UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus 2025, Download PDF, Exam Pattern

The UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus 2025 is very important for students preparing for the upcoming UGC NET 2025 exam. This subject is related to adult education, adult learning, skill development, extension service, social issues, communication, and research. The UGC NET Syllabus is released every year by the National Testing Agency so that students know what to learn for the exam. They have also provided the UGC NET Syllabus as a UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus PDF so that students can learn it easily. Students can learn with clear units and topics, making studying easy. The syllabus has helped students in the preparation of both papers of the exam.

UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus 2025

UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus 2025 comprises ten comprehensive units which elaborate everything about adult learning and continuing education. Aspirants appearing for UGC NET 2025 should cover all ten units thoroughly. The ten units are:

• Adult, Continuing Education & Extension - Indian And Global Contexts

• Theoretical And Functional Base Of Adult Education

• Alternate Learning Systems

• Curriculum Planning And Teaching-Learning Materials

• Human Resource Management In Lifelong Learning And Extension

• Communication For Social Development

• Social And Developmental Concerns

• Vocational Education And Skill Development

• Research And Research Methods

• Lifelong Learning - The Futuristic Vision

Below is the complete explanation of all ten units of the UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus 2025.

UNIT I – Adult, Continuing Education & Extension: Indian and Global Contexts

• Growth of Adult and Continuing Education in India before and after Independence.

• Views on Adult Education in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and America.

• Extension Education and Extension Services in India: their phases, steps, and major movements.

• Extension as the “third dimension” of higher education; new ideas and new models used in extension work; role of National Open School; field-based practices.

• Meaning, need, types, and important features of Lifelong Learning programmes in India.

• Learning and extension opportunities available for lifelong learners.

• National and international agencies working for lifelong learning.

• Comparative studies in Adult Education: important areas, trends, and key findings.

UNIT II – Theoretical and Functional Base of Adult Education

• Major approaches to Adult Education: Liberal, Behaviouristic, Progressive, Humanistic, Radical, and Analytical.

• Educational and social ideas of Tagore, Gandhi, Vivekananda, Radhakrishnan, Ambedkar, and other Indian thinkers.

• Concept of Andragogy vs Pedagogy.

• Key features and qualities of adult learning and development.

• Motivation in adult learning, values in adult education, and issues of modern society.

• Individual learning vs group learning in adult education settings.

• Learning gained from agriculture, home science, community health, and technology.

• Learning needs of different adult learner groups.

• Important theories of adult learning.

• Professionalisation of adult education as a field.

• Prior learning: meaning, issues, challenges, and giving academic credit for continuing education.

UNIT III – Alternate Learning Systems

• Current status, main challenges, and available alternatives in the education system.

• Guidance and counselling: individual counselling and group counselling.

• Growth of distance learning, self-learning, and online learning.

• Transformational learning and use of media, ICT, World Wide Web, mobile technology, multimedia, CAL, and audiovisual aids.

• Digital learning platforms: Digital India, SWAYAM, MOOCs, UDAAN, e-libraries.

• Virtual learners and virtual learning centres.

• ICT use for handling information: storing, retrieving, and sharing information.

• Online teaching: benefits and challenges.

• Differentiated instruction in an online learning environment.

UNIT IV – Curriculum Planning and Teaching-Learning Materials

• Meaning and definition of curriculum; why curriculum is needed; curriculum theory and practice.

• Finding the needs and interests of lifelong learners.

• Goals of curriculum development.

• Principles and approaches used in developing curriculum.

• Planning a curriculum: need, process, and implementation.

• Evaluation of curriculum using process–product–feedback methods.

• Systems that support curriculum development.

• Teaching methods for adult and lifelong learners.

• Teaching and learning materials for lifelong learning.

• Steps in preparing books and audiovisual content for new learners; content selection; field testing.

• Agencies that prepare teaching materials; types of materials: print, online, and offline.

UNIT V – Human Resource Management in Lifelong Learning and Extension

• Meaning, principles, and major functions of management.

• Planning, organisation, and control of programmes.

