Taking an international perspective, the authors examine the theoretical and practical aspects of lifelong learning, reflecting the different approaches and competing theoretical positions. A number of issues and key areas of debate are addressed in different national and international contexts and case studies are provided from countries including Hong Kong, New Zealand and South Africa. Based on conference papers, the book identifies many of the issues and perspectives in this emerging field.

Based on a five-year research project across thirteen countries, this comprehensive book analyses how national characteristics frame a central feature of European Union social and economic policies - lifelong learning. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods in a wide-ranging international comparative study, the book explores how far the EUs lifelong learning agenda has been successful and what factors have limited its ability to reshape national adult and lifelong learning systems. The chapters also look at adults' participation in formal education, what they see as the obstacles to taking part, and the nature of their demand for learning opportunities. Using country typologies, the authors challenge assumptions - whether held by policy makers or researchers - that there is just one economic trajectory for market economies and their lifelong learning systems. This book will therefore be valuable to scholars, researchers and policy-makers who are investigating, or trying to change, education and labor markets. Contributors: B.E. Aaslid, S. Altorjai, S. Ayupova, E. Boeren, P. Boyadjieva, P. Downes, L. Dromantien , G. Gornev, G. Hefler, J. Holford, A. Ivan i , A. Khokhlova, V. Kozlovskiy, L. Labanauskas, J. Markowitsch, C. Maunsell, V. Milenkova, A. Mleczko, D. Nenkova, I. Nicaise, K. Petkova, M. Radovan, S. Rammel, S. Riddell, P. Ringler, P. Robert, T. Roosalu, E.-L. Roosmaa, E. Saar, M. Talj nait , A. Tamm, O.B. Ure, M. Veits, R. Voeoermann, E. Weedon, T. Welikala, I. emaitaityt

Taking an international perspective, the authors examine the theoretical and practical aspects of lifelong learning. A number of issues and key areas of debate are addressed in different national and international contexts and case studies are provided from countries including Hong Kong.

Peter Jarvis is a towering figure in adult and lifelong education and a leading and original theorist of learning. This book explores the breadth and significance of his work. Sixteen chapters by leading international scholars explain and engage critically with his theorisation of learning, and with his extensive writings on the sociology, politics, ethics and history of adult education, and on professional education, lifelong learning and the learning society. The authors discuss his ideas, their influence and origins. They cover his contribution to learning theory, the recurring ethical themes in his writing, and the implications of his work for areas such as the education of migrants. They explore his global engagement as a scholar not only in different areas of lifelong education, but across the world: much-travelled, Peter Jarvis has supported the growth of adult education as a humane profession - as well as a field of study - in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australasia, as well as Europe. They also address the intense humanism of his work, which has been continually informed by theological and ethical concerns: though he taught for three decades at the University of Surrey, where he was Head of the Department of Educational Studies and is now Emeritus Professor, he has been a Minister of the Methodist Church for over half a century. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education.

First published in 1988. In a few short years during and just after the Great War, the Labour Party and the trade unions established themselves firmly at the centre of the British political and industrial scene. But at the same time, the politics and organisation of both Labour and unions were reshaped. This is a grass-roots study of a key period in the building of Labour's political and industrial base. It is a study of how unions and Labour were organised and motivated to seize their moments of destiny - and of how a new political industrial movement was limited by the common-sense of the age in which it was born. It is a study of shifting support for various Labour and Communist political and industrial strategies - of the pressures and struggles which reshaped the movement, stamping on it the character we know today. And it is a study of how labour - at work and in the community - responded to war, to prosperity, to depression.

First published in 1988. In a few short years during and just after the Great War, the Labour Party and the trade unions established themselves firmly at the centre of the British political and industrial scene. But at the same time, the politics and organisation of both Labour and unions were reshaped. This is a grass-roots study of a key period in the building of Labour's political and industrial base. It is a study of how unions and Labour were organised and motivated to seize their moments of destiny - and of how a new political industrial movement was limited by the common-sense of the age in which it was born. It is a study of shifting support for various Labour and Communist political and industrial strategies - of the pressures and struggles which reshaped the movement, stamping on it the character we know today. And it is a study of how labour - at work and in the community - responded to war, to prosperity, to depression.

