Problems and Challenges of Adult Education

This article provides a theoretical reflection on the reasons why adult education has been a late research field and how this fact has contributed to the absence of educational research, making it necessary to import some concepts and methodological principles from other academic disciplines. This epistemological problem has had a major impact not only in shaping the professional identity of educators, but also the prestige of the profession. In response to the lack of theoretical interest and seeking an epistemological foundation, some authors express their disagreement with the infantilization of adult education and defend its specificity and contribution to the professionalization of adults. In addition, adult education is considered an indispensable tool for facing the challenges of social change.