How Do the Timing and Duration of Courses Affect Participation in Adult Learning and Education? A Panel Analysis

Abstract

Participation in adult learning and education requires the availability of, and accessibility to, learning opportunities provided by educational institutions. One fundamental element is time. Adult learning and education participation can only be realized by successfully matching individual time-availabilities with the temporal organization of provided courses. To address this required matching process, this study contributes to research literature as one of the first studies that investigates the impact of timing and course duration on participation counts (longitudinally). For this, we use organizational data from public adult education centers ( Volkshochschulen—VHS; the main adult education providers in Germany) from 2007 to 2017. Methodologically, random- and fixed-effects models are applied. We find significant positive effects on participation counts between increasing program breadth in terms of temporal formats and increasing average course duration.

On the Effect of Employer Offered Leave of Work on Participation in Continuing Vocational Education and Training – Investigating the Intention-Behavior Relation

“…These backgrounds are described by specific time rivalries on the individual level including factors such as age, gender, or employment status (structural time rivalries) as well as different life phases such as career entry, career advancement, starting a family or retirement (biographical time rivalries). In addition, Rüter and Martin (2021) argued that individual time-availabilities are not only related to the individual level, but also to societal and organizational levels. Thus, required temporal resources for participation can arise from parts of the individuals' time spent at work, for family or recreation or from a combination (Denninger et al, 2020).…”

“…In this regard, scholars emphasize that it "is important to recognize that individuals' choices to (not) participate are also influenced by the education and training opportunities available to them" (Boeren, 2017, p. 163). This, for example includes the temporal availability of, and accessibility to a supply of course offerings by educational institutions (Rüter and Martin, 2021).…”

“…An approach to investigate the impact of time on participation is to take actors into account that can affect individual timeavailabilities for activity participation. Accordingly, Rüter and Martin (2021) argued that individual time-availabilities that are required to participate in educational activities are not only related to the individual level, but also to societal and organizational levels. A key actor in this consideration is the employer.…”

Examining barriers to participation in further and continuing education in Germany: Why a regional perspective is (still) important

“…In this respect, a much-discussed factor is the design of the educational offer, e.g. with regard to time (Rüter et al 2020 ; Rüter and Martin 2021 ). Although research investigating adult education centres has shown that course duration is decreasing on average (Käpplinger 2018 ), Fabian Rüter et al ( 2020 ) and his more recent study with Andreas Martin (Rüter and Martin 2021 ) found that participants do not prefer shorter courses.…”

Problems of Adult Higher Education Development in China Based on Multiple Intelligences Theory and Related Countermeasures

“…The successive expansion of general higher education, the completion of academic compensation education, the shrinkage of adult higher education sources, and the cessation of full-time off-the-job classes have made the market for adult higher education smaller. Therefore, have to lower the admission score line and other means to fight for students so that the quality of student resources decline, the quality of teaching decline, and the development of adult higher education is difficult [6].…”