This open access book challenges international policy ‘groupthink’ about lifelong learning. Adult learning – too long a servant of business competitiveness – should be reimagined as central to democratic society. Young adults, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, engage more in education and training, and learn more day-to-day at work, if provision is democratically organised and based on enduring and inclusive institutional networks, and when jobs encourage and reward the acquisition of skills. Using innovative qualitative and quantitative methods, the contributors develop a critical perspective on dominant policies, investigating – across the European Union and Australia – how ‘vulnerable’ young adults experience programmes designed to improve their ‘employability’, and how ‘skills for jobs’ policies squeeze out wider – and wiser – ideas of what education and training should do. Chapters show why some provision works for those with poor educational backgrounds, why labour market and educational institutions matter so much, how adult education can empower and expand people’s agency, and the challenges of using artificial intelligence in lifelong learning policy-making. Several investigate the pivotal role of workplace learning in organisational life, and in learning during ‘emerging adulthood’. Important comparative studies of workplace learning in the metals, retail and adult education sectors show the role of management, trade unions and social movements in young adults’ learning.

As the centre of the world economy is moving to Asia, lifelong learning in Asia is attracting a great deal of attention in the educational field worldwide. Asia not only provides the largest education market, but also plays an increasingly important role in educational globalization. However, until now, only very limited literature has been available in English. This book addresses that gap and introduces global readers to the latest developments of theories, policies, and practical issues concerning lifelong learning in East Asia. Case studies on lifelong learning in East Asia - including mainland China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau - are provided in this book. Lifelong learning in East Asia has been strongly influenced by Confucian culture as well as Western capitalism. This book analyses Confucian culture and the negotiation of Chinese and Western learning cultures in lifelong learning. This book will enable educators to understand the recent developments in lifelong learning in selected Confucian-heritage countries and regions, and promote effective international collaboration in lifelong learning worldwide. This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education.

Adult and Lifelong Education explores why politicians, researchers, and practitioners involved in educating post-school young people and adults have quietly abandoned the term 'education' in favour of 'learning'. Bringing together contributions from experienced as well as younger scholars, and from Europe, North America, and Australasia, it draws on global, national, and local perspectives to reveal key features of adult education's policy environment. At the book's heart are three main concerns. First, what is the spatial reach of these developments, and what processes of fluidity and fixity emerge? Second, does increased state and international recognition of civil society's role in adult education and learning help to voice grass-roots learning needs for individuals and communities? Or does it create new patterns of dependency and 'domestication'? Finally, given the growing culture of monitoring, and the investment - of money, time and attention - which international organizations, national governments, and research institutes around the world are making in gathering information on people's skills and knowledge, and how they use them, what is happening when literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving abilities are tested? How is this knowledge used - and abused - in various policy environments, and who benefits? The book is an outcome of the work of the European Society for the Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) Research Network on Policy Studies in Adult Education's inaugural conference, held at the University of Nottingham in 2012. This book was originally published as a special issue of Globalisation, Societies and Education.

Adult and Lifelong Education explores why politicians, researchers, and practitioners involved in educating post-school young people and adults have quietly abandoned the term 'education' in favour of 'learning'. Bringing together contributions from experienced as well as younger scholars, and from Europe, North America, and Australasia, it draws on global, national, and local perspectives to reveal key features of adult education's policy environment. At the book's heart are three main concerns. First, what is the spatial reach of these developments, and what processes of fluidity and fixity emerge? Second, does increased state and international recognition of civil society's role in adult education and learning help to voice grass-roots learning needs for individuals and communities? Or does it create new patterns of dependency and 'domestication'? Finally, given the growing culture of monitoring, and the investment - of money, time and attention - which international organizations, national governments, and research institutes around the world are making in gathering information on people's skills and knowledge, and how they use them, what is happening when literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving abilities are tested? How is this knowledge used - and abused - in various policy environments, and who benefits? The book is an outcome of the work of the European Society for the Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA) Research Network on Policy Studies in Adult Education's inaugural conference, held at the University of Nottingham in 2012. This book was originally published as a special issue of Globalisation, Societies and Education.

Learning is among the most basic of human activities. The study of learning, and research into learning a central part of educational studies. Now published in a second edition, this best-selling book is a comprehensive introduction to contemporary theories and modern practices of learning. Updated and expanded, written in non-technical language, this new edition will be a valuable guide for all teachers, facilitators, human resource developers and students of education. Contents include updated and new material on: Lifelong learning; The social background to learning; Cognitive theory; Types of learning; Learning using ICT; Philosophical reflections on learning.

