Professor Alan Tuckett

Professor Alan Tuckett

Professor in Education

  • Email address Alan.Tuckett@wlv.ac.uk
  • Phone number 01902 322803
  • Location University of Wolverhampton Samuel Johnson (WN) Building Walsall Campus Gorway Road Walsall WS1 3BD
  • Faculty Faculty of Education Health & Wellbeing
  • Areas of expertise Expert on lifelong learning policy, motivation, engagement and promotion, Project leadership, Advocacy

Alan Tuckett is Professor of Education at the University of Wolverhampton, past president of the International Council of Adult Education, an Honorary Fellow of the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning and is a Distinguished professor at the International Institute of Adult and Lifelong Education in Delhi.  He is an internationally recognised expert in adult education and advises UNESCO and recently the World economic Forumon adult and lifelong learning.  From 1988-2011 he was Chief Executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, where he led a research and development programme totalling some £45 million, advised ministers on adult learning policy, and created the annual Adult Learners’ Week.  He has served as President of the Pre-School Learning Alliance (1999-2003), was a member of the Inter-Minoisterial Skills Alliance, and has forty years of governance experience. He writes widely – his most recent book is ‘Seriously Useless Learning’ co-authored with Ian Nash.  Alan has undertaken consultancy for the governments of Singapore, Australia, the Palestinian National Authority, the UK Government Office for Science Foresight programme, UNESCO and the European Union, as well as for  the National Trust, and Channel 4, among others.  Alan was awarded the OBE in 1995, and has honorary doctorates from 8 universities.  He was inducted into the International Hall of Fame of Adult Educators (University of Oklahoma) 2006.

Alan has held visiting professorships at Essen and Wurzburg in Germany, at UTS (fellowhip)and RMIT in Australia, at Leicester, Nottingham and Bristol  in Englandl  He chairs the Phoenix independent cinema in Leicester.

  • Social policy and lifelong learning
  • Equality and diversity
  • BERA
  • SCUTREA
  • UALL
    ESREA
  • Editorial committee Journal of Transformative Education
  • Editorial committee Studies in Continuing Education
  • BA Hons in English and American Literature
  • University of East Anglia (class1)

Publications Post 2014

Book

Nash,I & Tuckett, A., (2014) Seriously useless learning Leicester: NIACE

Journals

Tuckett, A., (2015) ‘Adult Education, Social Transformation and the Pursuit of Social Justice’ European Journal of Education vol 50.no.3, London: Wiley

Tuckett, A. & Popovic, K., (2015) 'Plus ca change, plu c'est la meme choze: Adult Literacy policy since 2000.' Andrafofska 2015. no.1 pp19-25

Tuckett,A. (2017) ‘The rise and fall of life-wide learning in England’( 2017) International Journal of Lifelong Education. vol.36. nos 1-2 230-249

Chapters

  • Tuckett, A. (2014) ‘The International Council for Adult Education’ in Coghlan, D. & Brydon-Miller, M. ‘The SAGE Encyclopaedia of Action Research’ , London: Sage
  • Tuckett, A. ‘ICAE and adult learning policy: Addressing the gap between rhetoric and practice’ in ‘Nesbit, N. & Milana, N., Global perspectives on Adult Learning and Policy, London: MacMillan
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘The contribution of ICAE to the development of a global lifelong learning agenda’ in Gartenschlaeger, U. & Hirsch, E. eds. (2015) Adult Education in an inter-connected world: co-operation in lifelong learning for co-operative development Bonn: DVV – International
  • Tuckett, A. ‘Lifelong learning includes older people!: Foreword’ in Findsen, B., and Formosa, M., International perspectives on older adult education: research, policy and practice, Springer, (forthcoming, late 2015)
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Morley’s Distinctive Place in Adult Education Nationally’ in Sacks, J.,ed. ‘Morley College: A 125th Anniversary Portrait’ London, Morley College.·        
  • Tuckett, A Lifelong learning includes older people!: Foreword’ (2016) in Findsen, B., and Formosa, M., International perspectives on older adult education: research, policy and practice, Springer, 
  • ‘How national, regional and global associations influence adult learning policy’ (2017) in Knox, A., Conceição, S., & Martin, L. ‘Mapping the field of adult continuing education, An International Compendium: vol.4 Inquiry and Influences’, Sterling, Virginia: Stylus.pp517-521

Commissioned research reports 

  • Field, J. & Tuckett,A. (2016).  Informal learning in the family and community. Govt. Office for Science: Foresight.  http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/29183/1/skill-lifelong-learning-in-family-and-community.pdf.
  • Tuckett,A.‘Country profiles of formal and non-formal adult education opportunities in literacy, numeracy and other skills: England.’(2016).  Paris: UNESCO. Paper commissioned for the Global Education Monitoring Report 2016, Education for people and planet: Creating sustainable futures for all http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002475/247582e.pdf

