Lifelong Learning In Sweden

Recoge: 1.Introduction - 2.Policy and structural framework - 3.support measures to promote participation and access, modes of delivery and actors - 4.Curricular developpment, learning strategies and methodology - 5.Conclusions - 6.Annexes.

Recent changes in the world effected by the transformations of information technology, globalisation, and the move towards a knowledge economy over the last thirty years have been as radical and fundamental as the changes resulting from the invention of the wheel and the printing press. We are now living in a new age in which the demands are so complex, so multifarious and so rapidly changing that the only way in which we shall be able to survive them is by committing to a process of individual, communal, and global learning throughout the lifespan of all of us. A number of international bodies and agencies have taken cognisance of these transformations and the demands they impose upon societies and communities of the twenty-first century and have developed and articulated policies intended to enable all citizens of the world in the twenty-first century to face these challenges. It is now a declared policy of many governments and international agencies that the only vehicle for such preparation is `education, education, education', and that preparing for the knowledge economy and the learning society of the future has to be a lifelong undertaking, an investment in the future that is not restricted merely to the domain of economic advancement but also to those of social inclusion and personal growth. Realising this, policy-makers across the international arena are grappling with the need to move from systems that emphasise education and training to the radically more unworked construct of lifelong learning. In this volume the editors and authors analyse, criticise, and rework the ideas, principles, and theories underpinning policies and programs of lifelong learning, re-interpreting them in the light of examples of `best practice' found in a range of educating institutions around the world. We believe that students of educational change and community development will find it useful and helpful to have available in this volume some of the most up-to-date thinking on the chief concepts, theories, and values of increasing policy interest in lifelong learning, together with a review of some significant examples of the different forms, focuses, and nexuses of thought and practice on this topic. All this enables us to offer some policy recommendations and practical suggestions as to ways forward in the endeavour to make lifelong learning a reality for all.

The Third edition of this well-received and widely used Handbook brings together an entirely new set of chapters, to reflect progress and new themes in the ten years to 2022. Building on the established structure of the first two Handbooks, the four sections focus in turn on: philosophy, history and theory development; fresh perspectives on policy and policy development; emerging programs and new approaches; and re-imagining lifelong learning for future challenges. The Handbook stimulates readers with fresh and timely insights, while exploring anew some enduring themes. New topics and themes introduced in all sections address lifelong learning challenges associated with climate change, the digital world, the rise of populism, migration and precarious living. The Handbook features learning innovations and evolving pedagogies such as intergenerational learning, art as pedagogy to promote public-mindedness, neuroscience enhancing learning effectiveness, and lifelong learning for sustainability. Policy responses to lifelong learning for work and well-being are debated. In state of the art contributions, authors from around the globe focus readers' attention on multifaceted processes, issues and decisions that must be better understood and enacted if inclusive development and fair access to lifelong learning are to become realities for us all.

Responding to the emerging needs of lifelong learners arguably represents one of the most fundamental challenges facing higher education systems of the countries of the developing world. At the start of the new century the concept of Lifelong Learning may indeed be counted as one of the the key organising concepts underlying public policy in many countries. The interpretation of the concept, however, remains highly contested. This timely book throws new light on the dramatic changes taking place in higher education through an exploration of the participation of "non-traditional" students in ten countries. Among others, the following areas are explored: * the complex reality behind the statistics on participation in higher education in five European countries (Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom), North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand * contrasting perceptions of lifelong learning * changing patterns of participation by adults in higher education * national and institutional policies and innovations to accommodate non-traditional students and new forms of study * conclusions for policy, practice and research Higher Education for Lifelong Learners will be of interest to academics, researchers and students involved with higher education, lifelong learning, and comparative education as well as policy makers, educational managers and administrators. The contributions reveal a remarkable transformation in the student body and in the way learners pursue their studies, highlighting the international impact of increasing marketisation and differentiation on the nature of the higher education accessible to potential lifelong learners.

Popular education, a distinctive Swedish tradition of lifelong learning, has always concerned itself with the relationship between learning, power, and democracy in society, rather than having a purely individualistic and instrumental approach to learning for employability, which has dominated policy and practice. Through the themes of power and democracy, this book examines popular education's contribution to enhancing people's lives in communities. It reflects on the wider significance and explores the impact on the political culture of the state and the cultural politics of society within and outside Sweden, including the US, Japan, Canada, and Tanzania. As a comprehensive and unique collection, the book balances historical reflection, contemporary issues, and the international impact of popular education, combining theoretical analysis and empirical data. *** ...this book provides a wonderful introduction to the historical development and some of the current aspects and examples of Swedish popular education, both in Sweden and beyond....Its various chapters show the continued relevance of popular education approaches to addressing major educational and social issues and their diversity and rich theoretical grounding provide enough stimuli to engage educators and practitioners alike....a key resource in the worldwide struggles for social justice by demonstrating how education can be both (a) a tool for social change as well as for personal transformation and (b) how insights gained from others' actions and struggles can be used by people the world over. -- Tom Nesbit, Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education, in the European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults, 2013

This volume represents an attempt to sketch the outlines of a research agenda for lifelong learning. In setting out an array of diverse ideas, themes and questions, it aims to provide reference points for researchers which should help foster dialogue on the contested territory of lifelong learning. A broad perspective is offered, ranging from issues in school education to vocational education, higher education and adult learning.

Economic globalization, modern transportation, and advanced communication technologies have greatly enhanced the mobility of people across national boundaries. The resulting demographic, social, and cultural changes create new opportunities for development as well as new challenges for lifelong learning. Transnational Migration and Lifelong Learning examines the changing nature of lifelong learning in the current age of transnational migration. The book brings together international scholars from a range of countries in a dialogue about the relationship between work, learning, mobility, knowledge, and citizenship in the context of globalization and migration. It covers a wide range of topics, including: global perspectives and analyses of migration; the impact of migration on lifelong learning; processes of exclusion and inclusion in lifelong learning; the tension between mobility, knowledge, and recognition; and transnationalism, learning communities, and citizenship. This book was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Lifelong Education.