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This book examines different notions of a learning society and the changes in adult education theory and practice that will be required to create a learning society. Recent developments in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, in other countries are cited as evidence that creating a learning society will require new forms of thinking about the theory and practice of adult education. The following are among the topics discussed in the book's six chapters: the relationship between discourse, power, knowledge, and governmentality; poststructuralism and postmodernism; economic, cultural, technological, and demographic changes that have contributed to the growth in interest in the notions of a learning society and lifelong learning; implications of the recent shift from focus on inputs (adult education and its provision) to focus on outputs (learning and learners); ways provision of adult education has changed to support access and participation, open and distance learning, and assessment and accreditation of outcomes in an increasing number of learning settings; the adoption of neo- and post-Fordist models of organizational development and the role of the reflective practitioner as a model for professional development; and contemporary trends and differing notions of a learning society. The bibliography contains 431 references. (MN)

This document consists of 12 papers that, together, summarize the key issues underpinning future research and policy development related to intergenerational programs (IPs). "Introduction" (Alan Hatton-Yeo) discusses the project out of which the papers developed. "A General Assessment of IP Initiatives in the Countries Involved" (Ann-Kristin Bostrum, Alan Hatton-Yeo, Toshio Oshako, Yukiko Sawano) considers the historical and cultural roots of IPs, the role of IPs as instruments for solving priority social problems in given countries, the status of IPs, the training of IP professionals, and future needs and assessment of IPs. "Public Policy and Research Recommendations: An International Perspective" (Alan Hatton-Yeo, Jumbo Klerq, Toshio Oshako, Sally Newman) presents general recommendations, recommendations concerning four specific impact areas of IPs in public policy (economy and employment, society, lifelong learning, health), and recommendations concerning IP development and implementation strategies. The remaining papers, which focus on the past, present, and future of IPs in specific countries, are as follows: "China" (Sun Maintao); "Cuba" (Raul Hernandez Castellon); "Germany" (Ludger Veelken); "Japan" (Yukiko Sawano); "The Netherlands" (Jumbo Klerq); "Palestine" (Nora Kort); "South Africa" (Cathy Gush); "Sweden" (Ann-Kristin Bostrum); "The United Kingdom" (Alan Hatton-Yeo); and "The United States" (Sally Newman). The bibliography contains 47 references. (MN)

The papers which make up this volume were for the most part presented at a program of seminars given in Oxford, England, in the autumn of 1990. The seminars represented the first activity of the new Centre for Comparative Studies in Education installed at the Department of Educational Studies of the University of Oxford in January 1990. The Centre's principal objective is to collect and analyze data on education in other countries in order to make comparisons with the United Kingdom that might inform policy discussions. The present collection seeks to make a contribution to two important questions in the study of comparative education: What lessons can be learned from cross-national studies of issues in education? and What problems of comparative method do such studies have to address? The nine papers in the collection include: "Introduction" (David Phillips); "An International Comparison of Access to Higher Education" (A. H. Halsey); "Schools of Education and Teacher Education" (Harry Judge); "Education Training and Economic Performance in Comparative Perspective" (David Finegold); "French Lessons: Comparative Perspectives on What It Means to be a Teacher" (Patricia Broadfoot; Marilyn Osborn); "Apprentice Training in Germany: The Experiences of the 1980s" (Bernard Casey); "Alternative Funding of Education Systems: Some Lessons from Third World Experiments" (Keith Watson); "Unlearnt European Lessons: Why Austria Abandoned the Comprehensive School Experiments and Restored the 'Gymnasium'" (Karl Heinz Gruber); and "Japan--Pupil Turned Teacher?" (Roger Goodman). (DB)

This volume contains 19 papers that were presented at a conference addressing critical issues related to employment options for older persons. They are arranged in four sections that cover early retirement policies and their implications; older workers of Asia and the Pacific; the impact of technological change on the employment prospects of older persons; and the reorganization of work, leisure, and education over the life cycle. The papers are: "Work, Aging and the Life Cycle" (Xavier Gaullier); "Early Exit and the Employment of Older Workers in the 1990s in the United Kingdom" (Frank Laczko); "Early Retirement Policies and Practices in the United States" (Denise F. Loftus); "Early Retirement and the Middle-Aged" (Malcolm H. Morrison); "Ageism in the British Labor Market" (Alan Walker); "Older Workers in Asia and the Pacific" (John McCallum); "Work, Retirement and Income Security" (Lita J. Domingo); "Older Workers in a Developing Economy" (Nii-K Plange); "Older Japanese Workers" (Michiko Naoi); "The Impact of Technological Change on Employment Prospects for Older Persons" (Harvey L. Sterns); "New Technologies and the Aging of the Labor Force" (Marie-Noel Beauchesne-Florival); "The Impact of Technological Change on Employment for Older Persons from a West German Perspective" (Gerald A. Straka); "Older Workers and Technology" (Robert A. Harootyan); "Implications of Technological Advances for Canadian Workers" (Neil Charness); "The Reorganization of Work, Leisure and Education over the Life Cycle" (Jack Habib, Charlotte Nusberg); "Flexibility and Free Choice in Working Life" (Gosta Rehn); "Does Flexible Life Scheduling Have a Future?" (Fred Best); "Emerging Changes in the Structure of the Employment Relationship and Their Projected Effects on the Distinction between Work and Retirement" (Dan Jacobson); and "Leisure and the Structure of Our Life Worlds" (Jon Hendricks, Stephen J. Cutler). (KC)