 

 

Other publications

  • ‘Aprendiendo a lo larga de la vida, el studio de NIACE sobre el future del AVL en el Reino Unido’ Decisio vol.39 pp 18-23,September/December 2014, CREFAL, Mexico City
  • ‘‘Lernen soll gefeiert werden – Das Schweizer Lernfestival mitten in den SwissSkills in 2014’ in Education Permanente, SVEB, Bern 2014-4 64-66.
  • With Alastair Thomson,(2015) ‘Lifelong learning in challenging times’, in Gregson, M., Pollard, A., Nixon, N., & Spedding, T., eds ’Readings for reflective teaching in further, adult and vocational education.’ Bloomsbury, London.
  • ‘Adult Education and Development : Post 2015, Introduction’ ICAE Virtual seminar 10-24 March 2014 www.icae.org.uy. And in Fernandez, M.C., Hinzen, H., and Khan M.L.A., eds ‘On the Eve of EFA and MDG – Shaping the Post 2015 Development Agendas: Contributions to the Debate and a Collection of Documents’, (2014) DVV-IIZ, ASPBAE and ICAE, Vientiane, pp 196-7
  • ‘The world needs a clear target on Lifelong Learning for All for another world to be possible’ ICAE Virtual seminar 10-24 March 2014 www.icae.org.uy and in Fernandez, M.C., Hinzen, H., and Khan M.L.A., eds ‘On the Eve of EFA and MDG – Shaping the Post 2015 Development Agendas: Contributions to the Debate and a Collection of Documents’, (2014) DVV-IIZ, ASPBAE and ICAE, Vientiane, pp 204-207.
  • ‘Arguments for a world worth living in’ Adults Learning vol25 no.4 Summer 2014, pp 46-47
  • ‘A vital conversation everyone should join’ in TES 31 October 2014
  • ‘Lifelong waiting...’ in Adults Learning vol 26. No.1 Autumn 2014 pp 28-29
  • ‘There’s always a point to pointless learning’ TES 5 December 2014, pp 48-49
  • ‘Donde esta our love of languages’ TES 30 January 2015, pp 50-51
  • ‘Communities’ Introduction to ICAE Virtual Seminar, February 2015, www.icae2.org.uy
  • ‘How lifelong learning could save the NHS’ TES, 13 March 2015 pp 48-49
  • ‘Save adult education before it’s switched off’ TES 24 April 2015 pp 48-49
  • ‘Warm words, weak outcomes: Are we about to fail adults a second time?’ World Education Blog UNESCO EFA/GMR https://efareport.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/warm-words-weak-outcomes-are-we-about-to-fail-adults-a-second-time/
  • ‘”No one left behind” must mean adults, too’ TES 19 June 2015
  • ‘Complejidad de la educacion de jovenes y adultos’, 2015 TAMEA Lima: CEEAL
  • ‘After Incheon’ NORRAG News 52  August 2015
  • ‘A robin redbreast in a cage, Puts all heaven in a rage: Reflection’ ICAE Virtual Seminar ‘Adult education and development: Global citizenship education’, March 2016. www.icae2.org.uy
  • ‘If lifelong learning is so good, why don’t more adults join in?’ Government Office for Science: Foresight commissioned blog. https://foresightprojects.blog.gov.uk/2017/03/21/if-lifelong-learning-is-so-good-why-dont-more-adults-join-in/March 2017.
  • 'Festival of learning is needed now as much as ever’ Learning and Work Institute commissioned blog May 2017 https://www.festivaloflearning.org.uk/2017/06/festival-learning-needed-now-much-ever/.
  • ‘Lifelong learning helps people, governments and business. Why don't we do more of it?’ World Economic Forum Agenda commissioned blog July 2017. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/07/lifelong-learning-helps-governments-business.
  •  ‘A case for lifelong learning ‘,The Gleaner, Jamaica, 30 July 2017.   http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/art-leisure/20170730/case-lifelong-learning.
  • ‘Motivation is key to persuading adults back to learning. Today online, Singapore, 24 November 2017 http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/motivation-key-persuading-adults-back-learning

·         ‘A robin redbreast in a cage, Puts all heaven in a rage: Reflection’ ICAE Virtual Seminar ‘Adult education and development: Global citizenship education’, March 2016. www.icae2.org.uy

·          

·         ‘If lifelong learning is so good, why don’t more adults join in?’ Government Office for Science: Foresight commissioned blog. https://foresightprojects.blog.gov.uk/2017/03/21/if-lifelong-learning-is-so-good-why-dont-more-adults-join-in/March 2017.

