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The idea that the present is a period of intense structural and destabilising change has become central to establishing policy contexts, to which there needs to be a response. Change and adaptation to change have become watchwords of policy, including educational policy. One central area of response in the UK and internationally has been the emergence of lifelong learning as a focus of policy development and academic debate. While there has been much discussion about the nature, extent and significance of lifelong learning as a policy goal, there has been little theoretical discussion specifically of the nature of the learning required to engage with the change processes to which it is meant to be a response. It is the purpose of this article to open up that area of debate. It is suggested that while policies for lifelong learning focus on the accumulation of skills and qualifications as an adaptation to change and uncertainty, a less passive notion of learning requires the development of reflexivity. It is to an initial elaboration of a reflexive notion of lifelong learning that this article is aimed, as the authors believe that a more behavioural, adaptive version of lifelong learning dominating policy and practice is being developed, in which reflex rather than reflexivity is taken to be the locus of learning.

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Around the world, lifelong learning is now a significant policy strategy or goal. Its rationale is predominantly economic (developing human capital) but the second rationale is its contribution to society and individuals (social capital). The articles in this edition of Studies in the Education of Adults (vol. 32, (1), April 2000, TD/ACE 61.22 - TD/ACE 61.30) show different ways that the study of the education of adults can be linked to values of citizenship and justice and how various forms of pedagogic practice can foster critical engagement with contemporary issues. Arguments about social capital may help rebalance debate about lifelong learning where the emphasis has been on human capital. However they also can represent adult education in an oversimplified way that inscribes the hegemony of economics. Show less

John Field (2000) has recently argued that there are changes taking place in the practices of governing that have significant implications for lifelong learning. In particular, he points to attempts to mobilise civil society, of which lifelong learning policies may be considered a part. This paper examines this proposition by locating Field’s argument within wider debates about governmentality and the attempt to fashion calculating and enterprising selves. Drawing on actor-network theory, the paper then explores some of the ways in which changes in the curriculum associated with lifelong learning contribute to that process. In bringing together the discussion of lifelong learning, governmentality and actor-network theory, the paper provides a framing for researching the effects of policy and, more precisely, the differential ways in which active subjects are mobilised.

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This article raises the questions of how reality is represented in research practices and products. It explores the ‘performativity’ of text in constructing and reporting research, the context of which is an empirical research project which examines questions of flexibility to support the development of lifelong learning in further education in the UK. The authors present three narratives of the project: algorithmic; strategically improvised; and reflexive. The focus is on the processes through which research was generated and reported. Show less

Social exclusion and inclusion have emerged as strong policy-leading concepts at both the national and international level in recent years. Policies on lifelong learning are themselves in part premised on the contribution education and training can make to promoting an inclusive society. It is argued that social exclusion offends against human dignity, denies people their fundamental human rights and leads, in conjunction with social and economic instability, to marginalisation and deepening inequalities, which threaten the stability of democracy. Social inclusion therefore appears to be an unconditional good. The argument in this paper suggests that this is not the case. Drawing on critical social policy studies and post-structuralist philosophy, we argue that the notion of inclusion relies on exclusions, some of which may be chosen and even desirable. We suggest that those interested in lifelong learning should take a more critical stance towards the social inclusion agenda to which it is being harnessed.

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This article addresses and positions lifelong learning as a postmodern condition of education. It examines the ‘co-implication of lifelong learning’ with some of the changes related to the postmodern condition. Lifelong learning is located within the framing of the postmodern condition, in particular the growth of learning for ‘performativity’, or optimising the efficiency and effectiveness of economic and social systems, and an ‘unruliness of knowledge’, that is, constantly changing and becoming more rapidly available. It is also suggested that the ‘uncertainty of epistemological markers for knowledge’ that is a feature of the postmodern condition and a requirement of lifelong learning, can be argued to indicate the ‘loss of mastery’ as a goal of education. Rather than a path to mastery, lifelong learning could be considered a ‘condition of constant apprenticeship’. The authors suggest that lifelong learning contributes to performativity and a loss of mastery but creates different possibilities for adult learners, hence the complex challenge for adult educators. Show less

As lifelong learning becomes a greater focus for policy at local, national and supranational levels, a question emerges as to how to engage in policy analysis. This is a debate, which is already taking place in relation to policy analysis in other sectors of education. However, this has had little influence on policy studies in lifelong learning. This paper reviews the wider debates and argues for the productiveness of a discursive approach to policy analysis. In particular, it argues that the notion of metaphor can be deployed in such analysis to good effect. This is illustrated through an initial analysis of the UK government’s 1998 Green Paper, ‘The learning age: a renaissance for a new Britain’.

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Retention, attainment and progression have become key issues in post-compulsory education in the UK, as the policy agenda of increasing and widening participation has taken hold. Keeping students in the system, enabling them to gain qualifications and thereby progress to higher level courses is a key educational goal. Yet alongside increasing progression and attainment have emerged discussion of the nature and extent of academic drift within vocational education. This paper seeks to explore these issues in the context of the vocational curriculum in further education colleges in Scotland. Using the lens of literacy practices, the authors explore the ways in which the expectations upon students of the reading and writing associated with learning their subjects can illuminate the nature and extent of academic drift. Evidence is indicated to suggest that there is increasing emphasis given to educational rather than occupational relevance in the vocational curriculum.

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This article reports on a Scottish study conducted in 1995 that investigated the extent to which the principle of impartiality is perceived to be relevant and applicable by guidance practitioners in their work with adults. The paper begins with background information about impartiality in guidance and a description of the methodology employed. A discussion of the issues emerging from the study contribute to an understanding of the tensions arising for practitioners in the provision of impartial guidance. These tensions result from the interaction between professional values, institutional imperatives and practical realities. The study suggests that adult guidance practitioners considered impartiality an important principle in guidance work. However, practitioner awareness and support of impartiality didn’t always ensure its operation in practice. It is concluded that guidance, although central to participation, remains problematic and in need of further research. Show less

It has long been argued that to widen access to learning opportunities, adults need access to guidance. Increasing attention is being given to questions of the quality of adult guidance. This paper reports on a short evaluation of the impact of the introduction of a quality standards’ ‘Award’ in one county in England. It focuses on changes in guidance practice, the benefits to users, organisational benefits and staff development issues arising from the ‘Award’ process. The study raises questions about the adequacy of portfolio-based approaches in the evaluation of quality and the range of practices and practitioners encompassed by such awards. These issues are important not only for the specific award evaluated but also for quality processes more generally and the role guidance does or can play in access.

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