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The mature adult who participates voluntarily in free educational programmes is a basic assumption, which equally often supports theories and practices of adult education as it is empirically challenged. Neither supply nor demand is consistently characterized by voluntariness. Up to a certain degree, programmes and participation are mandatory. The assumption that responsible adults do not want to, should not and cannot be taught is also considered to be problematic. The article reveals good rea…
Economic standard education is increasingly criticised for its unworldliness, imbalance and rashness. The article investigates possible effects and the social meaning of this condition: Does is support sightless market credibility, which is visible in the public opinion during the past decades? Which criteria play a role? The article pursues these issues by working out essential connections between strategies for influencing the public opinion from a historic perspective on the one hand, and sc…
The article provides an insight into the first results of the PIAAC study and links it with mixed-method and qualitative-empirical approaches as well as the development of competencies in life course. For this purpose, it shows two studies which focus an individual development approach in contrast to the quantitative assessment approach of PIAAC. The aim is to present advantages and disadvantages of different research perspectives.
The article critically examines PIAAC as well as its objectives. It examines the extent of information provided by PIAAC on untapped competence potential, the needs to improve the acquisition as well as the transfer of competences. It is also an analysis of the study's theoretical and methodological base. At the same time, it reveals the problems and deficiencies of the PIAAC study and offers solutions.
