Participation In Adult Education Research Articles

Bounded advantages of higher education regarding young adults’ participation in nonformal education

The article uses insights from the capability approach as a theoretical framework. It investigates the potential of higher education to provide fertile advantages regarding young adults’ participation in nonformal education and whether this potential is bounded by people’s individual characteristics and the wider social context in which they live. Applying descriptive statistics and multilevel modelling, we conducted a secondary data analysis of the Adult Education Survey for 29 European countries. The findings go beyond previous research by clearly demonstrating that the fertile advantages of higher education regarding participation in adult nonformal education are not absolute and straightforward. They are bounded not only by certain important individual characteristics (such as individuals’ social background and household income) but are also context-dependent. More concretely, they differ among countries and depend on various country-level factors, such as level of innovation and economic growth.

Association between participation in adult education and subjective wellbeing among older adults: the mediating roles of social isolation and digital isolation and the moderating roles of educational level

ABSTRACT Participation in adult education is a crucial component of the active aging framework. However, there have been limited studies exploring the association between participation in adult education and subjective wellbeing among older adults. Furthermore, the underlying mediating and moderating mechanisms in this association have not been extensively investigated. This study aims to explore the mediating roles of physical and digital isolation, as well as the moderating roles of educational level. A sample of 7,602 older adults (M = 70.97, SD = 7.13) was drawn from the 2018 wave of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the mediating and moderating roles. The results revealed that participation in adult education is positively associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of loneliness among older adults. Both physical isolation and digital isolation play mediating roles in these associations. Moreover, educational level moderates the association between participation in adult education and older adults’ life satisfaction and loneliness. The linkages are significant for older adults with lower levels of education, but not significant for those with higher levels of education. These findings contribute to current knowledge and offer practical implications for improving older adults’ subjective wellbeing through participation in adult education.

An empirical study of the personality factors and individual characteristics of older adult participation in third age education

ABSTRACT In China, the innovative development of education for older people is an important response to the aging population, and an important way to meet the spiritual, cultural, and social needs of older people. Current academic research mainly focuses on the social factors that affect the participation of older people in education and there are few empirical studies on the individual psychological characteristics of older adult learning behavior. This study takes a positive psychology approach to the exploration of the factors influencing the participation of older adults in education in a number of universities of the Third Age in Fujian Province, China. The study is based on curriculum preferences and frequency of participation in extracurricular activities. The results show that the personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism, as well as gender, age, level of educational attainment, and family economic status significantly affect frequency of participation in extracurricular activities and the curriculum preferences of older learners. The results of this study suggest that we can strengthen personality matching to promote the learning enthusiasm of older people in education, and adhere to the demand-oriented to promote the Third age education curriculum personalized. Furthermore, we should increase the scope for popularizing Third age education, improve the accessibility of education for the older people, accelerate the integration of older adult education with the Internet, innovate the form of older adult education, and then promote the development of customized curricula.

Second Chance in Vocational Education and Training of Adults in Slovakia: Second or Wasted Chance?

Context: The paper focuses on an analysis of school-based vocational education and training (VET) of adults in Slovakia against the background of the concept of second-chance education (hereafter SCE). The concept of SCE involves different conditions of education to those that adults faced during their initial education and were unable to meet. Adults primarily study part-time, where they are offered a mirror image of a reduced full-time programme rather than an alternative space for obtaining a degree.  Approach: Several theoretical research methods were used in the paper. An analysis of available statistical data about adults in VET, secondary analysis of relevant literature, the authors' own findings from previous research, and a comparison of selected characteristics of VET of adults in Slovakia with the principles of second chance education allowed for the formulation of synthesised findings and recommendations on necessary changes in adult education in vocational education and training.  Findings: The absence of SCE principles in the vocational education and training of adults in Slovakia is one of the reasons for insufficient participation of low-educated adults. Neither schools, nor the state or municipalities, nor employment offices have created a mechanism for acquiring and keeping adults in education. VET of adults does not fulfil a social integration function because it is mostly used by adults who are upgrading or supplementing their existing qualifications. A significant manifestation of the lack of interest in improving the situation of the low-educated in VET is, among other things, the absence of training programmes that would prepare teachers for a non-mainstream educational process with non-mainstream pupils. The measures, which would be aimed at increasing the participation of the low-educated adults in secondary education are absent. This situation results, among other things, in persistent regional disparities in adult participation in education, which deepen the marginalisation of entire regions and their populations. Conclusion: The VET of adults in Slovakia lacks the concept of second-chance education that would enable those who needed it the most to enter and obtain higher level of education. The implementation of the elements of the SCE concept in VET would allow for an increase in the participation and success of the most vulnerable groups of adults with the lowest education and socio-economic status. 

