Patterns and trends in part‐time adult education participation in relation to UK nation, class, place of participation, gender, age and disability, 1998–2003¹

1. The analysis presented in this paper represents foundational work currently being conducted as part of the Learning Lives: Learning, Identity and Agency in the Life‐Course study which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Award Reference RES139250111, and is part of the ESRC’s Teaching an Learning Research Project. Learning Lives is a collaborative project involving the University of Exeter (Gert Biesta, Flora Macleod, Michael Tedder, Paul Lambe), the University of Brighton (Ivor Goodson, Norma Adair), the University of Leeds (Phil Hodkinson, Heather Hodkinson, Geoff Ford, Ruth Hawthorne) and the University of Stirling (John Field, Irene Malcolm). For further information see www.learninglives.org.

Abstract

Analysis of data from six years of the British Household Panel Survey (1998–2003) has been used to look at variances in take‐up of part time learning opportunities by adults over time in the UK and, separately, by its four constituent nations. The paper provides a useful backdrop of ‘facts and figures’ on patterns of take‐up in part time education and training over the first six years of Labour Governments. Whilst the home‐international comparisons show differences in terms of general levels of participation they show similar patterns of participation along gender and class lines. Apart from evidencing a steep upturn in the take‐up of home‐based learning amongst women, a persistent finding was how little had changed over this six year period in terms of removing barriers that position some as disadvantaged and others as advantaged.

Notes

1. The analysis presented in this paper represents foundational work currently being conducted as part of the Learning Lives: Learning, Identity and Agency in the Life‐Course study which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Award Reference RES139250111, and is part of the ESRC’s Teaching an Learning Research Project. Learning Lives is a collaborative project involving the University of Exeter (Gert Biesta, Flora Macleod, Michael Tedder, Paul Lambe), the University of Brighton (Ivor Goodson, Norma Adair), the University of Leeds (Phil Hodkinson, Heather Hodkinson, Geoff Ford, Ruth Hawthorne) and the University of Stirling (John Field, Irene Malcolm). For further information see www.learninglives.org.

2. See Hughes and Patterson (1997) for a critique of the social model of disability.

3. As the original BHPS sampling strategy involved geographical clustering it was felt that some areas of the UK were not represented in the data e.g. no OSM lived north of the Caledonian Canal at the time of the initial survey in 1991.

4. Earlier questions in the BHPS interview referred to full time course attendance—also see note 7 below.

5. Base samples i.e. sample sizes before weights have been applied to adjust for any departure from a random population sample caused by unequal selection probabilities and bias in response rates. All BHPS documentation and full details of survey methodology and weightings are available at: http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/bhps

6. Base numbers and weighted base numbers for all figures and tables in this paper are available from the authors on request.

7. All BHPS codebooks, questionnaires and showcards used as props during interviews can found at: http://www.iser.essex.ac.uk/bhps

8. Although this paper has not broken down the figures into ‘within country regions’ we believe such a breakdown would lead to further insights.

9. For a critique of the social model of disability see Hughes and Paterson (1997).

10. Goodson (2005). Available online at: accessed via website www.ivorgoodson.com (accessed 27 November 2005).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Flora Macleod

Flora Macleod is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Exeter, UK. She is currently co‐director of the Learning Lives Project (see note 1). Her research interests include the psychology of learning, learning in the life course; survey and experimental research methodology; home‐school‐community links; family literacy and family learning. Recent publications include Macleod, F., Macmillan, P. & Norwich, B. (2007) ‘Listening to myself’: improving oracy and literacy amongst children who fall behind. Early Child Development and Care, 177(6).

Paul Lambe

Paul Lambe is a Research Fellow at the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK. He is currently working on the quantitative side of the Learning Lives Project. His research interests include the relationship between agency, identity and learning in the life course and involve longitudinal data analysis of panel survey data using statistical techniques such as Latent Class Analysis and Event History Analysis to identify and evaluate life course events and transitions that have a sustained impact on adults’ learning opportunities, dispositions and practices. Recent publications include Lambe, P., Rallings, C., & Thrasher, M. (2005) Elections and public opinion: plus ca change. Parliamentary Affairs, April. Email: [email protected]