  • President International Council for Adult Education 2011-2015 – advocacy on post 2015 education goal min the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Chief Executive, National Institute of Adult Continuing Education 1988-2011 - the leading UK non-governmental organisation that represents the interests of adult learners throughout post-compulsory education, through research and development, policy development, publications, a programme of conferences and seminars, and through advocacy work.  Responsibility as Chief Executive and Company Secretary included intellectual leadership, strategic planning, financial management and accounting, advice to ministers, negotiation with national and local government, national and international representative agencies and institutions throughout post-compulsory education, marketing and quality assurance. 
  • In 1992 I started Adult Learners’ Week, an annual festival of learning with thousands of events, and I led its adoption by UNESCO in 1997; now in 55 countries. Instigated major annual participation surveys; successfully advocated government safeguarded budgets for adult education, and instigated independent national inquiries in ESOL, disabled staff and students, literacy, community colleges, and in 2007-9 our Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning. Through the 1990s advised the European Union on preparations for the inclusion of a lifelong learning memorandum in the 2000 Lisbon Treaty. NIACE enjoys an international reputation for its expertise in the field of adult learning.
  • Principal, Clapham-Battersea Adult Education Institute, ILEA.1981-88
  • Chief Executive, responsible for the academic programme, quality assurance, financial accountability, estate management and effective oversight of a large ILEA institute with 17,000 students on 12 main sites and more than 100 other sites. Responsible for introducing ground breaking innovation in family and intergenerational learning, women’s studies, and inclusive learning. In 1987-8 I was seconded part-time as policy adviser to the Chair of Further and Higher Education, ILEA.
  • Principal, Friends Centre Brighton1973-81 –  an independent adult education centre in Brighton.  Helped start the national adult literacy campaign; innovative liberal arts provision.

External Examiner

  • 2011 University of Greenwich, Ed.D
  • 2017 Queen's University Belfast, Open Studies
  • 2017 Departmental review, Chair, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Department of Adult and Community Education
  • 2017 UniversityCollege London, PhD.

Conference Presentations 2014-16

  • Tuckett, A. (2014), ‘Lifelong learning post-2015’ keynote University of Quebec in Montreal, October 21, 2014
  • Tuckett, A. (2014) ‘Priorities for advocacy for adult learning – post-2015’, Presentation, ASPBAE 50th Anniversary Conference, Jogjakarta, November 2014.
  • Tuckett, A. (2015)‘Lifelong learning: future prospects’, Keynote presentation, 4th World Forum, ‘Lifelong Learning for All’, Paris 5-6 February 2015, CMA-UNESCO, Paris http://www.cma-lifelonglearning.org/lll/?page_id=2270 and Voices Rising, no.479, pp 4-6,www.icae2.org.uy
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Let’s not reinvent the wheel: Why collaboration across Europe is important in Adult Learning’ Brussels, Launch of European Platform for Adult Learning and Education, 16 April 2015, European Union.
  • 2015 European Union Visiting Fellowship, RMIT, Melbourne 18 April to 16 May, 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Intergenerational Learning’ Keynote speaker, Adult Learning Australia conference, Sydney, 1 May, 2015
  • Tuckett, A. & Munro, K (2015) ‘Education and the Strategic Development Goals: A Dialogue’ keynote discussants RMIT, Melbourne, 5 May 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Communicating sustainability’ conference speaker, RMIT, 7 May 2015
  • Invited delegate, NGO Forum and Inter-Ministerial World Education Forum, Incheon, Korea
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) Speaker ‘Future strategy for youth and adult literacy’ Inter-ministerial World Educational Forum, Incheon, Korea, 20 May 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) Presidential address, 8th World Assembly, International Council for Adult Education, Montreal, Canada, 11 June 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose'.  Keynote UNESCO International Literacy Day symposium, Paris 8 September 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) 'Jesus, history, thunder and lightning: the case for lifelong learning' Inaugural, Professional Lecture, University of Wolverhampton
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) 'Lifelong learning for a world worth living'. Keynote Presentation in NUI Galway 10 December 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2016) 'Friends Centre at 70'. Keynote Presentation in Birmingham January 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2016) 'Adult Learning in a time of austerity' ESRC HIVE-PED presentation, University of Wolverhampton 19 February 2016
  • Tuckett, A. (2016) 'Lifelong learning for a world worth living in', Belfast Festival of Learning.  Presentation, Open University, NI April 2016
  • Tuckett, A. (2016) ' Adult learning in austere times' SCUTREA Keynote, University of Leicester, June 2016    ‘
  • Tuckett,A.(2016) ‘Global Alliance for Literacy: A civil society perspective’, UNESCO, Paris, International Literacy Day conference, 7-8 September 2016.
  • Tuckett,A. (2916)‘Prospects for Higher Vocational Education: A Lifelong Learning Perspective’ ESRC HIVE-PED final event, University of Greenwich, September 2016.
  • Tuckett,A. (2016)‘Towards an inclusive and engaged democracy: universities, learning cities, and engaging under-represented communities.’ Benjamin Meaker Professorial Lecture, University of Bristol, October 2016.
  • Tuckett,A. (2016)‘Celebrating the value of lifelong learning: policy and practice from England’ AAACE Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 2016.
  • Tuckett,A. (2017)‘A Place for Reading the World’ Inaugural Presidential Address, Friends Centre, Brighton, April 2017.
  • Tuckett,A. (2017)‘Higher education through the life course: An idea whose time has gone?’ SRHE, London, May 2017.
  • Tuckett,A. (2017)‘Adult education for a change: Advocacy, learning festivals, and the pursuit of equity and social justice.’ ESREA PSEN network conference, University of Verona, June 2017.
  • Tuckett,A. (2017) ’25 years of Adult Learners’ Week and Learning festivals,’ Learning and Work Institute, London June 2017.
  • Tuckett,A (2017) ‘Lifelong and life-wide learning for a world worth living in’, West Belfast festival of Health, Belfast, August 2017.
  • Tuckett,A. (2017)‘Learning through the life course: The role of universities in stimulating participation, Inaugural Lifelong Learning Conference, Singapore University of Social Science, November 2017.