‘Situational barriers are keeping me from participating’, but are they situational? Examining low-educated adults’ psychosocial views on adult learning

Despite the attention devoted to situational and institutional barriers in studying participation in adult education, psychosocial barriers are often overlooked in research. However, low-educated, and non-participating adults are more likely to experience them. In this study, we examine low-educated, both participating and non-participating, adults’ psychosocial views on learning. We interviewed 15 adults by using vignettes to elicit discussion on a delicate and difficult to interview theme and carried out a qualitative content analysis. Our findings demonstrate that adults point to situational barriers for not participating and, contrary to what we anticipated, have positive general attitudes towards learning. However, there are several prerequisites to having this attitude. For instance, learning has to be useful, a learning trigger is needed, spare hours should not be devoted, and there should be no exams or tests. As a result, our research demonstrates the complex nature of perceived ‘situational’ barriers, which frequently pertain to psychosocial stances.

Skills to pay the bills: a review of the Skills for Jobs White Paper, including considerations for supporting the adult education agenda

The Skills for Jobs White Paper and Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) have been anticipating changes in UK policy. Participation in adult education and work-based opportunities has been in decline for over 15 years, but without a clear information, advice and guidance (IAG) strategy and framework, there is reasonable doubt if the intended outcomes will be met. Using a narrative literature review relating to IAG, mature students and lifelong learning, this article finds the key to the success in supporting the adult education agenda involves collaboration. This should involve regional-level partnerships to map out provision with education providers, employers and local government, ensuring representation of the group through targeted initiatives, personal support and guidance.

Impact of COVID‐19 on participation and barriers in nonformal adult education in the Czech Republic

AbstractThe impact that the COVID‐19 pandemic has had on nonformal adult education has become a frequently discussed issue in lifelong learning. Nonformal adult education is understood here as all organised adult learning outside formal education that usually does not result in official certification. Many scholars have considered the pandemic as the leading cause of both decreased participation in nonformal adult education and increased inequality among adults. Nevertheless, it has not yet been empirically established how profound this outcome has been for participation patterns, inequality and perceived barriers to involvement in nonformal adult education. Accordingly, this study explored how much the pandemic contributed to a decrease in overall participation, changes in participation patterns, as well as contributed to an increase in related inequalities in the Czech Republic. This article reports on results from a national representative survey in June 2020 (N = 1013) conducted between the first and second wave of the pandemic. Trends in participation in nonformal adult education along with barriers were mapped for the 12 months preceding the survey. To establish trends, we compared our results with data from the Adult Education Survey conducted in 2011 and 2016, respectively. Our analytical approach is primarily based on descriptive statistics and modelling factors influencing the involvement of adults in nonformal adult education. We found that overall participation in nonformal adult education decreased from June 2019 to June 2020 to its lowest recorded level. Furthermore, the results indicate that inequality based on educational attainment, as well as the perception of substantial institutional and situational barriers have significantly increased.

