International mobility in adult education : exploring the impact of Erasmus+ from the learners’ perspective

Erckrath, Melanie (author), Krichewsky-Wegener, Léna (author), Mikulec, Borut (author), Humpl, Stefan (author), Supule, Inese (author), De Greef, Maurice P. V. M. (author), Buiskool, Bert-Jan (author)

This study examines the impact of short-term European mobility on adult learners within the Erasmus+ Programme, addressing a research gap as existing literature has predominantly focused on students and youth. The purpose of this study is to systematically explore the range of learning outcomes experienced by participants in mobility activities in adult education. An exploratory qualitative research design was employed, using problem-centred interviews and qualitative content analysis. The sample consisted of 24 adult learners from Austria, Germany, Latvia, and Slovenia. The findings reveal a broad spectrum of outcomes. Across all cases, mobility strongly fostered intercultural learning, social connections, wellbeing, independent living skills, and communication in multilingual contexts. In contrast, outcomes related to environmental awareness and vocational skills varied depending on the thematic focus of the mobility activity and participants’ individual backgrounds. The study provides an empirically grounded overview of the potential impact areas of Erasmus+ mobility for adults and highlights its transformative role in fostering lifelong learning. These findings contribute to a better understanding of adult learning processes in international mobility contexts and offer implications for the design of future Erasmus+ programmes.

• Language: English
• Keywords: adult learner mobility, adult education, adult learning, Erasmus programme, intercultural learning, mobility learning outcomes, transformative learning
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 995-1008
• Numbering: Vol. 15, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-182832
• UDC: 374.7
• ISSN on article: 2165-8714
• DOI: 10.12973/eu-jer.15.3.995
• COBISS.SI-ID: 279090435
• Publication date in RUL: 25.05.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: European journal of educational research
• Publisher: R. Ulker
• ISSN: 2165-8714
• COBISS.SI-ID: 19227400

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mobilnost odraslih učečih se, učenje odraslih, program Erasmus+, medkulturno učenje, učni izidi mobilnosti, transformativno učenje

Projects

• Funder: European Union
• Funding programme: Research-based Impact A nalysis of Erasmus+ Adult Education Programmes’ (RIA-AE), funded by the European Union
• Name: Erasmus+ Long-Term-Activity (LTA) ‘Research-based Impact A nalysis of Erasmus+ Adult Education Programmes’ (RIA-AE), funded by the European Union
• Acronym: RIA-AE