• Job roles of people working in university–community engagement, skill development, continuing education, and extension programmes.

• Training and development: family-based, on-the-job, and off-the-job training.

• Training extension workers in adult, continuing, and lifelong education using participatory methods.

• Skill development programmes: government-supported, NGO-supported, and PPP-based.

• Required field skills, adult teaching methods, and training methods for trainers.

• Managing training programmes.

• Methods of evaluating social development programmes.

UNIT VI – Communication for Social Development

• Meaning, methods, and practices of communication.

• Models used in agriculture, community health, education, and social marketing.

• Types of communication: traditional methods and ICT-based methods.

• People’s participation in development activities.

• Community-based organisations and state-supported organisations.

• Programmes that focus on individuals and those that focus on groups.

• Planning and carrying out communication for development.

• New communication technologies used for social development.

• Communication systems used by government, semi-government, NGOs, and corporate sectors.

UNIT VII – Social and Developmental Concerns

• Development and its indicators; MDGs and SDGs.

• Population Education: concepts and changing approaches.

• Social and distributive justice.

• Issues of marginalised groups: women, tribal communities, minorities, transgender persons, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities.

• Value-based education.

• Inequality and social mobility in society.

• Programmes for children, bonded labour, and gender issues.

• Programmes for water, health, energy, disaster management, and environment.

• Social and professional ethics.

UNIT VIII – Vocational Education and Skill Development

• Meaning, scope, policies, and programmes of vocational education and skill development.

• Market needs and the current status of skills.

• How vocational education is used in adult and lifelong learning through state structures like Jan Shikshan Sansthan and private/industry-based structures.

• Growth of micro-enterprises like SHGs and large organisations like SEWA.

• Skill development in India: skill sectors, national skill development policy, and implementation systems.

• Structure of skilling programmes, certification, and equivalence.

• National initiatives: Make in India, Start-Up, Stand-Up, Mudra Banks, Entrepreneurship.

• Study and evaluation of these efforts at both small and large levels.

UNIT IX – Research and Research Methods

• Philosophical background, history, elements, and importance of social science research.

• Qualitative research and quantitative research; action research.

• Research design: meaning and types — descriptive, analytical, exploratory, basic, applied, action, survey, and case study.

• Sources of data: primary and secondary.

• Collecting secondary data: historical documents, archives, published materials, journals, online sources, Census, NSS, and statistical reports.

• Population, sampling, data collection tools; organising research; analysis; generalisation; report writing.

• Documenting and sharing research work.

• Content analysis, surveys, and case studies.

• Latest research trends in adult and continuing education (India and global).

• New research areas in adult and continuing education and extension.

• Ethical issues in social science research.

UNIT X – Lifelong Learning: The Futuristic Vision

• Learning beyond basic reading and numeracy.

• Problems between institutional and non-institutional learning and ways to solve them.

• Making learning local and suitable for cultural context.

• Matching learners’ skills with employer needs.

• Providing personalised and customised learning options for adults.

• Network-based learning.

• Open option learning systems.

• Building learning communities.

• Working toward dynamic and evolving education policies.

• Moving toward a full learning society.

UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus PDF

Download UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus PDF to go through the syllabus at any time. The PDF is highly legible and allows candidates to create their preparation plan for UGC NET 2025. This syllabus includes all ten units as well as full information on every topic.

Download UGC NET Adult Education Syllabus PDF

UGC NET Adult Education Exam Pattern 2025

The UGC NET Adult Education Exam Pattern informs students about the conduct of the examination. The UGC NET 2025 exam consists of two papers. Paper I has 50 questions with a total of 100 marks. Paper II has 100 questions and 200 marks. Both papers together sum up to a total of 300 marks. Both papers are held on the same day. This helps students to plan their preparation in terms of time management and accuracy.

UGC NET Adult Education Marking Scheme 2025

All questions are of equal marks. There is no negative marking in the exam.  Students are awarded marks for every correct answer. By understanding the marking scheme, it is possible to strategize in order to attempt the maximum questions.