Internationales Jahrbuch Erwachsenenbildung 2022

Volume 45 of the International Yearbook of Adult Education focuses on neo-institutional theory as a multifaceted and fruitful perspective in adult education research. The volume discusses theoretical varieties of neo-institutionalism, sheds light on methodical implications and opens up space for empirical studies that examine various phenomena in the context of adult and continuing education using a neo-institutional theory framework. First, neo-institutional theory is discussed in relation to comparative research in (adult) education. Second, it is explored how the institutional can be grasped empirically using grounded theory. These theoretically and methodologically oriented papers are followed by three empirical studies. On a macro-level perspective, mechanisms of diffusion of lifelong learning are analyzed. Following, the concept of institutional entrepreneurship is employed in order to gain insights into actors and actor constellations in the field of adult basic education. Finally, the integration of quality management systems in different organizational contexts is explored with reference to the theoretical concepts of organizational fields and loose coupling. The paper in the category "Miscellaneous" focuses on the openness of adult education research and explores the representation of authors from the Global South in international journals of adult education by means of a bibliometric study. The yearbook is complemented by three reviews on recent publications in the field of adult education. The reviewed publications comprise anthologies on adult education and migration and on large-scale assessments in adult education as well as a handbook on socialization and informal learning.