"I Never Thought I'd Do This. It's So Empowering": Adults' Transitions into Learning

Stimulating adults to learn is a significant challenge, particularly for vulnerable groups with limited education, socioeconomic disadvantages, or marginalized backgrounds. While research highlights barriers and motivations for adult learning, less attention has been given to the transitions adults undergo and the factors shaping these processes. Based on 69 interviews with underrepresented learners in the Netherlands and informed by the capability approach, this study identifies three key movements: learning imposed, driven by coercion; learning through agency development, primarily enabled by external factors; and learning through agency, mainly initiated by intrinsic motivation. These movements are shaped by different combinations of agency factors, life events, and social or institutional support. The findings provide a framework to understand these transitions and inform policies for inclusive adult learning.