Prof. Natália Alves
Natália Alves is an associate professor at Instituto de Educação, Universidade de Lisboa. She holds a PhD on Sociology of Education.
Her main fields of research are school to work transitions and IVET and CVET policies, forms of provision and practices.
CG8: Adult education and gender - mature women in higher education
Co-Moderator: Ana Guimaraes Duarte & Vanessa Beu
Over the past decades, there has been a significant growth in the number of non-traditional students attending higher education around the world. Governments and higher education institutions encourage under represented students to enrol. Widening their participation is often directed at two main goals; enhancing the national economic competitiveness and the social inclusion within higher education for traditionally excluded groups such as the working classes, ethnic minorities, older students and disabled.
In this comparative group, we will focus on a particular group of non-traditional students: the mature women.
The definition of mature undergraduates varies among the countries according to age criteria. In some countries, they are defined as those aged 21 and over; in others as 23 or 25 and over. In spit of these age differences there is a common agreement among the academic community: mature students are those who are older than ‘traditional’ students (18-years-old).
The research conducted to explore mature women’s motivation for participation in higher education show that entry into tertiary education was influenced in some cases by the state of relationship with their families. In another cases, the desire to attend higher education has been present for a long time but the implementation of this desire was delayed because of situational, institutional and dispositional barriers.
Based on the analysis of interviews conducted by the participants of this CGW with mature women attending higher education institutions, we expect students:
- to compare mature women’s motivations to attend higher education
- to compare the barriers they had to overcome
- to compare the mechanisms of support they could count on
For more information about the comparative group have a look at our programme!
- ALVES, N; SCHMIDT-LAUFF, S; DOUTOR, C.; CAMPOS, L. (2020): Contexts of Recognition of Prior Learning. Andragoške studije, 2, 87-110.
- NEVES, T.; ALVES, N.; CONCETTA, A.; DOMOVIC, V. (2019): The changing meanings of Lifelong Learning policies: consequences for young adults and their life courses. In: AMARAL, M.P.; KOVACHEVA, S.; RAMBLA, X. (Hrsg.): Navigating between Knowledge and Economy. Lifelong Learning Policies for Young Adults in Europe. Bristol. S. 209-2016.
- RODRIGUES, M.; QUEIROGA R.; RIBEIRO, A. B.; ALVES, N.; NEVES, T. (2019): Lifelong learning policies supporting young adults in two Portuguese regions, International Journal of Lifelong Education, DOI: 10.1080/02601370.2019.1690596
- ALVES, N.; GUIMARAES, P. (2017): COMPALL Winter School students’ motivations. In: EGETENMEYER, R.; GUIMARAES, P.;
- NÉMETH, B. (Hrsg.): Joint Modules and Internationalisation in Higher Education. Reflections on the Joint Module “Comparative Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning. Frankfurt. S. 143-158.
- GUIMARAES, P., ALVES, N. (2016): Adult educators in Portugal: from the European Union guidelines to a national public policy of lifelong learning technicians. In: EGETENMEYER, R.; SCHMIDT-LAUFF, S.; BOFFO, V. (Hrsg.): Adult Learning and Education in International Contexts. Future Challenges for its Professionalisation. Frankfurt. S. 75-76.
- ALVES, N.; ALMEIDA, A.J.; QUEIROGA, R.E.; GUIMARAES, P. (2018): Vocational education and training policies: the tension between inclusion, employability and democratization. IN: GÓMES CHOVA, I.; LÓPEZ-MARTÍNEZ, A.; CANDEL-TORRES, I. (Hrsg.): EDULEARN18 Proceedings 10th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies. Valencia. S. 76697678.
