Profiling Middle-Aged Adults’ PIAAC Competencies: Education and Work Effects in Korea and the U.S. (Stage 1, 7:50 AM)

• In Event: e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 20 - Stage 1

Abstract

This study analyzed second-cycle OECD PIAAC data to profile the competencies of middle-aged Korean adults (ages 45–65) across cognitive and socio-emotional domains. Using latent profile analysis, five distinct subgroups were identified, shaped not only by age and educational attainment in early adulthood but by cumulative educational and labor market experiences. Guided by a life-course perspective, the study revealed that competencies in middle-aged adults were diverse and stratified, not uniform. These findings challenge national narratives that depicted them as a homogeneous or overly idealized source of human capital in an aging society, offering critical implications for the effectiveness of lifelong learning policies. A forthcoming comparison with U.S. data will contextualize Korea’s challenges within global discussions on education and aging.

Authors

• Jiyoung Ha, Yonsei University

• Woo-jeong Shim, Hannam University

• Jeong-a Kim, Korean Educational Development Institute