Participation in adult education: attitude and barriers.

In this paper, we control the intention theory of Fishbein and Ajzen (1980) for the participation in an adult education course. Based on the Flemish Eurostat Adult Education Survey, we reveal that participants in adult education have a more positive attitude towards learning and that within the group of non-participants, those who formulate an intention to participate score higher on attitude scales than non-participants without intention. The main reasons for non-participation are related to time squeeze and although the model of Fishbein and Ajzen (1980) stresses the importance of attitude, barriers are more than the mask of a poor attitude. Education policy and practice should therefore help adults in overcoming these obstacles

Understanding adult lifelong learning participation as a layered problem

This paper discusses the layered nature of lifelong learning participation, bringing together fragmented insights in why adults do or do not participate in lifelong learning activities. The paper will discuss the roles and responsibilities of individual adults, education and training providers and countries’ social education policies, often labelled as the micro-, meso- and macro-level. The aim of this work is to add a new model to the knowledge base that attempts to integrate separate insights at the three different levels. Apart from discussing the relevance of the micro-, meso- and macro-level, together with a comprehensive model, the paper provides some recommendations for future research in the area of adult lifelong learning participation, such as the adoption of multilevel models, the need for more data linkage and the desire for more diversification of research in terms of geographical spread and types of educational activities adults can undertake

Researching lifelong learning participation through an interdisciplinary lens

This paper explores the interdisciplinary nature of studies in the field of lifelong learning participation. Until recently, participation studies have been presented in a rather fragmented way, often drawing on insights from separate disciplines such as sociology or psychology. The complex nature of lifelong learning participation, however, urges scholars to go beyond this disciplinary fragmentation and to advance knowledge in an integrative way, through the construction of new interdisciplinary theories and the adoption of interdisciplinary research approaches. This paper discusses a new integrative theory and outlines a range of methodological challenges of working in interdisciplinary teams on interdisciplinary projects. Examples include understanding each other’s disciplinary background, the need to combine different insights from sociology, psychology, learning providers and governments’ policy decisions in multilevel models and the desire to adopt both quantitative and qualitative research methods

Foreign-born adults’ participation in educational activities:Evidence from Europe

This article demonstrates that foreign-born adults in Europe tend to participate less in adult education activities compared to native-born adults living in the same country. However, this is mainly explained through the job-related nature of nonformal education. Foreign-born adults tend to participate more in formal adult education than native-born adults in a range of countries. Based on analyses using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Programme on the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), this article shows that participation rates in European countries are mainly determined by adults’ educational attainment and having a job and that countries with overall high participation rates have higher participation rates among foreign-born adults as well. Exploring the participation in adult education of foreign-born adults in European countries is important, as it is known that those adults perceive difficulties in finding a job and having their foreign credentials recognized in the new country context. Participation in adult education courses might help them in learning new or maintaining their already existing skills

A typology of education and training provisions for low educated adults: categories and definitions

It is Europe’s ambition to be a strong knowledge based economy. The European Commission recognises the role of lifelong learning in achieving this aim. However, exploring participation rates in post-compulsory learning, it is clear that access to education and training is unequally distributed in society. We know that participation rates vary by socio-economic and socio-demographic groups, as well as by country. However, the role of education and training institutions in facilitating and enabling participation is less well known and deserves further in-depth attention. In order to fill this gap, we scrutinised definitions and categorisations of adult education provisions as published by the leading international organisations in the field of education and training. We paid specific attention to opportunities available for the lowest educated adults in society. Based on our review, we constructed a new typology consisting of seven categories for addition to the knowledge base and use in our own Horizon 2020 project. The categories are: (1) basic skills and basic education, (2) second chance education at upper secondary levels, (3) post-secondary VET, (4) apprenticeships, (5) training that forms part of Active Labour Market Policies, (6) workplace or job-related learning and (7) personal or social learning

Twenty-first century skills for all:Adults and problem solving in technology rich environments

The current Information Society requires new skills for personal, labor and social inclusion. Among the so-called Twenty-First Century Skills (Care et al. (eds) in Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills, Springer, New York, 2018) is Problem Solving in Technology Rich Environments (PS-TRE) competence evaluated in PISA and PIAAC tests (OECD in Survey of adult skills (PIAAC). Retrieved from https://goo.gl/cpb3fQ (2016)). This skill, although currently receiving considerable attention in compulsory education, has not received the same level of thought in the case of adult education. In this article, the presence of the PS-TRE skill among adults of working age (25–65 years) in Europe is analysed in relation to the factors that potentially affect a higher score in this skill. This analysis is carried out using structural equations modelling, taking into account socio-personal and educational factors, as well as the use of different skills in work and daily life. The results indicate that educational level and the use of different skills (reading, numerical, related to ICT) at home and at work, as well as participation in non-formal education activities, decisively relate to a higher level of PS-TRE. This result is positively mediated through risk factors such as being older or being a woman. This study concludes that it is necessary to reinforce these skills, not only in children, but also in the adult population, in order to avoid social and labour exclusion

Investigating the relationship between research income and research excellence in education: evidence from REF2021-UoA23 data

This paper presents and discusses the relationship between the generation of research income and the REF2021 results for universities who submitted a return to Unit of Assessment 23—Education. Research Excellence Framework exercises tend to be time intensive and come with income streams of Government Quality Research funding as well as reputational gains and risks. Based on REF2021 research environment research income data, freely available on the REF2021 website, analyses have been undertaken to investigate the strength of relationships between different types of fundings streams and grade point averages. The results demonstrate strong variation in funding capture across the different universities with Russell Group members tending to generate more income from prestigious funders such as UK Research and Innovation. However, several post-1992 universities managed to capture significant income from funders like UK and EU governments, without this necessarily translating into higher grade point averages or 4* scores. While generating research income is perceived as an important part of academic life, the paper concludes that achieving research excellence seems more complicated than just following the money

Lifelong learning participation as an interdisciplinary theory

No abstract available

Are adult learners in Europe happier than non-learners? Statistical evidence from the European Social Survey

This paper borrows insights from the literature on European welfare regimes to analyse the relationship between happiness and participation in adult education. The academic literature and policy discourses on adult education tend to claim that participation in learning is correlated with happiness despite the lack of strong European comparative empirical evidence on this topic. This paper uses data from the latest Wave of the European Social Survey to analyse the happiness perceptions of nearly 20,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 who live in 16 European countries (15 European Union countries and the United Kingdom). Results indicate that while adult learners on average tend to be happier than non-learners, this correlation weakens when controlling for determinants of participation and happiness and for the countries in which these adults live. Confirming the importance of welfare regimes, this study found that adults in Finland tend to be happier than those in other countries, regardless of their participation in adult education. Happiness scores were lowest in Bulgaria and Hungary, countries with low participation rates in adult education and with the biggest differences in happiness scores between learners and non-learners. It is argued that the presence of well-structured adult learning provision might be an important characteristic of welfare regimes but that happiness is determined by much more than being an adult learner

Evidence-based policy-making:The usability of the Eurostat Adult Education Survey

This article reflects on European education policy which is driven by benchmarks and indicators. While the European benchmark on adult lifelong learning participation—15% to be achieved by 2020—is measured by the Labour Force Survey, the Eurostat Adult Education Survey (AES) was designed to better understand the topic of adult lifelong learning participation in-depth. This article explores the AES as an instrument to inform policy-makers and whether it provides adequate information to empirically testify participation hypotheses. The article argues that analysis of the AES provides limited understanding of the educational supply side. Furthermore, policy-makers should be aware of methodological and conceptual weaknesses before relying on these data in their policy development