• Shifts from static, universal adult-learning models to context-sensitive, critical and postmodern views; Mezirow's Transformational Learning frames meaning-making and perspective change, with Habermasian and feminist critiques of practice [19], [18], [17].

• Autonomy and self-directed engagement become central: Self-Directed Learning, Learning-to-Learn, and Knowles's andragogy guide practice, complemented by transactional facilitation for collaborative, reflective learning [6], [4], [2], [20].

• Learning is rooted in everyday activity; situated cognition, cognitive apprenticeship, and experiential-learning critiques argue that knowledge and skill emerge from authentic problems and contexts [8], [2], [15], [7].

• Participation barriers in lifelong learning are empirically documented: deterrents such as confidence, relevance, time, cost, and personal issues, with leisure as a learning site [12], [11], [5].

• Historical development and field-building: tracking evolution of adult education theory and practice, knowledge base growth, leadership, and cross-national perspectives [3], [10], [9], [16].