Lifelong Learning - conceptualizations in european educational policy documents
Author(s):
Mariana Gaio Alves Elisabete Xavier Gomes
Claudia Neves
Conference:
ECER 2009
Network:
23. Policy Studies and Politics of Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

23 SES 09 D, Politics of Life Long Learning

Paper Session

Time:
2009-09-30
10:30-12:00
Room:
HG, HS 21
Chair:
Jennifer Teresa Ozga

Contribution

This paper draws on data coming from a research Project funded by the Science and Technology Foundation of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (FCT-MCTES) and developed by a team of researchers in education. The project focuses on the theme of Lifelong learning in European educational policies. The influence of the European Union in the definition of the political agendas in education of the Member states has been increasing since the year 2000, promoting a lifelong learning culture through Europe to achieve a knowledge based economy and society. Based in the contributions of authors such as Ozga & Lindgard (2007), Ball (2006), Antunes (2004), Barroso (2003), we have been approaching the educational policies as a social process of construction that involves both the definition of the political agenda and the content of that agenda. This process develops at several levels of analysis, and in this paper we will be focusing on a macro level of analysis based on European policy documents centred on LLL. Parallel to the empirical work, this project has been developing a literature review that allows us to frame lifelong learning in a historical perspective and also to comprehend the conceptual issues that are evident nowadays. Most of these theoretical debates show us that LLL serves mainly economic goals, but we can not deny that LLL has, as well, two other equally important goals: promoting active citizenship and promoting personal fulfillment (Kallen, 1996; Canário, 2003; Jarvis, 2007). Our research shows us that today it seems possible to identify a certain balance between 3 institutional arrangements: state, economy and civil society. The market plays a central role, but state and society also have responsibilities. Nevertheless authors like Biesta (2006) alert to the fact that there is a shift towards understanding the point and purpose of lifelong learning primarily in economic terms and far less in relation to the personal and the democratic function of lifelong learning. In this paper we will present the main findings of two empirical tasks developed at the supra-national level, that gather some of the results of content analysis done on 20 European Union policy documents. We intend not only to show the results of these empirical tasks, but also to highlight some questions to stimulate the debate around the conceptualizations of lifelong learning and the changes that are arising from the institution of this paradigm in policy orientations.

Method

We have conducted a content analysis of 20 policy documents that we identified as key elements of the EU educational policies’ framework since the year 2000. This is because it is within the “Lisbon Strategy” (2000) that education and training assume growing importance in the european development strategy. The corpus was composed by a group of documents that focus on LLL key competencies and a set of documents selected from the programs “Lifelong Learning 2007-2013” and “Education and Training 2010”. This content analysis was based both in qualitative and quantitative techniques. In the qualitative analysis we worked with a set of categories that emerged from the research goals, from the conceptual framework and the empirical data – connected to ideological and pragmatic aspects. The quantitative analysis was lexical (Bardin, 2004) and consisted of finding and relating the frequency of key terms that emerged from the qualitative phase.

Expected Outcomes

This empirical work gives evidences about the aims of the LLL policy of the EU. In this way, it allows us to contribute and deepen the debate of some theoretical issues about the conceptions of LLL and the changes that are occurring in the educational systems and contexts. Concerning the conceptions, we will discuss findings about the ends and meanings of LLL that relate to issues of social development, personal fulfilment, economic goals. We aim also to deepen the comprehension of the political approach to education and learning throughout life and society. Arguing the change brought by the LLL policies, we will show evidence about: - the main learning competencies and contents, - the formality of the educational processes, - the central place of young adults as the Lifelong Learner, - the diversity of learning contexts and educational professionals implied.

References

Alves, M. G. e Vicêncio, A. M, (2008), Relatório de Análise de Documentos da União Europeia sobre “Competências-chave da Aprendizagem ao Longo da Vida”, Projecto PEE, UIED – FCT/UNL, documento policopiado. Antunes, F. (2005). Globalização e europeização as políticas educativas. Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas, 47. Antunes, F. (2006). Governação e Espaço Europeu de Educação: Regulação da educação e visões para o projecto 'Europa'. Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais, 75, 63-93. Antunes, F. (2007). Educação e trabalho: perspectivas no século XXI. Um olhar desdea semiperiferia Europeia: Instituto de Educação e Psicologia. Universidade do Minho, Portugal. Ball, S. (2006) Education policy and social class, London and New York. Bardin, L. (2004). Análise de conteúdo. Lisboa: Edições Setenta Barroso, J. (2006). O Estado e a Educação: a Regulação transnacional, a regulação nacional e a regulação local. In A regulação das políticas públicas de educação. Espaços, dinâmicas e actores, Org. João Barroso, Lisboa, Educa. Biesta, G. (2005). Against learning. Reclaiming a language for education in an age of learning. Nordisk Pedagogik, 25, 54-66. Biesta, G. (2006). What’s the Point of Lifelong Learning if Lifelong Learning Has No Point? On the Democratic Deficit of Policies for Lifelong Learning. European Educational Research Journal, 6(3&4), 169-180. Canário, R. (2003). A “Aprendizagem ao Longo da Vida”. Análise crítica de um conceito e de uma política. In R. Canário (Ed.), Formação e situações de trabalho. Porto. Gomes, E. e Neves, C. (2008), Relatório de análise de documentos de referência da União Europeia para as políticas educativas, Projecto PEE, UIED – FCT/UNL, documento policopiado. Hake, B. (2006). Late Modernity and the Learning Society: Problematic Articulations Between Social Arenas. Organizations and Individuals. In R. V. d. Castro, A. V. Jarvis, P. (2006). Globalisation, Knowledge and Lifelong Learning. In R. V. d. Castro, A. V. Sancho & P. Guimarães (Eds.), Adult Education - New Routes in a New Landscape. Braga: University of Minho - Unit for Adult Education. Jarvis, P. (2007). Globalisation, Lifelong Learning and the Learning Society: Sociological perspectives.Lifelong Learning and the Learning Society. (Vol. 2). Oxon: Routledge. Kallen, D. (1996) Aprendizagem ao longo da vida em retrospectiva. Revista Europeia de Formação Profissional, 16-22. Lawn, M., & Lingard, B. (2002). Constructing a European Policy Space in Educational Governance: the role of transnational policy Actors. European Educational Research Journal, 1(2), 290-307. Nóvoa (Ed.), L'Europe Réinventée: Regardes critiques sur l'espace européen de l'éducation. (pp. 197-223). France: L'Harmattan. Nóvoa, António (1996) L'Europe et L'Éducation: éléments d'analyse socio-historique des politiques éducatives européenes. In [Winther-Jensen (ed.) Challenges to European Education. Sonderdruc. Peter Lang, pp. 27-79. Ozga, B. L. A. J. (2007a) Globalisation, education policy and politics. IN OZGA, B. L. A. J. (Ed.) The RoutledgeFalmer Reader in Education Policy and Politics. London and New York, Routledge. Ozga, B. L. A. J. (2007b) Introduction: reading education policy and politics. In OZGA, B. L. A. J. (Ed.) The RoutledgeFalmer Reader in Education Policy and Politics. London and New York, Routledge. Pires, A. L. (Coord.), (2008), Relatório sobre os Adultos no Ensino Superior. Um Estudo dos Maiores de 23 anos na ESE/IPS, Projecto PEE, UIED- FCT/UNL, documento policopiado.

Author Information

Mariana Gaio Alves
UIED - FCT/UNL
Caparica
174
Elisabete Xavier Gomes
UniversidadeNovaLisboa
UIED
Lisboa
174
Claudia Neves
UIED
Carnaxide
174

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