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Survey Research on Adult Education: Existing Challenges and New Opportunities |
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| Session Organisers | Dr Kerstin Hoenig (German Institute for Adult Education Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning) Professor Erik Nylander (Linköping University) Dr Verena Ortmanns (German Institute for Adult Education Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning) Professor Sylvia Rahn (German Institute for Adult Education Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning) |
| Time | Tuesday 18 July, 09:00 - 10:30 |
| Room | |
Compared to other sectors of the education system, Adult Education research is dominated by qualitative research, with a lower volume of publications using survey data. Surveys targeting adult learners, education providers or professionals often face similar problems due to the fragmented and unstructured nature of adult education and lifelong learning: Learning activities tend to be nonformal or informal, short and infrequent, there is a wide range of topics, courses and certificates, and the landscape of education providers is vast and ever-changing. This can lead to problems in sampling, recruiting and retention of survey subjects. This is especially true for complex stratified samples and panel studies. Cross-country comparisons are also complicated to conduct as each country has somewhat idiosyncratic adult learnings systems, with institutional infrastructures that differ in size and layout.
Nevertheless, multiple international and national surveys of adult education providers, professionals and learners exist, with PIAAC and the Adult Education Survey as the most well-known. Furthermore, recent developments in spatial data, machine learning, and web crawling have opened new opportunities for data collection, combinations of existing data sources, and mixed methods research.
In this session, we want to foster a dialogue between researchers who collect and analyze survey data on adult education, broadly defined. We welcome submissions of substantive research as well as methodological contributions. We especially invite submissions of innovative research designs or methods, efforts to combine survey data with other data sources, and international comparisons.
Keywords: adult education, lifelong learning
Dr Nathan Breznau (DIE - German Institute for Adult Education - Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning)
Dr Silke Schneider (GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences) - Presenting Author
The relationship between initial education systems and subsequent participation in adult education helps understand lifelong learning across countries but has, as of yet, not been studied systematically. This study leverages the newly published PIAAC Cycle 2 data to examine how the organization of secondary education impacts prime-age workers' engagement in both formal and non-formal education. Utilizing this comprehensive dataset encompassing diverse national education systems of mostly OECD countries, this research seeks to uncover patterns and disparities in adult education participation, contextualized by the structures of initial education.
Through a comparative analysis of countries, we will assess variations in the participation rates of prime-age workers in continued (both formal and non-formal) education. We expect significant differences influenced by how secondary education is structured, especially regarding factors such as tracking and vocational training. We hypothesize that educational attainment and competencies mediate the relationship between secondary education systems and participation in adult education. Specifically, individuals who attained higher levels of general education and who have stronger skills are more likely to engage in lifelong learning activities. In countries in which the state strongly invests in vocational secondary education, those with vocational qualifications will be more inclined to update their skills later in life than in countries not doing so. Furthermore, we expect that countries with secondary education systems emphasizing inclusive and comprehensive educational approaches will exhibit higher participation rates in adult education among prime-age workers.
This study contributes to the broader discourse on education policy and workforce development by exploring the relationship between secondary education systems and adult education participation. The results of this research may suggest that reforms in secondary education could enhance adult education participation, fostering a more adaptable and skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving labour market.
Dr Natascha Massing (GESIS-Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences) - Presenting Author
Dr Britta Gauly (GESIS-Leibniz-Insitute for the Social Sciences)
Lifelong education is important in equipping individuals with necessary skills. Changes in society make it more important for individuals to adapt their skills once they have completed initial education. Participation in non-formal training can play a role in this regard.
Very recent data from the second cycle of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) offer the opportunity to analyze participation in adult education and training across countries. In our analyses, we include data from four countries which are all characterized by a similar (collective) skills formation system: Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland. However, recent findings by Friedrich and Galkiewicz (2024) show that participation in training is much lower in Germany compared to the other countries and the assumption that similarities in the skill formation system correlates with similar participation rates in training does not seem to hold. In order to better understand differences between these countries, we distinguish participation rates between men and women, different age groups and between groups with different migration history. Furthermore, we analyze which role the Matthew effect has across these countries: do individuals with higher skills participate more often in training than individuals with lower skills in all countries, and if yes, is this independent of their education.
