Lifelong Learning Policies Research Articles

Global perspectives on adult education and lifelong learning policy

Global perspectives on adult education and lifelong learning policy

PEMIKIRAN TOKOH PENDIDIKAN DALAM BUKU LIFELONG LEARNING: POLICIES, PRACTICES, AND PROGRAMS (Perspektif Peningkatan Mutu Pendidikan di Indonesia)

<p><em>The substances of the views of the some figures depicted in the Lifelong Learning Policies, Practices, And Programs, especially the ones found on Chapter </em><em>11 to </em><em>15 mostly describe the relation between the school education, families, and society. They are in accordance with the Indonesian Government Regulation No</em><em>20/2003 on the national system of Indonesian education that regulate its informal, formal and nonformal sectors. The least attended </em><em>nonformal one has actually equal charge, namely providing the best education to the society. </em></p>

ADULT LEARNING: TRENDS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ORGANIZATION

The European Union's education and lifelong learning policy stresses informal learning within the society. The article aims to review the concept of lifelong learning and to analyze opportunities for continuous learning process in organizations. New technologies, innovations in the workplace and professional training encourage employees to improve constantly and awareness of the importance of lifelong learning can help to secure their future in a changing labor market. Research methods applied were as following: literature and document analysis, expert interviews, analysis of the results and interpretation. The article presents a review of scientific literature and research data reveals leaders’ approach to employees' willingness to raise their qualification constantly and the organization's opportunities. The survey showed that employers want to have a highly qualified staff meeting the requirements of the organization, but do not always have sufficient funds for professional development.

Challenges in evaluating the EU’s lifelong learning policies

ABSTRACTSince the early 1990s, lifelong learning has become a major policy concern for the European Union, being seen as a means for enabling individuals to be more competitive in social and economic contexts that are continually changing. After a series of white papers and strategies in the field of lifelong learning, the EU launched the Lifelong Learning Programme in 2007, which dealt with the most pressing issues in the field. In light on the complexity of this programme, we need to ask ourselves if traditional evaluation models and approaches are appropriate for evaluating complex educational policies and programmes in the educational field. Thus, the stake of this article is to explore the challenges which arise when evaluating the EU’s lifelong learning policies and programmes in general, and the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013 in particular, as well as to propose several new directions for overcoming these challenges.

Becoming an educable lifelong learning subject: adult graduates’ transitions in education and working life

Continuous learning and updating one’s competences and abilities have become requirements for staying ‘up-to-date’ and ‘at the top of one’s game’. Lifelong learning policy has been persuasive in its emphasis on equal learning opportunities for all: everyone has endless possibilities and capabilities to learn according to her/his needs and desires throughout life. This discourse has been especially encouraging for the eight Finnish general upper secondary school adult graduates followed in this study; they had received little formal education in their youth or had been labelled as ‘poor’ students at school through the assessment criteria maintained by the schooling system’s prevailing meritocratic discourse. In order to become lifelong learning subjects, they first needed to prove their ability and competence as students and learners, that is their educability. This was also the key for their transitions in further and higher education and working life. Consequently, half of the interviewees told ‘success stories’ about these transitions. Moreover, they continued to have faith in ‘the great salvation of education’ as well as their own educability. For the other half, however, these transitions turned out to be disappointing or perceived as a broken promise. These adults also started to doubt their own abilities as students and learners.

Non-formal education and the labour market performance: a comparative analysis / Edukacja pozaformalna a rynek pracy: analiza porównawcza

The main objective of this article is the investigation of the relationship between non-formal education and labour market performance. The focus of the study is on selected issues related to educational activity of the employed population, as well as potential link between non-formal education and the main labour market indicators. The paper is based on the comparative analysis of available statistical data for Poland and the United Kingdom. Quantitative descriptive analysis was used to describe and compare the scale and nature of non-formal training which is an important element of the current focus of lifelong learning policies in both countries. The study suggests that observed differences in educational activity may result from different levels of skill specialisation in the economy, employment protection and employees mobility in the labour market.

