Timeframe
2025/2026
In general, the modules from the first survey round were repeated in the second survey round. The second survey round however placed particular emphasis on the topic of participation in democratic life and civic engagement. Those topics are core priorities for Erasmus+, making this a timely and policy-relevant focus for research in the second survey round.
As the European Commission has prioritised studies with a counterfactual approach, the RIA-AE Network aims to enhance its research and monitoring framework by integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods that align better with the Commission's guidelines. For this reason, two additional modules focusing on the impact of Erasmus+ mobility on adult learners were integrated in the second survey round.
Module 1 comprised the analysis of existing studies, programme and project documents as well as the data collected by the European Commission and the National Agencies as part of the funding processes and for monitoring purposes.
20
countries participated
2021-2025
was the examined time frame
As the central survey instrument for assessing the impact of Erasmus+, an online survey was organised in 21 countries addressing all organisations that implemented and completed at least one Erasmus+ project between 2021 and 2024.
21
countries participated
2.370
responses
33%
response rate
Case studies were implemented in order to gain additional insights into the impact mechanisms of the Erasmus+ Programme and to collect examples to illustrate the results of the online survey. The case studies focused on projects within the thematic area “Participation in democratic life, common values and civic engagement.” They included an analysis of project documentation, as well as interviews with project managers, staff, and learners.
14
countries participated
73
case studies were carried out
To provide deeper insight into the impact of mobility on adult learners, interviews with adult learners who participated in an Erasmus+ mobility, as well as with their project coordinators, were conducted. They also help to reflect on the experience of organising mobility for different target groups and to identify possible obstacles encountered during mobility.
11
countries participated
174
learners were interviewed
To analyse the obstacles to participation in Erasmus+ at the organisational level, telephone interviews were conducted with organisations that had not participated in Erasmus+ in recent years.
7
countries participated
32
interviews were conducted
To gain a better understanding of the impact of Erasmus+ mobility on adult learners, a qualitative content analysis of interviews with adult learners who participated in an Erasmus+ mobility was carried out. The interviews contributed to the development of an inventory of the impact of Erasmus+ mobility for adult learners.
4
countries participated
24
interviews were conducted
1
scientific article was published
In order to assess the effects and impact on relevant variables included in the previous qualitative study, a pre- and post-measurement of the capabilities of a selected group of adult learners participating in Erasmus+ mobility was conducted. In particular, this study examined the impact on the adult participants’ self-reliance in daily life, as well as on their social network and their role as European citizens.
13
countries participated
1.045
learners completed both tests