The question of what the research of lifelong education is all about needs to be revisited from time to time. Not only is this line of research approached from a multitude of academic disciplines -- such as sociology, psychology or philosophy -- the very concepts that are used to denote the field also undergo important changes over time, e.g. from…

Three publications on adult education (by K. Patricia Cross, Carol Aslavian and Henry M. Brickell, and Caryl Chudwin and Rita Durant) are reviewed and apparently indicate that American higher education is about to embark on a renaissance of adult learning. In an age of fiscal austerity, however, programs for adults have already been curtailed.…

This paper considers the social and structural determinants of adult participation in education and training. Section 1 deals with 11 lifetime learning trajectories identified from a systematic stratified sample of 1,104 education and training histories collected from respondents aged 15-65 in industrial South Wales. For the purposes of the paper,…

This book examines the changing role of institutions of higher education within the context of bids made by British universities to the Universities Funding Council for funding, the changed organizational structures of British polytechnics, and the increasing importance of continuing education. Emphasis is on the new role of the university as a…

Canada-based community learning networks (CLNs) were examined to provide an operational definition of CLNs, design a framework for their review and analysis, and identify best practices in CLNs. Data were collected from three sources: interviews with 16 key stakeholders in CLNs, literature review, and case studies of five Canadian CLNs. The…

Most constructive critics of education agree that today's students are better than any in United States history. Yet problems like competency shortages and outmoded curricula remain. When schools were basically "socializers" (1885-1957), praise outstripped criticism--until 1957's Sputnik. In response, Congress initiated the National Aeronautics…

The approaches to employability being taken by United Kingdom employers were examined in a study that included three components: a literature review to develop a definition of employability and isolate its key elements; case studies of six organizations to identify employers' approaches to employability; and examination of related literature on…

This book examines different notions of a learning society and the changes in adult education theory and practice that will be required to create a learning society. Recent developments in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, in other countries are cited as evidence that creating a learning society will require new forms of thinking about…

The objectives, curriculum, and role of higher education and key policy and practice issues were reassessed against the backdrop of recent and predicted demographic, economic, and political changes and trends in Great Britain. Special consideration was given to the fact that "mature" learners now constitute the majority of entrants into…

The implications of the capability learning model for learning in the workplace were examined in a roundtable discussion of two complementary projects: a study of the ideas and models associated with a range of approaches to workplace training and education in Australia and the United Kingdom and a study conducted to document capable organizations…

As exporters of oil in the Middle East and throughout the world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must address the following challenges in the area of development and economic growth: (1) an increasingly integrated world economy in which technology and knowledge will be paramount; (2) the need to diversify its economy from a natural resource-based…

Significant developments have occurred in the field of professional development (PD) in Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector in the past 10 years. During the early 1990s, work-based learning (WBL) became the preferred model for PD in the VET sector. Research sponsored by the National Staff Development Committee of the…

Increasing globalization has spotlighted a range of international approaches to career and technical education (CTE), including the German dual system, the British National Vocational Qualifications and General National Vocational Qualifications, and Australia's Vocational Education and Training and Technical and Further Education systems. Across…

European structures of qualification levels were examined through a review of reports on recent developments in Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The examination focused on the following topics: the scope of the national frameworks; the definition of standards and qualifications; the definition of levels in…

An increasing number of community colleges (CCs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) are now working in partnership to develop education and training programs enabling low-income workers to gain the education and skills necessary to obtain higher-wage jobs and develop a foundation for lifelong learning and career advancement. The following…