Recently published online in the International Journal of Management Education. Elsevier.
This study explores trends and gaps in a community adult learning centre in a borough of London. The research enquiry revolves around gaining insights into the prior expectations of ‘non-formal’ learners and the perceived gaps in the content and delivery of the curriculum within this space.
Madichie, N., & Fiberesima, O. (2019). Management education trends and gaps–A case study of a community education provision in London (UK). The International Journal of Management Education.
The main research question in this study is “to what extent craft courses in adult education settings reflect the holistic needs of learners intending to start-up or scale-up their own ventures?” The findings reveal that the skills currently provided by non-formal and/ or informal adult education providers did not fully match the expectations of the intended beneficiaries. It is also observed that learners did not seem quite ready for what the full educational package involved – in other words there was a misalignment between curriculum design and actual delivery. This revelation has both theoretical and managerial implications, and especially so for unstructured adult learning curriculum development and provision. The study also has implications for formal education providers such as universities teaching courses on entrepreneurship and adjacent areas – notably craft courses and the Arts.
Key highlights:
1. The study explores trends and gaps in a community adult learning centre in a borough of London in the United Kingdom.
2. It provides deeper insights into the prior expectations of ‘non-formal’ learners and the perceived gaps in curriculum content and delivery within this space.
3. The main research question is whether craft courses in adult learning settings reflect the holistic needs of the learners’ start-up/scale-up.
4. The study finds that the skills provided by adult learning did not fully match the expectations of learners.
5. The revelation highlights the need to redesign the adult learning curriculum –to make the provision fit-for-purpose.
6. There are further implications for entrepreneurship education teaching and learning.
Nnamdi O. Madichie, PhD, is Director of the Centre for Research & Enterprise at the Bloomsbury Institute London. He has published extensively in the areas of Entrepreneurship & the Marketing and Management of Higher Education. His most recent publication is on co-creation in the Entrepreneurial University. He can be contacted at: .
Omosola (Shola) Fiberesima holds a BA (Hons) in Lifelong Learning and a BA (Hons) in Business Management (2017). She is passionate about bridging the entrepreneurial gap in certain creative crafts she also teaches crafts and business skills within Adult Education. Currently studying for an MSc in Career Management and Coaching, Shola is also Student Guild Manager at the Bloomsbury Institute London. Part of her responsibilities include ensuring strategic priorities set by the student body are accomplished in order to contribute to the student experience.
