Participation In Adult Education Research Articles

Deindustrialisation, Community, and Adult Education: The North East England Experience

This article argues for the continued importance of adult education in communities, an approach to adult education which has been maligned and ignored in policy that has, instead, incessantly prioritised employability skills training. The significance of adult education in communities is that it seeks to build the curriculum from the interests, aspirations, and problems that people experience in their everyday lives by providing opportunities for individual and collective change (more below). We draw on data taken from a study by one of the authors, which used a life history approach to explore the outcomes for 14 people from the deindustrialised North East England of participation in either employability skills training or community adult education. We document several themes through these stories: churning, surveillance, precarity, demoralisation, ontological insecurity, and personal renewal.

Participation in adult education and training in countries with high and low participation rates: demand and barriers

ABSTRACTThis paper explores patterns in participation in adult education and training (AET) by comparing five countries with high participation rates (the Nordic countries and the Netherlands) with three countries with significantly lower participation rates (France, Poland and the Slovak Republic). Using PIAAC data the paper examines differences in the levels of demand for AET as well as variations in barriers to AET participation between the two groups of countries. The demand for AET is higher than the actual participation rate since it includes those who do not participate although they wish to. The demand for AET is substantially higher in countries with high participation rates. Further, the structure and level of barriers is quite similar in the two groups of countries. Countries with low AET participation rate do not have a higher proportion of individuals reporting barriers to AET participation; that they do not participate in AET although they wish to. In both groups of countries demand for AET is strongly associated with the individuals’ educational level. The findings are discussed by drawing on previous studies on drivers of and barriers to participation in AET.

Abolishing Illiteracy and Upgrading Culture: Adult Education and Revolutionary Hegemony in Socialist Laos

ABSTRACTThis article examines the monopolisation of political space by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, before and after 1975. Together with coercive measures, the Marxist-Leninist regime consolidated rule by establishing and disseminating new concepts of state power, social responsibility and socialist subjectivity, which formed the basis of a radical form of revolutionary hegemony. The Party propagated a new rhetoric of rule through mandated activities including village meetings, co-operatives and a much expanded but poor-quality mass education system. This article examines the system of adult education, where the Party sought to eradicate illiteracy and “upgrade culture” among economically productive 15 to 45-year-olds. Motivated by both politics and pedagogy, the Party imported this system from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the 1960s before institutionalising it after 1975. The resulting organisational structure fanned the rhetoric of rule across the national territory in an extensive manner that reached the illiterate “masses” in large numbers. Even where the programme encountered material shortages and apathy, mandated participation in adult education propagated the vocabulary and grammatical structure of socialist Laos, providing a codebook for how to participate in socialist society.

Conceptual foundations for understanding inequality in participation in adult learning and education (ALE) for international comparisons

ABSTRACTInequality in adult learning and education (ALE) participation has been reported by previous comparative studies. In doing so, however, most of efforts have been made to understand such patterns of inequality in ALE participation at the micro-level using a conceptual approach based on human capital theory. While the micro-level approach offers an individualistic and economic perspective on learning, macro-level structural conditions play an important role in creating the circumstances faced by individuals. By performing a critical literature review, this paper intends to build conceptual foundations conducive to understand both micro- and macro-level dimensions implicitly and/or explicitly linked to inequality in ALE participation. Specifically, this paper takes a brief look into social origins as a micro-level factor, and takes an in-depth look into social inequality (i.e. education, economic and skill inequality) and institutional settings (i.e. active labour market policies and strictness of employment protection,) as macro-level factors. These conceptual foundations can be used as a conceptual framework for a cross-country empirical analysis of the degree of inequality in ALE participation.

Who Upgrades to Higher Level Qualifications in Midlife?