Other relevant professional and voluntary activities

  • Past President/committee International Council for Adult Education
  • Adviser to UNESCO on adult and lifelong learning;
  • Chair, Phoenix Cinema (Leicester Arts Centre)
  • Governor and Chair Excellence and Experience Committee, Cornwall College
  • Adviser on lifelong learning to the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning, Hamburg;
  • Visiting Professor Universities of Leicester and Nottingham
  • Member All Souls Group
  • External research collaborations/relations with users of research:
  • As EU Visiting Fellow, RMIT, Melbourne (see below) explored co-operative research on learning cities and the sustainable development agenda.
  • Early exploration of research into measuring quality with UCL IOE.
  • Support for Staff (Faculty based plus uptake of University or external events)
  • I have offered informal support for 20 staff in IOE seeking to work towards publication
  • I undertook University training for supervisors.
  • Impact: Individuals and/or specific outputs (keynote addresses, funding, invitations, uptake by users, etc.); include case studies as appropriate
  • Tuckett, A. (2014), ‘Lifelong learning post-2015’ keynote University of Quebec in Montreal, October 21, 2014
  • Tuckett, A. (2014) ‘Priorities for advocacy for adult learning – post-2015’, Presentation, ASPBAE 50th Anniversary Conference, Jogjakarta, November 2014.
  • Tuckett, A. (2015)‘Lifelong learning: future prospects’, Keynote presentation, 4th World Forum, ‘Lifelong Learning for All’, Paris 5-6 February 2015, CMA-UNESCO, Paris http://www.cma-lifelonglearning.org/lll/?page_id=2270 and Voices Rising, no.479, pp 4-6,www.icae2.org.uy
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Let’s not reinvent the wheel: Why collaboration across Europe is important in Adult Learning’ Brussels, Launch of European Platform for Adult Learning and Education, 16 April 2015, European Union.
  • 2015 European Union Visiting Fellowship, RMIT, Melbourne 18 April to 16 May, 2015.
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Intergenerational Learning’ Keynote speaker, Adult Learning Australia conference, Sydney, 1 May, 2015
  • Tuckett, A. & Munro, K (2015) ‘Education and the Strategic Development Goals: A Dialogue’ keynote discussants RMIT, Melbourne, 5 May 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) ‘Communicating sustainability’ conference speaker, RMIT, 7 May 2015.
  • Invited delegate, NGO Forum and Inter-Ministerial World Education Forum, Incheon, Korea
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) Speaker ‘Future strategy for youth and adult literacy’ Inter-ministerial World Educational Forum, Incheon, Korea, 20 May 2015
  • Tuckett, A. (2015) Presidential address, 8th World Assembly, International Council for Adult Education, Montreal, Canada, 11 June 2015.
  • None of these drew on University of Wolverhampton funding.
  • FETL – application £39,000; leadership for community education, Jan. 2015.  Unsuccessful
  • FETL – 2nd round application, £66,000.  ‘Leadership and the civic mission of the FE sector: Adult and community learning for an informed democracy.’ Pending