigm of Alternative Education in the Tanoker Ledokombo Community · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should aim to extend beyond the Global South by including perspectives from underrepresented regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and continental Europe. Comparative and cross-cultural studies are needed to explore how decolonial assessment can be contextualised across diverse epistemic traditions and institutional systems.

    Decolonial Assessment in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Geographical Distribution of Studies, Theoretical Foundations, Methodological Trends, Dominant Themes and Assessment Practices (2018–2025) · 2026 · DOI

  • Previous mapping studies have examined the theory broadly or in specific domains, but not in pre-service teacher education. The study identifies a gap in the literature by showing that research on transformative learning in pre-service teacher education has grown more consistently since 2020, but has not yet formed a consolidated research community.

    Global research landscape of transformative learning in pre-service teacher education: A Scopus-based bibliometric and science-mapping analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • One challenge is that educators were not consistently perceived as embedding culturally diverse examples in teaching content. Another challenge is that some students experienced participation barriers linked to language and accent. The study highlights the need for intentional facilitation and culturally safe learning environments to address these challenges.

    Exploring equity and inclusion in team-based learning: A critical pedagogy perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • Continuing to support authors and reviewers through webinars and workshops. Exploring new learning opportunities and strengthening the journal's commitment to diversity of voice and form.

    Born Through Us: SoTL and the Changing Landscapes of Inquiry · 2026 · DOI

  • Standardisation in education - Limited engagement with students' perspectives, values, and self-authored goals - Incompatibility of fully paternalistic, top-down models of education with genuine…

    Dialogic Coordination Through the Compassionate Impactful Communication Cycle: Towards Realising Matusov’s (2026) Uniqueness Model of Educational Justice · 2026 · DOI

  • Dominant student engagement frameworks overlook the inventive spatial, temporal, and relational practices of first-generation students. The study identifies a gap in understanding the spatial and temporal infrastructures that shape student engagement.

    Rhythms of mobility and transformation: First-generation commuter students’ educational engagement in Cape Town · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research could investigate the impact of transformative learning on pre-service teacher education, - The role of critical reflection in perspective transformation could be explored, - International collaboration in research on transformative learning could be…

    Global research landscape of transformative learning in pre-service teacher education: A Scopus-based bibliometric and science-mapping analysis · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Adult and Continuing Education Topics

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Adult and Continuing Education Topics sub-topic

This page shows what the Adult and Continuing Education Topics literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, search the Research Gap Finder: the search is free with a free account and lists the papers closest to your topic first. Unlocking that topic (50 credits, charged once) fills the comparison table from our 4.5M-paper local library and writes the gaps from its rows.

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Future studies might examine how specific emotions interact to shape meaning making, or how group settings mediate the translation of private emotion into collective learning (“In the Dark, We Spoke: Emotional Discourse and Transformative Learning in South…”, 2026); (2) Future research should explore the application of the spatiotemporal perspective to other educational contexts (“The pedagogical cocoon”, 2026); (3) The comprehensive understanding of the intellectual landscape of transformative learning in digital-era adult education psychology remains limited (“PEMBELAJARAN TRANSFORMATIF DEWASA DI ERA DIGITAL: REKONSTRUKSI IDENTITAS…”, 2026); (4) Future research can explore the application of the Etievan Model in various educational contexts (““Como círculos concéntricos, de mi ser a la comunidad”: la formación de sí y la…”, 2026); (5) The lack of understanding of how change management is practiced in adult education (“Endringsledelse i voksenopplæringen: En kvalitativ studie fra rektorers og…”, 2026). 123 gap statements have been mined from Adult and Continuing Education Topics papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 2,996 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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