ABSTRACTThis paper investigates why people return to study in their 30s and beyond and upgrade to a higher level qualifications. Some previous research has argued that attitudes formed in childhood, via family background and schooling, continue to shape a person’s engagement in learning throughout the adult lifecourse. Psychologists distinguish extrinsic motivation, determination to progress in a career, from intrinsic motivation, love of learning and suggest that both may be relevant to participation in adult education. A well-established education literature focuses on barriers to adult learning, such as lack of time or lack of funds.The research focuses on people who did not enter higher education at the conventional ages of late teens or early twenties but who did subsequently obtain degree-level or equivalent qualifications in midlife, defined here as from their early 30s through to age 50. The research uses data from the 1958 British birth cohort, a large-scale longitudinal survey. In the paper, a comparison group methodology and binary logistic regression models are used to isolate the key factors which explain why cgertain individuals progress to higher level qualifications in midlife while others do not.

Beyond educational attainment: The importance of skills and lifelong learning for social outcomes. Evidence for Europe from PIAAC

AbstractEmpirical evidence suggests that educational attainment nurtures people's social outcomes and promotes active participation in society and stability. However, it is unclear to what extent other types of human capital also correlate with social outcomes. Hence, we explored the opportunity offered by the PIAAC survey through its provision of information on educational attainment, observed individual key skills proficiency, and participation in adult education and training (adult lifelong learning). We therefore studied the association between these human capital variables and social outcomes, and more specifically interpersonal trust and participation in volunteering activities. Results revealed that these social outcomes were affected not only by the formal qualification obtained, determined by the education variable, but also throughout the life‐cycle. Indeed, education and training when undertaken during adult life have a significant impact, especially on volunteering. The fact that the skill proficiency also plays a significant role is extremely relevant, as skills are more likely to change over the life‐cycle, either in a positive or negative way. Whilst the formal education received is constant after exiting the educational system, skills reflect competences more accurately: first, because those with the same level of education may have different skill levels because of differences in the quality of education or ability; second, because skills can vary over time. For example, they may increase with work experience or informal education, or decrease as a result of depreciation and ageing. These findings suggest that social outcomes are prone to be affected by many factors other than formal education, suggesting that policy makers can implement recommendations even after formal education has been completed.

Does Nonformal Education Matter? Nonformal Education, Immigration, and Skills in Canada

This article examined the relationship between participation in adult nonformal education (NFE), defined as on-the-job training, attending private lessons, attending seminars, or distance learning, and Canadian immigrant respondents’ literacy and numeracy outcomes, using data from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies Survey. We found that although participation in some forms of NFE was significantly related to higher literacy and numeracy scores, such relationship tended to be greater for first-generation immigrants than for nonimmigrant adults, even after controlling for their linguistic and formal educational background. Our findings suggested that first-generation immigrants in Canada might benefit the most from increased participation in NFE programs and targeted policies.

Shooting a moving target: The Sisyphus boulder of increasing participation in adult education during the period of economic crisis

This article presents a study conducted after the onset of the economic crisis in Greece. The study lasted for more than five years and was organized by the Research Institutes of Trade Union Confederation of Greece and the Hellenic Small Enterprises Institute of the Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants. Using a mixed methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, we attempt to investigate participation in adult education and record the reasons and barriers which shape participation patterns. Data presented in this article show that participation has increased in Greece, and at the same time inequalities are magnified, while the economic crisis seems to be a serious deterrent factor for a further development of adult education. Our goal is to interpret those findings based on developments of contemporary Greek society with regard to the meaning that participants attribute to the factors affecting their participation.

Between Inclusion and Fairness

The article claims that equity is an indispensable dimension of the widening of access to adult education. Building on the understanding of social justice in adult education as a complex phenomenon, two indicators are developed: an index of inclusion and an index of fairness in participation in adult education. The article analyses social justice separately in formal and nonformal education for two social groups—people with low and high education. Using data from the Adult Education Survey from 2007 and 2011 for 25 countries, it is shown that in most of the countries, there are signs of improvement in the fairness aspect of social justice as a result of a decrease in the overrepresentation of people with high education and in the underrepresentation of people with low education. However, the inclusion of people with low education in adult education remains considerable lower in comparison with the inclusion of people with high education.

