why lll should be moved to the central stage of the system of education jón torfi jónasson,

5th Nordic Adult education conference

School of Education at the University of Iceland Reykjavík 7-9 March 2013

Why LLL should be moved to the central stage of the system of

educationJón Torfi Jónasson,

School of Education, University of Iceland [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Abstract: Why LLL should be moved to the central stage of the system of education

• The paper argues that LLL should be transferred from the periphery to the centre stage of education in the Nordic countries, even though the general argument has a much wider application. This would mean that the rhetoric of lifelong learning should be implemented as the core of the system of education. The point of departure for the paper is professional education but the argument extends to all work related education and education for citizenship. The paper is in four parts:

• First we briefly argue that the premises for our current system of education are largely outdated and then describe a new general perspective that must replace the older one.

• In the second part theoretical underpinnings for the LLL perspective are presented, derived from three perspectives. The first perspective focuses on change, i.e. how changes along at least four dimensions are becoming increasingly important, i.e., changes within any job (such as technological changes), people increasingly taking on many jobs during their lifetime, quite dramatic changes in cultures in many sections of the labour market and new ideas about how change can most fruitfully be orchestrated from within the workplace. The second focus, the pedagogical focus will note that there are motivational, developmental and pragmatic reasons why incremental changes interwoven with the tasks at hand are most likely to become tools of thought and action. The third focus is the professional (or expert) focus, where it will be noted that developing any skill takes time and is often situation specific.

• In the third section of the paper various obstacles to system change are presented, in particular how the current system itself resists change.

• The fourth part is a brief mention of the elements that must be tackled in the educational systems for change to be possible.

Jón Torfi Jónasson 5th NCOAL Iceland 2013 2

Abstract: Why LLL should be moved to the central stage of the system of education

• The paper argues that LLL should be transferred from the periphery to the centre stage of education in the Nordic countries, even though the general argument has a much wider application. This would mean that the rhetoric of lifelong learning should be implemented as the core of the system of education. The point of departure for the paper is professional education but the argument extends to all work related education and education for citizenship. The paper is in four parts:

• First we briefly argue that the premises for our current system of education are largely outdated and then describe a new general perspective that must replace the older one.

• In the second part theoretical underpinnings for the LLL perspective are presented, derived from three perspectives. The first perspective focuses on change, i.e. how changes along at least four dimensions are becoming increasingly important, i.e., changes within any job (such as technological changes), people increasingly taking on many jobs during their lifetime, quite dramatic changes in cultures in many sections of the labour market and new ideas about how change can most fruitfully be orchestrated from within the workplace. The second focus, the pedagogical focus will note that there are motivational, developmental and pragmatic reasons why incremental changes interwoven with the tasks at hand are most likely to become tools of thought and action. The third focus is the professional (or expert) focus, where it will be noted that developing any skill takes time and is often situation specific.

• In the third section of the paper various obstacles to system change are presented, in particular how the current system itself resists change.

• The fourth part is a brief mention of the elements that must be tackled in the educational systems for change to be possible.


Part-1:

The current perspective• LLL and Adult education


Part-1:

The current perspective• LLL and Adult education– Adults outside the system, but there are also adults

within the system – just to remind our selves– A brief look at the system. The adults in the system.

The numbers that are over the considered normal age within the system. They are high and fairly stable in relative terms.

– The numbers that are over the considered normal age within the system. They are high and fairly stable in relative terms.



0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

20+ 30+ 40+ 50+

% o

f tho

se in

the

syst

em

% above the indicated age

The proportion of those enrolled in the system that are above a certain age

Finland Women

Iceland Women

Sweden Women

Norway Women

Denmark Women

Nordisk Stabank Feb 2013 /JTJ


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

20+ 30+ 40+ 50+

% o

f tho

se in

the

syst

em

% above the indicated age

The proportion of those enrolled in the tertiary system that are above a certain age

Iceland Women

Sweden Women

Norway Women

Finland Women

Denmark Women



0

5

10

15

20

25

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

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2010

2011

%

The % of 30-39 year old women in tertiary education as a percentage of total enrollment

Iceland Women 30-39

Norway Women 30-39

Nordic Women 30-39

Finland Women 30-39

Sweden Women 30-39

Denmark Women 30-39


Part-1:

The current perspective and setting the stageThe 1950s and 2020s

Only 70 years, but some things have changed


Age 0 21 41 61 81

Upp

er p

anel

School Work Work Work Work

Age 0 21 41 61 81

Upp

er p

anel

School Work Work / lesisure Work / leisure / pension


A schematic diagram indicating the way many people think (implicitly) about education, accepting a relatively sensible description for the 1950’s

It is suggested here that a much more appropriate description or conceptual framework would be (note we are hinting at 5 x 20 year periods):

Part-2:

Why LLL should take the central stageThree arguments will be presented, each one would suffice as an argument for change, but all of them should be included in a holistic framework for change. These are


Part-3:

The forces of stagnation• Why changes will be very slow, even though there

certainly are some gradual changes.

• In this connection it is important to understand how the discourse is framed; here we will note three frames, where the first is the most prevalent, but number two perhaps the most problematic.


Part-3: Three frames for discussing professional education


•The discussion centres around the ingredients or content and arrangement of an educational pre-service programme. This the normal discourse.

The basic content focus

•The discussion is moulded by various systemic issues. This is the hidden frame of the normal discourse.

The system focus

•The discussion would by framed by the notion of lifelong development of a professional and her institution. This is the discourse advocated here.

The Life long learning (LLL)

focus

Part-3: The content focus

• Professional education is discussed from the perspective of pre-service



Elapsed time from beginning of study5 yrs 10 yrs 20 yrs 30 yrs 40 yrsM

ovin

g bet

wee

n ar

enas

or j

obs

Part-3: The system focus

• The school as a system, with its role and its rules; in many cases LLL is not an integral part of this system

• The HE system (which is being made accountable for pre-service education), has to respect

– The credential– The way mastery is evaluated– The question of who pays for what– The role of the graduate student in the HE machinery– The discourse is swayed away from professional development


Part-3:

The forces of stagnation ― the inertias• There are very many reasons why people don't want to

change, I have called them “the inertias”

• These are of many sorts including, old discourses, a variety of strong vested interests, outdated skills, outmoded ways of operating, lack of knowledge about change or new possibilities, lack of understanding of changing roles for education, conservative values (some are very good, some are not), etc.


Part-4:

Changes that have to be considered• First the above noted dominance of the formal system• Noting which aspects of the formal system are most

resistant to change• But also accepting that a system is necessary• Accepting that adult education is for everybody


How the system may develop

• Systematize gradually some aspects of LLL• Use examples from professional disciplines and the

world of industry where CPD has become a part of an internal system and extend this

• Accept that finances need to moved from one part of the system to the new ones!


Thank you


why lll should be moved to the central stage of the system of education jón torfi jónasson,

Documents

professional education

current system of education

centre stage of education

system change

work related education

lll perspective

system of educationthe

new general perspective