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Adult Learning· 2026Q1

Strengthening Educators’ Self-Efficacy for OER in Adult Basic and Literacy Education: Evidence from Three Studies

Mareike Kholin, Celine Einheuser, Susanne Witt, Elke C. Bongartz et al.

Short summary

Accessible online training significantly boosted adult basic education teachers' self-efficacy in using Open Educational Resources (OER), particularly for Creative Commons licensing and image use, across two formats (Coffee Lectures and workshops).

AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.

Key points

  • Online training formats (Coffee Lectures and workshops) increased educators' self-efficacy in OER competencies.
  • Participants showed particularly strong gains in Creative Commons licensing and legally secure use of images/graphics.
  • A needs assessment guided the development of effective training approaches.
  • Follow-up data were insufficient to conclusively assess behavioral outcomes like material submission.

AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.

Abstract

Personalized learning materials can enhance motivation and learning success in adult literacy and basic education, where learner groups are highly heterogeneous and teaching resources often require adaptation. Open educational resources (OER) offer a promising approach to enabling such personalization through legal reuse and collaborative improvement. However, OER creation and dissemination in adult basic education remain limited because potential material creators, most often educators, face substantial individual and structural barriers, including legal uncertainty, limited time, low organizational support, and low self-efficacy. This article evaluates low-threshold professional learning approaches within the context of the federally funded German PAG II project, which developed a repository for educational resources in adult basic and literacy education. Three studies were conducted. Study 1 ( N = 14) served as a needs assessment and examined professionals’ OER-related attitudes, perceived resources, self-efficacy, and training preferences. Building on these findings, two online training formats were developed and evaluated: short “Coffee Lectures” (Study 2; N = 41) and a more comprehensive workshop-based training (Study 3; N = 35). Across both training formats, participants’ self-efficacy regarding OER-related competencies increased substantially, with particularly strong gains for Creative Commons licensing and legally secure use of images and graphics. Follow-up data were limited, and behavioral outcomes related to material submission could therefore not be assessed conclusively. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that while accessible training can strengthen educators’ capacity and self-efficacy, sustainable OER dissemination in adult basic education likely requires complementary organizational and structural support.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Adult Learning, 2026 · DOI ↗

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Field: Computer Science Applications

Computer Science ApplicationsComputer Science