Several concurrent trends are increasing the likelihood that short courses, microcredentials, and flexible learning pathways will become a regular and even dominant feature of education and training globally. This policy paper reflects on these trends with special reference to the post-secondary education sector, and explores ways to organize…

This paper estimates the heterogeneous labor market effects of enrolling in higher education short-cycle (SC) programs. Expanding access to these programs might affect the behavior of some students (compliers) in two margins: the expansion margin (students who would not have enrolled in higher education otherwise) and the diversion margin…

Teacher Professional development is considered as an important vehicle to improve teacher competencies, particularly given the changing dynamics and development in education. There are many previous studies that have explored the relevance and the importance of teacher professional development in various educational contexts, however research in…

This study illustrates the differences between Finnish and British graduates in the higher education-to-work transition and related market mechanisms in the year 2000. Specifically, the differences between the Finnish and British students' academic careers and ability to find employment after graduation were evaluated in relation to the Finnish HE…

The paper analyses the status and characteristics of adult literacy campaigns and programmes since 2000. Global trends are analysed in terms of the ten key aspects of the suggested framework for successful literacy campaigns and programmes. Four case studies on major literacy campaigns in Brazil, India, South Africa and Indonesia are used to…

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) is the largest international study of civic and citizenship education ever conducted. Over 140,000 Grade 8 students, 62,000 teachers, and 5,300 school principals from 38 countries participated in this study. Among these were five from Asia, 26 from Europe, six from Latin America, and…

Increased duration of courses, rises in the levels of awards, extension into new fields, competition for students, and overlap in the function of tertiary institutions resulted to a great extent from a lack of overall coordination and insufficient integration of the work of the various agencies involved. (Author/IRT)

The last decade has seen increased interest in various aspects of the UK doctorate. This report brings together issues arising from national policy developments, the doctoral researcher cohort, the diversification of doctoral level provision in the UK and the development of the third cycle in the Bologna process. Through discussions with key…

This paper presents the statement by the Higher Education Policy Group concerning the functions, content, and pattern of higher education in Britain. Part 1 reviews courses with emphasis on entry to higher education and the content, arrangement, and length of courses. Part 2 discusses organization with emphasis on the coordination of higher…

Until 1975 around half of all graduates from Dutch basic vocational schools finished a 3-year program, the other half finished a 4-year program. In 1975 all 3-year programs were extended to four years. This was accompanied by an increase of the compulsory school leaving age with one year. The authors evaluate the long-term wage effects of this…

A discussion of recent changes in Norwegian graduate study and the role and attitudes of students within the system finds problems similar to other countries' in: program length and student financing, industry-academic salary differences, estimating demand for graduate degrees, the objectives of the training, and increasing women's participation.…

During the last decade the demand for university education in the Netherlands has grown, and until two years ago there was still a yearly increase in the number of students attending university. However, not all of these students graduate and those that do often take longer than the programmed four years to finish their studies. The policy of the…

ALTHOUGH EUROPEAN ADULT EDUCATION GREW OUT OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT, THE GERMAN MOVEMENT LONG TENDED TO REJECT THIS ORIGIN. EVEN AFTER 1945, ADULT EDUCATION IN GERMANY WAS JUSTIFIED BY CONSIDERATIONS OF MASS SOCIETY. SINCE THEN, HOWEVER, THE MOBILITY OF SOCIETY HAS COME TO BE CONSIDERED THE DETERMINING FACTOR. THE "VOLKSHOCHSCHULEN"…