International education policy: Its influence on the conception of VET and the VET system in Germany

Inquiries into vocational education and training (VET) systems are normally characterised by looking at institutions and steering mechanisms. That aside, however, it is culture which underlies both the practice and the theory as well as the policy of VET in various countries. Specific problems arise when it comes to harmonising VET systems through the backdoor. One of the current supranational instruments in this context is the European qualifications framework (EQF) and other related instruments as well as OECD expectations referring to increasing the numbers of higher education graduates. The PISA studies certainly also play their part within these influential streams of international education policy, in so far as they put pressure on school systems to change, depending on the performance of students. The PISA findings are then generalised by rebuking whole education systems as well as pointing to best practice countries like Finland. In contrast to PISA, though, the EQF is not as well-known an instrument outside the world of education, although its long-term impact should not be underestimated as it could result in specific national reform steps beyond the issue of raising the quality of school education. In this respect, its implications may be compared to those deriving from OECD studies rebuking countries once they fail to increase progression to and participation in higher education, since this issue touches the basic architecture of the whole education system and its underlying cultural and pedagogical paradigms. Since Germany is a typical example of an ‘apprenticeship country’, the paper picks up these immanent matching problems by referring to the German institutional framework of VET, including forms and practices of non-state intervention into the system and, in particular, to the responsibility of non-state institutions such as the social partners, who have specific views on preserving the culture behind the dual system in the context of internationalisation. The paper also touches on other specific issues associated with Europeanisation of VET, i.e. the function of hybrid qualifications, which are quite common in the UK or France, but also in Switzerland with its traditional apprenticeship system. They refer to the dimension of lifelong learning policy in so far as they touch the relationship between VET and higher education, but also the basic question of new progression routes within the education system.

Perceived Employability in Difficult Economic Times

ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on current European employment policy, promoting the individual's responsibility for remaining employable. Within this supply-oriented framework, general political responsibilities of both increasing the demand for labour and facilitating the development of human capital through training and education opportunities are less emphasized than the individual's own responsibility to remain attractive for employers. In an analysis of perceived opportunities among European employees, we argue that the concept of ‘employment security’ can lift the individualized perspective on employability skills and attributes to a more structural and institutional perspective. To enhance individuals’ chances of finding a job, educational and lifelong learning policies and active labour market measures are believed to be important factors, besides general demand in the labour market. Through multi-level modelling, we analyse the significance of individual and contextual factors on employees’ perception of their chances in the labour market. The data used are from the European Social Survey (2010), including data from 21 countries. Our results indicate that employability cannot solely be regarded as an individual phenomenon relying on individual characteristics. We also need to focus on the institutional context enabling the individual to remain in employment in the existing mobile and risky labour market.

Lifelong Learning Policies and Higher Education in Europe and Spain

This paper describes and analyzes the set of increasing policies related to lifelong learning in Europe and Spain in the last 20 years. Lifelong learning and related concepts ― lifelong education, formal-non formal-informal learning, etc. ― are discussed to clarify and contextualize their use. The contribution of higher education to lifelong learning is specially mentioned. The paper provides an overview of the European strategies and programmes, acknowledging Europe 2020 strategy and its Education and Training 2020 strategy and the Lifelong Learning Programme (2007-2013) and its successor, Erasmus (2014-2020). Spanish policies and conceptions about lifelong learning are pointed out. The case of UNED and its continuing education activities is described. Special mention is devoted to initiatives about open education, framed within lifelong learning actions. Final section remarks some challenges and future steps, such as recognition and accreditation of non-formal, informal and open learning or integration of open education initiatives.

Lifelong learning strategies and practice in Latvia and Thailand

The importance of lifelong learning has been recognized for many years and consequently many countries, disregarding their geographical location, differences in education systems and traditions, have adopted their lifelong learning policies to develop the lifelong learning system. The goal of the present comparative research is to study the comprehension of the term lifelong learning in one European country (Latvia) and one Asian country (Thailand), analyse the policies introduced, and single out priorities and the main challenges in the implementation of lifelong learning policies in each country. The paper proposes some examples of best practice in implementation of lifelong learning in Thailand and Latvia. The best practices of implementation of lifelong learning policies and strategies in each local area of the country, particularly in rural areas, are provided as a best practice of Thailand. One of the challenges that Latvia is facing at the moment in lifelong learning is how to decrease the level of early school leavers (aged 18–24). The best practice of Latvia provides an example of a possible solution for this challenge. The comparative research discovers that although the two countries have different history, traditions and they are located in geographically different areas, there are similarities in their lifelong learning policy and they can learn from each other how to best implement lifelong learning policy.

Lifelong Learning Policy Agenda in the European Union: A bi-level analysis

The Lisbon European Summit in 2000 has been a milestone in reframing education policies to foster a ‘knowledge economy’, whilst amid the challenges of the new decennium Lifelong Learning (LLL) has been propounded as a powerful lever for attaining ‘sustainable growth’. The present article aims to elucidate the development of an integrated European Union (EU) policy framework for LLL in light of the ‘Lisbon’ and ‘Europe 2020’ Strategies. Through a bi-level analysis of policy texts with high political significance representing a point of reference for a given discourse, it seeks to explore trends and identify interrelations between EU LLL policy and emerging challenges within the Union, as well as global socio-economic mandates that inform contemporary education policy. On the first level, Critical Discourse Analysis was employed, categorizing the data in five main discourse strands. On the second, the data underwent Implicative Statistical Analysis. The results have indicated a substantial shift in the relationship between education and politics, with education assigned a monolithic role in providing for a flexible ‘up-to-date’ workforce, so as to enable the EU to remain a strong global actor.

