The contribution of adult learning to health and social capital

Abstract

This research uses the National Child Development Study to investigate the effects of adult learning upon 12 outcomes that act as proxies for health and social capital. To minimise selection bias we consider changes in outcomes rather than levels. We find that adult learning plays an important role in contributing to the small shifts in attitudes and behaviours that take place during mid‐adulthood. The results hold as controls are added for demographic, educational and other background factors, as well as for changes in life circumstances during mid‐adulthood. It is therefore very likely that there are substantive and genuine effects of adult learning. However, we do not suggest a purely one‐way causal relationship. Evidence from additional analyses suggests rather that participation in adult learning is a very important element in positive cycles of development and progression.

Notes

* Corresponding author: The Bedford Group for Lifecourse and Statistical Studies, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK. Email: [email protected]

The little work that has been done on wider benefits mostly focuses on the returns to school level qualifications and years of schooling, e.g. Behrman & Stacey (1997).

Cronbach's alpha is a measure of the reliability of a scale that is intended to assess an underlying (latent) construct. It measures how well the set of items (or variables) that form the scale capture the intended construct.

The model can be described by the following equation:

where Δy = change in outcome, α = constant, A = number of courses of each type taken, g = gender, δ₁ to δ₃ = estimated coefficients, X = matrix of control variables, β = matrix of estimated coefficients for control variables. δ₃ is therefore the difference in effect by gender.

Full results are reported in Feinstein et al. (2003).

This does not include any GCSEs with grades A*–C or their academic equivalent. Subsequent analyses will include up to four such qualifications in this group, but it was not possible to do so within the timescale of this phase of the research.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leon Feinstein *

* Corresponding author: The Bedford Group for Lifecourse and Statistical Studies, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL, UK. Email: [email protected]