Political Economy of Adult Learning Systems: Comparative Study of Strategies, Policies and Constraints

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Based on comparative adult education statistics offered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC) and country case studies, this book analyses the policies and structures that foster adult learning. It examines a variety of forms of adult learning, ranging from initial forms of post-compulsory education, such as upper secondary tracks and tertiary education, to firm training, compensatory adult education and learning for civic and leisure oriented purposes. Throughout the book, adult learning systems are directly linked to a variety of structural and public policy frameworks using a comparative welfare state approach. Themes such as pathways to learning and transition systems, participation patterns in higher education and participation patterns in other organized forms of adult learning are covered. The countries discussed are the UK, the USA, Korea, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. Situated at the intersection between scholarship and policy and using a mixed-methods approach, this title contributes fundamental insights into the further study of policies and structures related to alternative post-compulsory learning pathways.

Reviews

This book is an interesting and relevant addition to the growing literature on comparative studies in the field of adult lifelong learning. It will help researchers to better understand lifelong learning systems and does this through critical engagement with data from PIAAC's Survey of Adult Skills. I look forward to having this book on my shelves. * Ellen Boeren, Chancellor's Fellow, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, UK *
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the comparative study of adult learning systems across the world. It combines a theoretical overview of the politics of adult education with a set of country studies and a series of comparative analyses based on the 2012 PIAAC dataset, which is the largest dataset ever collected on this topic. The author concludes with a rich set of topical policy recommendations. A must-read for policy makers, stakeholders and students in adult education. * Ides Nicaise, Professor, Department of Education Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium *
Richard Desjardins has provided a comprehensive and accessible account of the political economy of adult learning systems that will be essential reading for those new to the field, as well as to those more familiar with bringing together a political analysis with an understanding of economics. It provides researchers, policy makers and institutional leaders with valuable country-specific analyses, and through comparative conceptual work, it offers important critical insights and poses new questions about the relationship between patterns of education structures, governance, participation and equality of outcomes. * Susan Webb, Professor of Education, Monash University, Australia *

Author Bio

Richard Desjardins is Associate Professor of Political Economy of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA. He previously worked at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Directorate for Education between 2010-2013 on the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and the Skills Strategy, and was Associate Professor in Comparative Social Science at Aarhus University, Denmark. He is joint-editor of the European Journal of Education.