Determinants of Adult Education and Training Participation in the United States: A Machine Learning Approach

In response to recent shifts in the global economy, there has been a growing academic interest in adult education and training (AET), enabling adults to meet the ever-changing demands of the workforce. However, empirical findings offer nuanced evidence on the most influential factors among various aspects. This study aims to reexamine the previously highlighted determinants of job-related AET participation using the random forest classifiers technique. The data is drawn from the 2017 U.S. Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, where we selected 1,334 respondents with work experience in the last 12 months. Our findings suggest that age and skills use at work were found to be the most important factors for formal AET, whereas skills use at work and organization size were the most significant factors for nonformal AET. Our results emphasize the critical role of skills utilization and organizational support in working adults’ participation in AET.

No mental retirement: estimating voluntary adult education activities of older workers

ABSTRACT Adult education may keep older workers productive if they voluntarily engage in learning. Examining a generous partial retirement reform in Germany that encouraged early retirement among male workers, we estimate voluntary adult education activities for early retirees. Using county-level administrative data on all public adult education centers (Volkshochschulen; VHS), we employ a difference-in-differences approach exploiting the predetermined county-specific age structure of men for identification. The results show a strong increase in participation in adult education, specifically in cognitively demanding courses. This supports an intrinsic willingness of older workers to acquire skills and abilities independent of financial incentives.

The effect of adult education on health-related behaviours

Unhealthy behaviours continue to be pervasive and lead to premature death worldwide. According to previous research, school education appears to be a good predictor of unhealthy behaviours. The influence of adult education and training (AET) on health behaviour, on the other hand, has hardly been studied. Existing studies provide only indicative evidence on AET returns in terms of health-related behaviours, with no study to date examining the German context. Longitudinal data from NEPS SC6 (N = 7089) are used to examine whether participation in adult education affects changes in health-related behaviour positively, i.e., whether participants smoke or drink less and are more frequently active in sports. Hybrid regression models with interaction terms are estimated to test specific theoretical mechanisms. While participation in AET does not show any positive behavioural change in sports activity or alcohol consumption, participants in AET are more likely to smoke following AET participation within the last 12 or between the last 24 and 36 months. Implications are discussed and linked to the existing state of research.

The Death Education at School Questionnaire: Theoretical Assumptions and Psychometric Properties

This paper presents theoretical assumptions and psychometric properties of the Death Education at School Questionnaire (DESQ): a brief instrument that allows to measure attitudes toward human-centered death education as an element of school education. The participants were 375 university students – education and teaching majors. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a two-factor structure of the DESQ, with two sub-scales: (1) Openness toward the presence of death education in a school and (2) Humanistic Basis of Death Education. Reliability of both sub-scales was acceptable and they significantly correlated with measures of attitudes towards death and human-centered school education. We posit that the DESQ can be used to measure adult education participants’ beliefs in death education and its place in school education on primary and secondary school levels.

Enduring inequality: long-term trends and factors in participation in adult education and learning among older adults

ABSTRACT Non-formal adult education and learning (NAE) is widely recognized as enhancing the quality of life and promoting active aging. Despite the empirically demonstrated benefits, older adults rank among one of the populations participating the least in NAE. Although several studies have highlighted the negative effect of aging on involvement in NAE, factors causing long-term changes in participation have not been explored directly. As a result, the significance of microsocial characteristics and their transformation over time has been overlooked. This article explores key microsocial factors leading to non/participation in NAE among adults aged 50 to 69 years along with changes in these factors for the 14-year period of 2006 to 2019. The research was conducted using the Czech Republic’s Labor Force Survey dataset (N = 114,345). The results show that all microsocial factors play an essential role in determining participation in NAE, thus a strong relationship between the social origins (cumulative disadvantage) of older adults and their participation was confirmed. In addition, the impact of most factors has proved consistent over time, not strengthening since 2009. One exception was level of education, which showed a rapid increase in participation in NAE in the respondents who identified themselves as low-educated.

Does participation in non-formal adult education matter for individual subjective well-being as a multidimensional functioning?