Our results shed light on the likelihood to participate in training between these different countries and across socio-demographic groups.
Professor Richard Desjardins (UCLA) - Presenting Author
Professor Jan Kalenda (Tomas Bata University)
This paper presents the first results of a new comparative adult learning survey, that was conducted in five European countries in late 2024 and early 2025: (1) Germany, (2) the United Kingdom, (3) Czechia, (4) Italy and (5) Sweden. They represent not only different European regions but also various models of the capitalist economy (Hall, 2007; Hall & Thelen, 2009; Hall, 2018), welfare regimes (Béland et al., 2022), social investment regimes (Hemerijck, 2018; Hemerijck & Ronchi, 2022) and skill-formation regimes (Busemeyer, 2015; Busemeyer & Trampusch, 2012), which make them an optimal object for purposeful, contrastive, comparative analysis that can test the ability of the newly constructed instrument to map key aspects of ALS.
Our motivation for this new survey revolves around is to address shortcomings of existing international comparative data, derived from extensive EU and OECD surveys on lifelong learning, which can only reveal certain aspects of the current state of ALS.
Areas, that have been mapped by these surveys, and items that they have utilised, have been criticised within the field of adult education for both ontological (Ahl, 2006), theoretical (Rubenson, 2011, 2018) and methodological reasons (Boeren, 2016; Desjardins, 2011), as well as for their limits in formulating more nuanced and well-targeted policy recommendations (Desjardins, 2017; Schuller, 2019; Rubenson & Elfert, 2019).
We included five key thematic areas in the pilot survey that have been under-theorised in the previous surveys or have not been directly interlinked to a conception of ALS. These areas are integrated as transversal topics in the measurement of the educational biography of adults and their participation in FAE and NFE. The five areas are as follows: Flexibility of educational pathways within ALS, Openness of FAE for non-traditional learners, Reasons for participation in AET, Support for participation in AET, and Barriers to participation in AET.
Professor Natalja Menold (Dresden University of Technology) - Presenting Author
Ms Arianna Zehner (Dresden University of Technology)
Mr Marco Fölsch (Dresden University of Technology)
Statistical Literacy has been conceptualized as a sub-concept of scientific literacy and represents one of the key citizens’ competences in the global information society. Statistical literacy is also of relevance, when individuals use and evaluate findings and numbers from survey data, and when considering the creditability of surveys, which can play a central role in the acceptance of survey research – referred to as survey climate. As surveys and statistics are main instruments in scientific development – at least in the quantitative social sciences – it is of interest to evaluate the relationship between statistical literacy and opinions towards surveys, as well as general trust in science. In a survey on the students at a German university, it was analyzed how statistical literacy affects opinions towards surveys and how these factors and their relationship can explain trust in science. We used Structural Equation Modeling to conceptualize the effect of students’ background as well as to test direct and indirect effects. With respect to statistical literacy, both general statistical knowledge and corresponding attitudinal components were considered. Statistical literacy with evaluation of statics as credible and accurate statistical knowledge were found to be significant predictors of opinions towards surveys as well as to directly influence trust in science. We discuss how statistical literacy, particularly with respect to survey methodology, can be fostered in populations.
Professor Ellen Boeren (University of Glasgow) - Presenting Author
Dr Jan Kalenda (Tomas Bata University in Zlin)
International organisations such as the European Commission (EC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have measured adult learning participation since the 1990s, using surveys like the Adult Education Survey (AES) and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). These surveys employ a ‘triadic’ classification of learning activities—formal (FAE), non-formal (NFE), and informal learning (IFL)—to compare participation rates across countries. However, historical and conceptual advancements have highlighted that these categories often overlap, challenging their validity and reliability. Despite this, the triadic classification remains in use, raising concerns about the accuracy of participation data.
