Learning assessment in youth and adult education: silences, challenges and possibilities

Abstract

Learning assessment occupies a central place in the educational process and assumes specific characteristics in Youth and Adult Education (YAE), a modality that serves learners marked by interrupted schooling trajectories, diverse social experiences, and particular formative needs. This qualitative study is characterized as a state-of-the-art review and aims to analyze the approaches, practices, and challenges related to learning assessment in YAE, identifying trends and gaps in academic production between 2013 and 2023. The investigation was conducted through content analysis, based on scientific articles retrieved from the SciELO database, Revista EJA em Debate, International Journal of Youth and Adult Education, and the Brazilian Journal of Youth and Adult Education, using the descriptor “learning assessment AND youth and adult education.” The findings reveal a limited number of studies that address assessment in YAE considering the specificities of this educational modality, particularly aspects related to learners’ life trajectories, previous schooling experiences, and the meanings attributed to learning in adulthood. This gap highlights the need for further research that deepens the understanding of assessment practices aligned with a formative, dialogical, and emancipatory perspective, capable of strengthening pedagogical practices and promoting learners’ retention and success in Youth and Adult Education.