Formation of the self and KA1 mobility among adult learners in Italy: initial evidence from the second survey round within the RIA-AE Network

This contribution analyses KA1 mobility of adult learners in Italy on the basis of aggregate data from the second Survey Round of the RIA-AE Network. In the context of a descriptive-interpretative paradigm, mobility is conceptualised as an educational and formative endeavour that engages with adult subjectivity by fostering a nexus between personal lived experience, educational accompaniment, and future-oriented projectuality. The analysis takes into consideration a range of participant profiles, with particular attention paid to the participants’ access to their first mobility experience, the support available to them, the outcomes they have perceived, and the knowledge they have declared. These aspects are analysed in relation to the horizontal priorities of the Erasmus+ programme. The results demonstrate that participation varies according to gender and age, with adults in the central and later stages of life exhibiting a notable presence, particularly in group mobility. The outcomes that have been declared pertain to the development of practical skills, confidence, autonomy, responsibility and projectual orientation. In the context of a descriptive survey based on declarative data, the evidence provides valuable insights into the interpretation of KA1 mobility as an experience of self-recognition, capacity to act, and conscious belonging to social, cultural, and European contexts.