Institutional Transformations within Adult Learning Systems: From Modern to Late-Modern Configurations

• In Event: Case studies in educational policies: adult learning, data science, EdTech and competencies-based reform

Proposal

This paper examines the institutional transformation of Adult Learning Systems (ALS) in post-industrial democracies from the early 1990s to the 2020s. Employing a comparative historical institutionalism framework (Mahoney & Thelen, 2015; Thelen 2014), it provides a detailed analysis of the shift from "Modern ALS," characterised by vertical, lifelong extensions of learning, to "Late-Modern ALS," defined by a horizontal, life-wide expansion into new societal domains. Drawing on sixteen country case studies, the research identifies both commonalities and variations in ALS development, offering insights into the economic, political, and social forces that have shaped these systems over the past three decades.

This study emerges from an international project dedicated to comparative analysis of ALS transformations across various post-industrial democracies. Building on prior research in adult education (Blossfeld et al., 2014; Author, 2017; Saar et al., 2013), it investigates ALS as a crucial institutional structure in the evolving landscape of organised adult learning under changing economic and social conditions. The paper's primary aim is to explore the transition from "Modern ALS" (1970s-1990s) to "Late-Modern ALS" (1990s-2020s), identifying the drivers of institutional continuity and change, while highlighting the key challenges these systems currently face.

The paper adopts a comparative institutional analysis approach (Mahoney & Thelen, 2015; Thelen, 2014), drawing on empirical data from 16 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia. Case studies of ALS development map the trajectories of institutional change across diverse societal domains, including formal education, labour markets, and welfare regimes. Additionally, the analysis incorporates both qualitative and quantitative data from large-scale international comparative studies such as PIAAC, the Adult Education Survey, and the Continuous Vocational Training Survey.

The findings reveal that Late-Modern ALS have evolved into distinct systems, differing from their Modern predecessors in organisational principles and in the volume and scope of adult learning provision, which has become much bigger. Whereas Modern ALS were predominantly focused on formal education, Late-Modern ALS have become more deeply embedded in broader societal institutions, with a particular emphasis on labour markets and welfare regimes.

While ALS have followed diverse national trajectories, shaped by timing of differences in skill formation systems, welfare state models, and levels of stakeholder involvement in the 1990s, these variations cannot be solely explained by differing welfare provision or skill formation models. The rise of precarious work and the shift towards knowledge-based economies and social investment policies (Hassel, 2020; Hemerijck, 2018) as homogenising forces have pushed ALS to address new social risks, such as unemployment and skill obsolescence. This has led to a marked expansion of learning opportunities beyond formal education, with labour market institutions playing a crucial role. Nevertheless, the provision and coordination of ALS remain uneven across countries, with some, like Portugal and Denmark, relying heavily on state-led initiatives, while others, such as Czechia and the UK, adopt more market-driven approaches. These disparities have significant implications for the accessibility and inclusivity of adult learning opportunities across different regions.

References:
Blossfeld, H.-P., Kilpi-Jakonen, E., Vono de Vilhena, D., & Buchholz, S. (2014). Adult learning in modern societies: an international comparison from a life-course perspective. (EduLIFE lifelong learning). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Author (2017). Political economy of adult learning systems. Comparative study of strategies, policies, and constraints. Bloomsbury.
Author (2020). PIAAC thematic report on adult learning. (OECD education working paper no. 223). Paris: OECD Publishing.
Hassel, A., Palier, B. & Avlijaš, S. (Eds.), (2020a). Growth and Welfare in the Global Economy: How Growth Regimes Evolve. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hemerijck, A. (2018). Social Investment and its Critics. Annual Review of Sociology, 44, 191–213.
Mahoney, J. & Thelen, K. (Eds.), (2015). Advances in Comparative-Historical Analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Saar, E., Ure, O., B. & Holford, J. (Eds.), (2013). Lifelong Learning in Europe. National Patterns and Challenges. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Thelen, K. (2014). Varieties of liberalization and the new politics of social solidarity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Authors

• Richard Desjardins, UCLA

• Jan Kalenda, Tomas Bata University