The article synthesizes ideas from the capability approach, the embeddedness approach, and Nancy Fraser’s three-dimensional scale of justice and develops a theoretical framework for understanding subjective well-being (SWB) as a positive functioning. It also proposes an instrument for measuring SWB and its relationship with participation in non-formal adult education. Using data from the European Social Survey, carried out in 2012, for 24 European countries and applying multilevel linear models for the analysis, the study finds evidence for a positive association between participation in non-formal adult education and SWB. The results show that differences in the SWB among people who have participated in non-formal adult education and those who have not are higher for those who have no higher education and are unemployed than for those who have higher education and paid work. This study also reveals that when people live in countries with better economic and democratic development and a more individualistic culture, the differences in their SWB by participating in non-formal adult education are smaller than when they live in countries with worse economic and democratic development and a more collectivistic culture.

Perpetuating inequality through participation in adult learning and education in Russia

ABSTRACT We apply cumulative advantage (CA) theory to understand the social hierarchies behind the accumulation of skills and rewards through Adult Learning and Education (ALE) – formal, informal, and non-formal. Using representative data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE), we confirm the assumption of CA theory that advantages are accumulated through ALE, not only within social groups, but also between them. For individuals coming from educationally advantaged families but without higher education, participation in informal non-job-related ALE and formal ALE enhances employment chances. It is therefore a strategy to compensate for the lack of higher education for those coming from educationally advantaged families. For those coming from less educationally advantaged families, higher education moderates the positive effect on wages of non-formal ALE without employer support. Rather than being a way to compensate for between-group inequalities, this type of ALE allows for labour market adaptation for the educationally disadvantaged and has positive effects within the group. We conclude that various types of ALE are institutionalised into different paths of human capital accumulation.

Predicting Determinants of Lifelong Learning Intention Using Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) with Grid Search

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors that have the most decisive influence on actual learning intention that leads to participation in adult education. For developing the predictive model, we used tree-based machine learning, with the longitudinal big data (2017~2020) of Korean adults. Based on the gradient boosting machine (GBM) results, among the eleven variables used, the most influential variables in predicting the possibility of lifelong education participation were self-pay education expenses and then highest level of education completed. After the grid search, not only the importance of the two variables but also the overall figures including the false positive rate improved. In future studies, it will be possible to improve the performance of the machine learning model by adjusting the hyper-parameters that can be directly set by less computational methods.

Programme and classroom factors affecting attendance patterns for Hispanic participants in adult ESL education

Absenteeism and attrition pose serious challenges in government-funded adult ESL programmes, inhibiting success rates, jeopardising funding, and potentially threatening programmes’ ability to continue to offer services. Because adult learners who enrol in programmes typically juggle numerous priorities and responsibilities beyond schooling, their engagement and attendance must be maintained. The research reported here aimed to identify key institutional factors that negatively affect adult Hispanic students’ attendance patterns in ESL classes. Specifically, it focussed on determining which aspects of the overall programme structure and which classroom factors had the greatest negative impact on students’ attendance patterns and engagement. Affective factors (e.g. social sensitivity, incongruence), ineffective or incomplete teaching methods, students’ perceptions of slow or no progress, and assessment issues were the most prominent factors that emerged from the analyses.

Right Competence at the Right Time—but for Whom? Social Recruitment of Participants in an Expanding Higher Vocational Education Segment in Sweden (2005–2019)

It is well established that participation in formal adult education varies by individual background characteristics. However, less attention has been paid to examining inequality in participation as a consequence of policy changes, such as educational expansion. This paper examines the process of tremendous expansion in Swedish Higher Vocational Education (HVE), a vocationally oriented postsecondary educational segment driven by labor market needs. Using a demographic approach with a sociological lens on educational participation, we analyze administrative data from registers, uncovering who has been served by this expanding adult educational form. Our results indicate that expansion of HVE has led to growth in participation for policy-prioritized groups, although the rate of growth in enrollment between groups varies and corresponds to population changes. We also locate the extent of cumulative advantages in participation and discuss these results in relation to social (in)equality in formalized HVE.

