Session Information
11 ONLINE 49 A, Quality of adult education
Paper Session
MeetingID: 814 0397 5064 Code: Kexw2R
Contribution
Context
In 2013, the European Commission launched a study to develop an analytical approach for the analysis of adult learning policies and their effectiveness in Europe. The result of this study is an analytical framework (European Commission, 2015), which has been used to support the Member States in reviewing, formulating, implementing, and monitoring effective adult learning policies while making better use of the existing evidence base. To interrogate the collective capacity (Sava et al., 2020) of adult education and training research to address the complexity of the challenges that are encountered in connecting and reconnecting adult learning communities in Europe, the independent national experts' network in the area of adult education and adult skills was grounded by the European agency "ECORYS" to support the European Commission in the analysis of adult learning in European countries. From 2016 to 2020, as citizens and researchers, we were 28 experts, members of a diverse range of often overlapping communities at local, national, international, disciplinary, and institutional levels. The methodology of this European analytical study was based on the hypothesis that adult learning policies could be made significantly more effective through a more systematic collection of data and a more rigorous approach to evaluation to enable Member States' policy actions to be monitored against their objectives, ensuring that they take into account the six key factors for successful adult learning (European Commission et al., 2015), in particular by: 1) Improving learners' disposition towards learning; 2) Increasing employers' investment in learning; 3) Improving equality of access for all; 4) Delivering learning that meets the needs of employers and learners; 5) delivering high-quality adult learning; 6) Co-ordinating an effective lifelong learning policy.
Proposal
The Latvian national adult education policy actions were reviewed vis-a-vis their current policy and provision to ascertain the extent to which, for each broad policy objective, the necessary types of policy action by building blocks for successful policies (European Commission et al., 2015) coordinate adult learning and other economic and social policies at national, regional, and local levels to align funding, ensure coherent provision, and thereby ensure the best outcomes from policy interventions. So, the research question was, "What does the research say about policy actions that help adults learn more effectively?" The aim is to strengthen the future performance of the Latvian adult learning system. The research objectives were
To evaluate the performance of Latvia in the field of adult education and training based on available statistical data;
To identify a set of success factors for the effective development and implementation of relevant adult policy actions.
The Latvian country reports (Maslo, 2019, 2020) consider the situation of national adult learning policies and systems in 2017. The reports bring together the findings that were previously completed for Latvia by a set of country experts. The reports reflect on the complex adult learning policy and financing frameworks, national targets and interventions, as well as their strengths and weaknesses, and the reforms that are needed in the systems that are in place in Latvia. It contributes to increasing the evidence base on adult learning systems in the European Union, which is an essential pre-requisite for assessing their effectiveness, impact, and responsiveness to adult learning needs.
Method
Methodology Analytical studies were carried out with the assumption that adult policy actions carried out as a result of the study centered on the adult learning system, thereby strengthening its future performance (Provost, 2011). A systematic review of the evidence of the effectiveness of adult learning policies was applied (Maslo, 2017; 2020). Secondary research, also known as "desk research," was used to assess existing and publicly available data. Material published in research papers and other such documents was led by an assessment of published research literature selected by desk research (Snyder, H. (2019), which was graded according to a set of predefined standards and supplemented by data analysis and evidence presented by policymakers and experts. The selected sources were mapped (Wilson et al., 2016) to a set of discrete building blocks. Taking a systematic approach to identifying how adult learning policies are effective (Grimshaw et al., 2003), key features of the study were found: 1) Linking the outcomes of adult learning to system features (primarily participation). While participation is not the only 'output' of learning (knowledge, skills, qualifications, attitudes and ambitions are other outputs), the availability of data on participation means that this can be studied concerning system features such as investments in training (examining these related to competences); 2) Relating the outputs themselves concerning outcomes and benefits (economic as well as relating to social for both individuals and the community); and 3) Relating the outputs and outcomes of adult learning to specific policy actions These building blocks were tested using supplementary evidence from country case studies (Harrison et al., 2017). The country reports (Maslo, 2017; 2020) were reviewed by high-level experts for consistency, quality, and clarity of expression (European Commision et al., 2019; 2020).
Expected Outcomes
Conclusions A systemic review of the latest evidence confirms the significant benefits that adult learning brings to individuals, companies, and society. However, the statistical evidence shows that these benefits are not accessible to a very large number of adults who do not undertake any learning. Latvia’s employment rate increased between 2011 and 2019, partly due to the economic recovery and resulting in an increased demand for labour, but also partly due to employment policy interventions, many of which have included an adult learning component. However, some issues remain: The participation rate in Latvia was still lower than the EU-28 average over time by around 3.5 percentage points. To reach the national participation rate target, attention has to be paid to removing the obstacles to participation in lifelong learning for 25–34-year-old adults, who are often employed but do not participate in any kind of formal education or validation of the learning outcomes of non-formal and informal learning. The study has identified several policy actions that are proven to be effective in increasing adult participation in learning: Latvia faces a number of challenges in addressing needs relating to adult learning and the development of skills and competencies. Adult learning can contribute to both human and social capital, enable innovation, and stimulate economic growth. Adult learning policies should be aimed at promoting the key social and economic benefits of adult learning for learners themselves, employers and the wider community. A culture of support (including financial) for transformational learning opportunities for adults has to be seen as key to achieving the kind of learning where learning outcomes are reached. Steps are currently being taken to change the governance model for the adult education sector in the hope of improving its effectiveness and decreasing fragmentation.
References
References European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Molyneux, J., Cutmore, M., Biundo, I. (2020). Adult learning statistical synthesis report : a synthesis report drawing on statistical data relating to participation in, and the financing of adult learning in the European Member States, Publications Office, 2020. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2767/183669 European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. (2015). An in-depth analysis of adult learning policies and their effectiveness in Europe, Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2767/076649 Grimshaw J, McAuley LM, Bero LA, et al. (2003). Systematic reviews of the effectiveness of quality improvement strategies and programmes. BMJ Quality & Safety, 12, 298-303. https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/12/4/298 Harrison, H., Birks, M., Franklin, R., & Mills, J. (2017). Case Study Research: Foundations and Methodological Orientations. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-18.1.2655 Maslo, I. (2020). Adult Learning Statistical Country Report–Latvia. A country report drawing on statistical data relating to participation in, and the financing of adult learning. Ecorys for European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, SocialAffairs and Inclusion, Directorate E–Skills, Unit E, 2020. Maslo, I. (2017). Independent national experts network in the area of adult education/adult skills. Full country report - Latvia. Ecorys for European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, SocialAffairs and Inclusion, Directorate E–Skills, Unit E, 2019. https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=21245&langId=en Provost, Lloyd P. (2021). Analytical studies: a framework for quality improvement design and analysis. BMJ quality & safet 20(1), i92-6. doi:10.1136/bmjqs.2011.051557 Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039 Wilson, J., Mandich, A., & Magalhães, L. (2016). Concept Mapping: A Dynamic, Individualized and Qualitative Method for Eliciting Meaning. Qualitative Health Research, 26(8), 1151–1161. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315616623
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