Adult education as a common good: conceptualisation and measurement

Abstract

The article outlines a theoretical framework for conceptualising adult educationand more broadly, lifelong learningas a common good. It argues that the extent to which adult education as a common good is accomplished in a given society/country reflects its accessibility, availability, affordability, and the social commitment to its functioning, and that it depends on a country's specific institutional arrangements. Building on this conceptualisation and using data from the Adult Education Survey, the Labour Force Survey and the Continuing Vocational Training Survey for 24 European countries, the authors develop a composite index, based on these four dimensions, which measures the extent to which adult education as a common good is practiced in a given country. This index can be used to assess the effectiveness of national policies in the sphere of adult education across Europe. The results indicate substantial cross-country differences in the extent to which adult education as a common good is realised, with North European states scoring best and Romania scoring worst. Finally, applying cluster analysis, the article identifies six distinctive clusters of countries with regard to the extent of adult education as a common good; the authors designate these cluster categories as reality, feasible, ambiguous, problematic, possible and invisible.

Significance of New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for Adult Education and Lifelong Learning Program

“…In addition, self-control, patience and psychological factors play a vital role in imparting self-directed learning to adult learners [29,30]. Creativity and utilization of music in imparting education in such programs integrate significant inputs in this domain [31][32][33]. This is because it not only makes learning easy, entertaining and interesting but also helps in solving various mental problems of adult learners [34][35][36][37][38][39][40].…”

Examining the Relationship between High School Students' Lifelong Learning Tendencies and Problem Solving Self-Appraisal

“…The emphasis on learning rather than teaching allows individuals to reveal their potential more creatively. For this reason, it can be said that lifelong learning promises a more enriching change process that saves individuals from the limitations of structured teaching processes (Yang, Valdés-Cotera, 2011;Lee, 2014;Boyadjieva, Trichkova, 2018). The concept of learning is a concept that centers on the attitudes and behaviors of an individual (Biesta, 2015).…”

Adults With Special Educational Needs Participating in Interactive Learning Environments in Adult Education: Educational, Social, and Personal Improvements. A Case Study

“…Consequently, today Adult Education is intrinsically linked to lifelong learning, affects the actors involved and envisages the extension of multiple educational networks encompassing all possible institutions. Adult education understood as a common good is achieved in a society when there are accessibility, availability, affordability and social commitment to its functioning (Boyadjieva and Ilieva-Trichkova, 2018 ).…”