Lifelong learning policy for the elderly people: a comparative experience between Japan and Thailand

This study examined and compared the legal inputs, structural settings and implementation process of lifelong learning policy in Thailand and Japan focusing on street-level agents. The findings demonstrated that while both countries had legal frameworks that provided a legislative platform to promote lifelong learning among the elderly based on a bottom-up implementation of policies, three major differences existed that equated with different outcomes of lifelong learning among the elderly in both countries. First, the promotion of lifelong learning for the elderly in Thailand mirrored complex administrative structures of several host organizations and multiple legal frameworks; whilst Japan’s lifelong learning policy had been promoted based on the Social Education Act under a single ministry. Second, while Thailand based its policy implementation on government agents at the regional and local level in policy delivery, Japan developed a community-based multilayered platform that promoted the policy with active involvement from various local players. Finally, lifelong learning policy for the elderly in Thailand reflected the personal initiatives of policy promotion by government agents at the local level; whereas, lifelong learning policy for the elderly in Japan was pursued based on the interests of the elderly and the community in which they lived.

Working the boundaries between education and work: transformations of the German educational system reconsidered

The Lisbon commitment for a European knowledge society together with the subsequently implemented policy of lifelong learning and social inclusion has significantly affected the German educational system and its teaching practices. This article examines the impact of these policy reforms on educational work in Germany through an analysis of the career narratives of workers in school-to-work transition programmes, career guidance activities and training and education programmes for long-term unemployed who are constantly negotiating the boundary zone between work and education. This qualitative analysis is contrasted with an analytical description of the meso-level reconfigurations in the framing of school-to-work transition.

Lifelong learning policy in two national contexts

This article describes and discusses the development of lifelong learning policy in two EU member states, Denmark and Portugal. The purpose is to show how different societal and historical contexts shape the development and implementation of lifelong learning policies, even though these policies have significant common elements. As a basis for the discussion an inventory of policy elements is presented. Denmark and Portugal have been chosen as examples of smaller EU member states with different historical, social and cultural characteristics. Developments and policies in the two countries, including the links with EU education policy, are described. The discussion includes comparison drawing on the inventory of policy elements. A main conclusion is that the different historical trajectories of the two countries remain very important for present-day education and for the advancement of lifelong learning policy. Early development of public primary education and popular adult education has provided a strong foundation for lifelong learning policy in Denmark while in Portugal not only institutional provision but also popular demand for lifelong learning has had to be built up relatively recently. EU education policy has had much more impact on lifelong learning policy in Portugal than in Denmark, because Portugal has had to depend much more on economic support from the EU social fund.

Trans-nationalization of educational policy making: from European innovation projects in adult education to an emerging European space for lifelong learning: what model for the European vocational education and training policy?

This article is drawn from broader qualitative research on innovation in the field of professional adult training within the framework of European pilot projects such as the LEONARDO projects. This research aims at contributing to a general understanding of the phenomenon of innovation, in the context of European calls for projects, as an instrument of the European Vocational Education and Training (VET) Policy, which is supposed to transform the national training systems of EU member states according to the Lisbon Strategy. For this article, the author has chosen to present some of the results of the analysis of the European VET Policy and its transition to a lifelong learning policy. The first part of this article describes the conceptual framework and more especially three of the main concepts examined: public policy, social innovation and European space. The second part distinguishes three periods in the European VET policy’s history, identified through a genealogical examination from its first step within the European Coal and Steel Community to the present lifelong learning policy. The third part highlights the specificity of this supranational public policy model and the links between the European VET policy, the LEONARDO programme and the pilot projects. In conclusion, this article supports the idea of antagonistic logics in the evolution of this policy, on at least three levels: decision-making powers, conception of VET systems and conception of learning.

European Union and Greek lifelong learning policy within an intercultural context: preliminary insights from research in the Sociology of Law

This paper presents preliminary findings of an extensive socio-legal research project, currently in progress, concerning the implementation of the European Union and the Greek institutional framework on lifelong learning (LLL) and exploring the social effectiveness of LLL policy. The main outcomes, based on testing two research hypotheses through quantitative and qualitative content analysis, are presented. Firstly, there are significant differences in the ranking of four LLL objectives (employability/adaptability takes priority over social inclusion, personal fulfilment and active citizenship) as between legal documents of different origin (EU or national) and binding force (hard or soft law). Secondly, the key role of the global recession of 2008 in reinforcing the economic dimension of EU policy in the field is revealed. These data, considered from a socio-legal perspective, provide a basis for further discussion regarding national alignment to the EU’s LLL policy and argue for new ‘policy syntheses’ informed by the views of social actors concerned with policy implementation, in line with a broad humanistic notion of LLL.

