Josef Schrader

Josef Schrader is a Professor for Adult and Continuing Education at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (C4/W3) since 2003 and a Scientific Director/Board Member of the German Institute for Adult Education (DIE) – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning, Bonn, since 2012. He holds a habilitation in Educational Science with a focus on adult education (University of Bremen, 2000) and a doctorate in Educational Science (Philipps University of Marburg, 1992, summa cum laude). His career includes leadership roles at DIE and academic positions at Ruhr University Bochum, University of Bremen, and others.

• Education:
  • Habilitation (2000), University of Bremen
  • Doctorate (1992), Philipps University of Marburg
  • Diploma in Pedagogy (1984), Philipps University of Marburg

Research Interests span empirical, theoretical, and historical studies on teaching/learning in adult education, digital learning media, professionalization of educators, continuing education system structures, and international comparative perspectives. He emphasizes intervention and implementation research, particularly in media-supported case-based learning environments.

His recent articles focus on sustainability in adult education, literacy research, governance in vocational training, and digital tools for educators. Key themes include functional illiteracy, teacher competence development, and policy analysis of lifelong learning systems. He has contributed extensively to edited volumes, policy reports, and empirical studies like the German Continuing Education Atlas.

Awards & Roles: As Principal Investigator for the LEAD Graduate School (Tübingen), co-editor of the Journal of Continuing Education Research, and member of advisory boards (BMBF, DGWF, European Agenda for Adult Learning), Schrader bridges academic research and policy. He co-founded projects like Digi-EBF II, AI2TEACH, and Meta-project: Language Education in an Immigration Society.

Labs & Teams: He leads the LEAD Graduate School at Tübingen and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on digital learning tools (e.g., KANSAS, ProfilePASS) and large-scale studies (PIAAC, Adult Education Survey). His work integrates empirical research with practical applications in adult learning environments.