Studying in (un)certain times: young people on adult education and training courses

Authors

  • Mafalda Villa Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
  • Sandra Mateus Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal
  • Patrícia Ávila Iscte — Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia (CIES-Iscte), Lisboa, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7458/SPP202611042653

Keywords:

school dropout, adult education and training, school re-enrolment, youth, education

Abstract

This research analyzes the impact of attending adult education and training (AET) courses on young people’s relationship with education, focusing on those who left the school system and later returned through these programs. A qualitative methodology was adopted, based on semi-structured interviews with ten young people enrolled in AET courses in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The results are part of a trend towards the “youthification” of the AET public, challenging the institutional perception of school success, and inviting reflection on the diversity of contemporary educational trajectories. They also show that AET courses enabled young people to re-evaluate and reconstruct their relationship with education and learning.

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Published

2026-03-16

Issue

Articles in continuous publication

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Mafalda Villa, Sandra Mateus, Patrícia Ávila

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