Motivation to learn by age, education, and literacy skills among working-age adults in the United States

This study highlighted how particular intersections of personal characteristics were related to Motivation to Learn (MtL) among adults. MtL is a prerequisite for adult education and training participation. However, little is known about MtL across subpopulations due to several methodological limitations. This study developed a national profile of MtL by key subpopulations that are defined by combinations of age, gender, education level, and literacy proficiency in the United States. Data were obtained from 2012/2014/2017 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) restricted use file (N = 8400). The alignment optimization (AO) method was employed to estimate subpopulation means of a PIAAC-based latent MtL construct. Subpopulations with younger age, greater educational attainment, and higher literacy proficiency showed significantly greater MtL.

Swedish Vocational Adult Education in the Wake of Marketisation

Context: This study is about vocational education and training for adults within municipal adult education (MAE). Sweden has a long tradition of adult education, and has one of the world's highest proportions of participants in adult education. The Swedish education system is characterised by extensive marketisation with many private actors, particularly in adult education. The focus of this article is on the enactment of the market orientation in vocational adult education, with the purpose of showing how vocational adult education is organised in different ways in Swedish municipalities and how national adult education policy is enacted in local VET practices. Methods: The data consist of documents presenting relevant national policies for adult education, in particular on vocational education, and semi-structured interviews with adult education leaders in 20 municipalities. Findings: The findings show that MAE in Sweden has a clear labour market focus on offering education that corresponds to working life's labour requirements. Most municipalities have a shortage of staff in elderly care and childcare, which is why they offer a large number of training places in these professions. Many immigrants choose these training programmes to get a job. It is also common for municipalities to offer these training programmes in combination with SFI (Swedish for immigrants). This means that MAE fulfils an important function for integration. VET in MAE is offered as school-based training, apprenticeships or distance education. Offering VET at a distance makes it possible to provide a wider range of training programmes, and enables people who have difficulties participating in on-site training (due to commitments such as work or young children) to take part. Apprenticeship training provides work experience and often leads to employment. However, a weak interest in apprenticeship training among students and difficulties finding apprenticeship placements are examples of reasons why the number of apprenticeships is often very limited. Conclusion: Swedish MAE is characterised by flexibility and a broad supply of courses. However, there is a clear focus on certain vocational areas – mainly within the municipal organisation. This gives reason to question whether publicly funded VET for adults should mainly prepare participants for publicly funded labour-market sectors, or whether other sectors could also benefit from newly trained adults. Since vocational training within MAE is of great importance for immigrants' establishment in the labour market, there is a risk that unilateral investments in certain vocations will limit immigrants' career opportunities. 

Individual Learning Accounts: A Comparison of Implemented and Proposed Initiatives

Access to lifelong learning opportunities has long been discussed in terms of the economic benefits conferred by access to and engagement in further education by members of the labor force, particularly within the global knowledge economy. However, equitable access to lifelong education opportunities, particularly for low-skilled adults in the labor force, has been lacking. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified three models for funding adult learning: (1) individual learning accounts, (2) individual savings accounts, and (3) training vouchers. The current study discusses examples of these models, either proposed or implemented, across four countries or economic blocks—France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, to understand the importance of providing funding for education and training to adults with low levels literacy skills, we use data from the Program for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC) to compare participation in adult education and training (AET) by literacy skill levels. In all countries examined, adults with low literacy skills participated in AET at lower rates than those with middle and high levels of literacy skills. To be successful in reaching adults most in need of skill upgrading, financing models need to provide adequate funds for meaningful skill upgrades, have well-structured information sources (e.g., websites) that are easily navigated by the target population, and include policies to screen educational providers for program quality.