This presentation will critically examine the continued use of the triadic classification in leading surveys, arguing for a conceptual shift to better reflect the contemporary adult learning landscape. We will review the evolution of the triadic conceptualisation, particularly within the European Commission's Classification of Learning Activities (CLA), characterised by attributes on: Intention to learn, Organisation, Institutional framework and location, Hierarchy level-grade structure (“ladder”), Admission requirements, Registration requirements, Teaching/learning methods (predetermined/not flexible), Duration of at least one semester (minimum of 30 ECTS), Recognition of the programme by the relevant national education or equivalent authorities.
We will critique the practical application of the CLA in the recent AES 2022 survey through a matching of variable descriptors to the CLA attributes. Based on our critique, we will propose two alternative scenarios: (1) treating learning categories as fuzzy, overlapping concepts, and (2) conceptualising learning activities along a continuum of formality/informality. We will conclude by discussing the implications of these scenarios for future data collection and measurement practices, advocating for instruments that adapt to the evolving learning landscapes accelerated by the pandemic, for example the increased use of blended and online learning.
Ms Karoline Werner (German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning) - Presenting Author
Dr Theresa Büchler (German Institute for Adult Education – Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning)
The assumption that teachers are largely responsible for learning success (Kraft, 2018), which has already been empirically proven in the school context (Hattie, 2009), is also assumed in the field of adult and continuing education. Developing professional competences plays an important role in this regard. To ensure professional standards in educational practice, it is essential that teachers engage in ongoing development of their qualifications and participate in continuing education and training (CET). This participation is seen as a driving factor in the professional development of adult educators. While CET participation patterns and determinants have been widely studied, research focusing on adult educators remains limited (Autorengruppe wb-personalmonitor 2016; Werner & Martin, 2023). Furthermore, information on non-participants is even more limited, as previous research has mainly focused on participants. This should be recognised as a desideratum in the context of the professional development discourse for adult educators. Findings from general research on CET also suggest that barriers to participation differ between occupational groups. It is therefore plausible to assume that CET behaviour of adult educators also differs from that of other professional groups. However, it remains unclear whether participants and non-participants differ systematically in socio-demographic and occupational characteristics. Our analyses aim to fill this gap by analysing characteristics influencing CET participation, combining general predictors with characteristics specific to adult education professionalism. It draws on data from the first wave of the 'Teachers in Adult Education - A Panel Study', the largest study on adult educators in Germany to date. The research design consists of a standardised panel survey with three waves and three intervention studies.
Preliminary bivariate results suggest few systematic differences between teachers who participate in CET and those who do not.
In addition to addressing the research question, the presentation will also provide an overview of the study.
Dr Verena Ortmanns (German Institute for Adult Education - Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning) - Presenting Author
Dr Kerstin Hoenig (German Institute for Adult Education - Leibniz Centre for Lifelong Learning)
In Germany, the Statistic of German Adult Education Centres (German Volkshochschulen; AEC) represents one of the most comprehensive quantitative data sources on adult education. AECs are publicly funded institutions offering a wide range of courses and educational activities to the general public. Statistical data are collected annually via an online survey, achieving a response rate of over 98%. The dataset spans a long time series dating back to 1987 and includes administrative information, such as staff and financial data, as well as detailed records of all courses and events conducted by the AECs. The data is used by researchers as well as policy makers and AEC staff.
The adoption of advanced administrative software systems by AECs provides access to a wider array of detailed and structured data. Modern administrative databases now provide nested information for each course, including course descriptions, topics, and comprehensive details about instructors, participants, financial metrics, completion rates, and other indicators. For the first time, these systems allow the generation of participant-level data for the Statistics of the AEC. This advancement enables researchers to track individual trajectories in adult education, identify group-level patterns over time. Additionally, imbalances between offered and conducted courses can be analyzed, taking into account different course types.
We obtained an enhanced dataset from administrative software for approximately 10% of German AECs (86 out of 838). This subset provides a rich and diverse set of data, which enables us to address several key research questions related to adult education. In our presentation, we will provide an overview of this new data source, its structure, including the types of variables collected, and the granularity of participant-level data. Furthermore, we will share initial analyses to illustrate the utility of the new data for advancing research in adult education.