Learning as renewal: contribution to the present theoretical background of the lifelong learning policy of the European Union

There are a number of EU documents on the term and way of implementation of lifelong learning. However, the characteristics of learning from adult education perspectives are not sufficiently emphasized and are undertheorized in them. Numerous new, theoretical works have been published on adult learning in the related adult education literature since the millennium, which have not yet been integrated into the lifelong learning policy. This article analyses the documents of the European Union on lifelong learning from the aspect of how compatible they are with the most recent adult learning theories assisting the deeper understanding of the characteristics of adult learning. According to the recommendation of the author, the present transformation of Europe experiencing recession should be thought of as a learning process, of which the newest, innovation-oriented adult learning theories say a lot. These are, for example, the process-, biography- and change-oriented theories which contain the elements of transformative learning theory as well, and are also compatible with action-learning theories focusing on solving the tasks and problems of the workplace through learning. Further relevant theories can be the theories of innovation management and the flow theory. It would be worth integrating the relevant elements of these theories into a new, innovation-centred concept which would include the innovation indicators of adult learning/adult education.

Lifelong education and learning, societal project and competitive advantage: tensions and ambivalences in policy and planning of educational change in Portugal

Both the Portuguese appropriation of the lifelong learning policy proposed by the European Union since the mid-1990s and the definition of adult education policy in Portugal were based on a discourse that emphasised an ‘unacceptable educational deficit’ for democracy. The role of the State in the governance of the public provision of adult education was linked to its disengagement or precarious contractual involvement in the same. In this article, we discuss developments in adult education and training policy from the mid-1990s to 2010 in terms of an ambivalent policy dynamic and orientation of educational change, examining how a civil society organisation used adult education as a tool for rural development, to support the economy and individual resilience in the face of socio-economic weaknesses and risks.

Iniciativa Hospital Amigo da Criança: uma análise a partir das concepções de profissionais quanto às suas práticas

ObjectivesTo analyse the operationalization of the Baby‐Friendly Hospital Iniciative (BFHI) as far as the humanization in promoting breastfeeding and staff involvement in activities related to its stragey is concerned. MethodsA case study, qualitative research, was conducted in a Baby‐Friendly Hospital from the public system of Paraiba, northeastern Brazil. Semi‐structured interviews and meetings with focus groups were conducted featuring 60 technical and top level professionals. This process was followed by the content analysis of the narratives. ResultsProfessionals showed greater concern with the technical aspects of encouraging breastfeeding. A gap between the work processes between these professionals and the pro‐breastfeeding activities developed in maternity units was identified, which appeared to be predominantly in charge of the milk bank sector. It was also found that there is no appropriation of breastfeeding policy of the institution, by the health team, as a guiding tool to carry out daily activities. ConclusionsIt is necessary to implement an effective policy of lifelong learning and education directed to the maternity health care team that contemplates a wide dissemination and discussion with all professionals involved in maternal and infant care, so they can be prepared to rescue the breastfeeding practice considering not only the biological aspects of this practice, but also valuing issues related to humanization.

The Impact of Learning on Women's Labour Market Transitions

Women play an increasingly important role in the labour market and as wage earners. Moreover, in many countries, young women have outperformed men in terms of educational attainment and qualification. Still, women's human capital investment does not pay off as it does for men as they are still significantly disadvantaged on the labour market. Based on a qualitative empirical investigation with women in their mid-career, this article investigates the role of learning for women's labour market participation and career paths. Women's careers complexly intersect with role expectations, family needs, the career of the partner and anticipation of low returns of educational investment. This is typically reflected in discontinuous employment, part-time work and women's secondary wage earner position in the family. Furthermore, women qualified at the intermediate skills level are more likely to move horizontally in their career than vertically. Horizontal mobility thereby requires significant engagement with learning as the German labour market usually requires a formal qualification to realise a career change. Learning and further training thus become instrumental to facilitate and support women's career transitions, which are often aimed at re-entering regular employment after longer periods of family-related interruptions and/or to remain qualified in jobs in the social, health and educational fields, all of which are female dominated. Ultimately, women's significant engagement with continuing learning is not primarily expected to support career advancement and vertical mobility, particularly as it can neither alter discontinuities of employment nor the German-specific nexus between welfare, family and education policies and the labour market. This challenges the lifelong learning rhetoric insofar as one key aim of lifelong learning policies is to support labour market inclusion and the mobility of disadvantaged groups.