Proxies and perplexities: What is the current state of adult (il)literacy in South Africa?

This article provides a detailed analysis of the data from a range of official sources that have been used to enumerate the number of people who can be described as totally or functionally illiterate and estimates whether illiteracy in South Africa can be reduced in the foreseeable future. The study examines the use of years of schooling (conventionally now set at Grade 7) as the proxy indicator of a person being functionally literate by the main sources, the General Population Censuses of 1996, 2001, and 2011 and the annual General Household Surveys and shows that these sources give somewhat contradictory and discordant estimates of the rate at which there is gradual decline of illiteracy in South Africa. Other indicators based on self reporting, also used in the Census and General Housing Surveys, show that a large number of adult South Africans have difficulty in reading, writing and calculating with numbers. The study also shows that the data presented by these surveys about participation in literacy and adult basic education and training classes is inaccurate. Note is made that currently South Africa does not make use of any means of direct testing of adult literacy. The article concludes with an exploration on whether South Africa is able to reach the goal of halving illiteracy by 2015. The target of such a reduction is necessarily based on what the baseline number of illiterates is as well as decision on whether full function literacy must be obtained or a merely a basic level of alphabetisation. Through a detailed estimation of the results of the Kha Ri Gude adult literacy campaign since 2008 a finding is made that the halving of illiteracy will be made, but only at the most basic level, and that attaining full functional literacy for all South Africans remains a major task.

Socio-Economic Effects of Women's Participation in Adult and NonFormal Education: Case of Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria

This paper examined the socioeconomic effects of women's participation in adult and non-formal education in Nigeria with special attention on Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State. From the pre-colonial era up to the time of independence, little attention was given to the education of girl child and women in Nigeria - be it formal and non-formal. The reason is not unconnected with the belief by many that the best place for women to function is home and kitchen. However, the clamour for girl-child education and women empowerment in the global scene brought about the paradigm shift in the area of education in Nigeria as much emphasis is now being placed on women education as catalyst for socioeconomic change and development. This paper identified the socio-economic benefits derivable from women's participation in non-formal education. The descriptive survey method was used, interviews conducted were codified and analysed using SPSS T-test stastical instrument. Suggestions and recommendations were made based on the outcome of the analysis, to suggest better ways for improving the education and empowerment of women in Nigeria.

Participation in job-related training in European countries: the impact of skill supply and demand characteristics

Ageing populations and accelerating economic change make it increasingly important to update the skill levels of populations over the whole life course. Adult education is believed to allow adults’ skills to adapt continuously to constantly changing economic requirements. Both research into adult education, and discussions on lifelong learning policies have been dominated by a supply side view of the labour market (the human capital approach), which has tended to underplay the role of the demand side of the labour market. This paper aims to extend previous analyses by examining how both labour supply and demand characteristics influence participation in non-formal job-related education in countries with different skill formation systems. The paper emphasises skill use at work. The purpose is to understand better the relationship between participation in adult education and workers’ skills profiles as well as the extent to which those skills are used in jobs and how this relationship differs in different countries. We used data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies and applied logistic regression analysis.

Literacy level I and below versus literacy level IV and above

Literacy as specified in the recent PIAAC survey (OECD 2013) is separated into competence levels. This allows a comparison of adults performing on literacy Level I and below versus those performing on Level IV and above. The PIAAC survey also contains variables on participation in adult education. Core findings confirm the Matthew effect for participation rates, but not for training hours.