This open access book challenges international policy ‘groupthink’ about lifelong learning. Adult learning – too long a servant of business competitiveness – should be reimagined as central to democratic society. Young adults, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, engage more in education and training, and learn more day-to-day at work, if provision is democratically organised and based on enduring and inclusive institutional networks, and when jobs encourage and reward the acquisition of skills. Using innovative qualitative and quantitative methods, the contributors develop a critical perspective on dominant policies, investigating – across the European Union and Australia – how ‘vulnerable’ young adults experience programmes designed to improve their ‘employability’, and how ‘skills for jobs’ policies squeeze out wider – and wiser – ideas of what education and training should do. Chapters show why some provision works for those with poor educational backgrounds, why labour market and educational institutions matter so much, how adult education can empower and expand people’s agency, and the challenges of using artificial intelligence in lifelong learning policy-making. Several investigate the pivotal role of workplace learning in organisational life, and in learning during ‘emerging adulthood’. Important comparative studies of workplace learning in the metals, retail and adult education sectors show the role of management, trade unions and social movements in young adults’ learning.

Peter Jarvis is a towering figure in adult and lifelong education and a leading and original theorist of learning. This book explores the breadth and significance of his work. Sixteen chapters by leading international scholars explain and engage critically with his theorisation of learning, and with his extensive writings on the sociology, politics, ethics and history of adult education, and on professional education, lifelong learning and the learning society. The authors discuss his ideas, their influence and origins. They cover his contribution to learning theory, the recurring ethical themes in his writing, and the implications of his work for areas such as the education of migrants. They explore his global engagement as a scholar not only in different areas of lifelong education, but across the world: much-travelled, Peter Jarvis has supported the growth of adult education as a humane profession - as well as a field of study - in Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australasia, as well as Europe. They also address the intense humanism of his work, which has been continually informed by theological and ethical concerns: though he taught for three decades at the University of Surrey, where he was Head of the Department of Educational Studies and is now Emeritus Professor, he has been a Minister of the Methodist Church for over half a century. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education.

This Handbook provides a wide-ranging frame of reference for researching adult and lifelong education and learning. With contributions from scores of established and newer scholars from six continents, the volume covers a diverse range of geopolitical and social territories across the world. Drawing on the multiple heritages that underpin research on education and learning in adulthood, this Handbook addresses the inner tensions between adult education, adult learning, lifelong education, and lifelong learning, by using current research and theorizations from disciplinary backgrounds, including philosophy, psychology, biology and neuroscience, anthropology, sociology, history, political science, and economics. It provides an explicit discussion of the differences and tensions between adult and lifelong education and learning, and locates these in different policy and historical contexts, theories and practices. It explores a variety of discipline-based theoretical perspectives, and highlights how these have influenced, and been influenced by, research in the education and learning of adults. The Handbook also explores the inevitable frictions and dilemmas these present, and carefully examines the role of the international dimension in researching education and learning in formal, non-formal and informal contexts, beyond traditional schooling. This state-of-the-art, comprehensive Handbook is the first of its kind to explore adult education, lifelong education and lifelong learning fully as distinct activities on an international scale. It will be an indispensable reference resource for students of education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and for academic researchers, professionals and policy-makers concerned with adult and community education, further and vocational education, or work-based training and human resource development.

As the centre of the world economy is moving to Asia, lifelong learning in Asia is attracting a great deal of attention in the educational field worldwide. Asia not only provides the largest education market, but also plays an increasingly important role in educational globalization. However, until now, only very limited literature has been available in English.

This book addresses that gap and introduces global readers to the latest developments of theories, policies, and practical issues concerning lifelong learning in East Asia. Case studies on lifelong learning in East Asia - including mainland China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau - are provided in this book. Lifelong learning in East Asia has been strongly influenced by Confucian culture as well as Western capitalism. This book analyses Confucian culture and the negotiation of Chinese and Western learning cultures in lifelong learning.

This book will enable educators to understand the recent developments in lifelong learning in selected Confucian-heritage countries and regions, and promote effective international collaboration in lifelong learning worldwide.

This book was published as a special issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education.