Investigation of Participation in Adult Education in Turkey: AES Data Analysis

The aim of this study is to identify the determinants of participation in adult education in Turkey. The analysis is conducted using the Adult Education Survey (AES), conducted by TurkStat. The results indicate that economic growth in the sector of employment significantly and positively affects the odds for adult education participation. The data also show that the characteristics of men and women who take courses in the most popular fields of education vary. For example, younger, more educated, and employed individuals are more likely to take part in adult education activities in Turkey. A person with no education or only a primary school education is not as active in adult education, independent of gender. The results of this study indicate that policy makers in countries like Turkey need a strategy for encouraging adult education participation among individuals with limited formal education.

Participation in adult education for community development: a critical discourse analysis of Training for Transformation

Participation has become so central to adult education for community development that even the World Bank supports participatory programming. This article analyses how participation is conceptualised in Training for Transformation (TfT), a Freirean-inspired curriculum used in international community development settings. TfT seeks to equip learners ‘to understand and take action in their world’, partly by shaping the curriculum itself. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the TfT curriculum, three interviews, and published TfT case studies, the study explores what kinds of involvement and control educators and curriculum developers intend in TfT. CDA elucidates who is included in the training and how practitioners position themselves vis-a-vis learners and other audiences. TfT implementation highlights the dialectic between idealised community participation and decision making in educational programming, and educators’ need and desire to develop curricular content. Specifically, within Freire’s early philosophy and the TfT curriculum, there is a tension between exploratory, participatory learning pedagogy rooted in dialogue, and animators’ intention to teach certain content and relay particular ideologies. This study highlights potential contradictions and complications in adult education for community development participatory discourses, and underscores the need for practitioners to consider what genuine participation entails and how best to cultivate it.

노인의 교육참여가 인지기능에 미치는 영향: 자녀관계 만족도의 매개효과를 중심으로

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of participation in adult education on cognitive function, and the mediating effects of relationships with children among older adults. This study employed data from the 2011 Elderly Survey, and a total of 8,668 older adults over 65-years old were used for analysis. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the mediating effect of relationship with children based on the approach proposed by Baron & Kenny (1986). The results showed that participation in adult education increased cognitive function of older adults. Adult education participation also increased satisfaction with relationship with children, and relationship with children was found to have a mediating effect. These findings suggest that there is a need to recognize the importance of the relationship between older adults and children when developing education programs for older adults.

Adult participation in higher education and the ‘knowledge economy’: a cross-national analysis of patterns of delayed participation in higher education across 15 European countries

‘Delayed participation’ in higher education (HE) is an increasingly important feature of modern HE systems in many countries. Despite this, surprisingly little empirical research has been undertaken seeking to better understand levels of delayed adult participation in HE across Europe. The present article responds to this gap by analysing country-level data on delayed adult participation in HE across 15 European countries and by modelling associations between participation levels and a range of theoretically derived economic, social, demographic and systemic factors. The findings suggest that there is considerably more cross-national variation in levels of adult delayed participation and that prevalent typologies of HE, such as Trow’s, fail to give recognition to the importance of delayed participation. The modelling work finds that social and demographic factors exhibit relatively strong associations with delayed participation in HE. This questions the pre-eminence of economic factors within much of the academic literature, policy discourse and policy activity.

Like a rolling stone: non-traditional spaces of adult education

In this article, I try to explore the squeezing concept of adult education that provides a kind of identity to the field characterised by vagueness, diversity and the links to social justice. This diversity is also present when talking about the participants in the process. After presenting the concept of adult education, I explore three different experiences that I have referred to as non-traditional spaces of adult education. In the conclusion, I consider that the diversity, the production of knowledge, and the role of both teacher and learners are essential to define non-traditional spaces and non-traditional participants in adult education.

Editorial: Non-traditional participants in adult education and learning

Not Available._x000D_ Link to Appendix: http://www.rela.ep.liu.se/issues/10.3384_rela.2000-7426.201671/01/Appendix.pdf

Participation in Formal Adult Education and its Impact on Inequality over the Life Course in Contemporary Russia

Participation in Formal Adult Education and its Impact on Inequality over the Life Course in Contemporary Russia