The present document on the Sixty Years of CONFINTEA was inspired by the desire to register the long fecund history of a global movement which has spanned six decades. Official records and documents produced by and for the conferences, in particular the final reports, elaborated by UNESCO were used as an important source. This process of historical recovery became equally important as a means of undertaking a transversal reading of the development of the concept of adult education, embracing the post-war years, the period of decolonization, the Cold War and the attack on the twin towers in New York. In Knoll's words, it "(…) demonstrates the changes in perceptions of adult education, from literacy to lifelong learning, in which adult education is seen as both part of the continuum of education and an entity in itself." In addition to the CONFINTEA documents, other documents were included which possess a fundamental link with the Conferences and what they represent in terms of the struggle for the right to education, in the spirit of education for all and in the perspective of lifelong learning and education. Following an introduction, the following papers are included: (1) "The history of the UNESCO International Conferences on Adult Education--From Helsingör (1949) to Hamburg (1997): international education policy through people and programmes (Joachim H. Knoll); (2) Sixty years of CONFINTEA: a retrospective analysis (Timothy D. Ireland); and (3) The CONFINTEA agenda: work in progress (Timothy D. Ireland). Nine annexes include the following summary reports: (1) Universal Declaration of Human Rights; (2) First International Conference on Adult Education (1949); (3) Second International Conference on Adult Education (1960); (4) Third International Conference on Adult Education (1972); (5) Recommendation on the Development of Adult Education adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 19th session (Nairobi, 26 November, 1976); (6) Fourth International Conference on Adult Education (1985); (7) Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (1997); (8) Recommitting to Adult Education and Learning: Synthesis Report of the CONFINTEA V Midterm Review Meeting; and (9) Sixth International Conference on Adult Education (2009).

The nine papers included in this book are: "The Why, What and How of Educational Reform in Japan" (Roger Goodman); "Why Reform Japanese Education?" (William K. Cummings); "Destruction and Reconstruction: A Comparative Analysis of the Education Reform in Japan and Germany under the U.S. Military Occupation After World War Two" (Masako Shibata); "The Third Great Reform of the Japanese Education System: Success in the 1980s Onwards" (Christopher P. Hood); "Japanese Educational Reform: Developments and Prospects at Primary and Secondary Level" (Peter Cave); "Japanese Nationalism and the Reform of English Language Teaching" (Robert W. Aspinall); "Globalisation and the Recent Reforms in Japanese Higher Education" (Yoko Tsuruta); "Changes in Mathematics Teaching in Japan: Are They Real or Rational?" (Julia Whitburn); and "Postscript. Reflections on British Interest in Education in Japan" (David Phillips). (Papers contain references.) (SM)

This book contains 16 papers on learner support in distance education in an international context. The following papers are included: "Constructivism or Confucianism? We Have the Technology, Now What Shall We Do With It?" (Louise Aylward); "Exploring Informal Study Groups in a South African Teacher Education Programme" (Carol Bertram); "Supporting the Masses? Learner Perceptions of a South African ODL (open and distance learning) Programme" (Norma Corry, Tony Lelliot); "Addressing the Learning Skills Needs of Students at a Distance: A Dual Medium Approach" (Margaret Johnson, Clive Barrett); "Supporting the Student in New Teaching and Learning Environments" (Brian Kenworthy); "The Importance of the Tutor in Open and Distance Learning" (Helen Lentell); "Remembering Our Common Work: Institutional Support for Open Learning" (Alan Mandell, Lee Herman); "On-line Learning and Supporting Students: New Possibilities" (Robin Mason); "The Centrality of Learner Support in Open and Distance Learning: A Paradigm Shift in Thinking" (Roger Mills); "Distance Higher Education and Library Services in Japan" (Chieko Mizoue); "Changing Entrenched Learner Support Systems: Vision and Reality" (Evelyn Pulane Nonyongo); "Lost and Found: Open Learning Outside the Doors of Academe" (Jennifer O'Rourke); "Challenges in Adjusting to New Technology in Supporting Learners in Developing Countries" (Jason Pennells); "Delivering Learner Support On-line: Does the Medium Affect the Message?" (Marion Phillips); "Rethinking Learner Support in the Open University UK; A Case Study" (Alan Tait); and"Collaborative On-line Learning: Transforming Learner Support and Course Design" (Mary Thorpe). All papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This collection of papers shows how intercultural competence can be realized in the classroom. The 17 chapters include the following: (1) "The International Partnership Project" (Carol Morgan); (2) "Teaching Intercultural Communicative Competence through Literature" (Eva Burwitz-Melzer); (3) "'Up the Hills of Identity'" (Elena Tarasheva and Leah Davcheva); (4) "Visual Codes and Modes of Presentation of Television News Broadcasts" (Maria Metodieva Genova); (5) "An Approach to Implementing a Cultural Studies Syllabus" (Iskra Georgieva); (6) "'Family Life' and 'Regional Identity'--Comparative Studies While Learning French" (Sylvia Duffy and Janet Mayes); (7) "'It Must Be Cultural because I Don't Do It': Cultural Awareness in Initial TESOL Teacher Education" (Mary Williams); (8)"Virtual Intercultural Competence: A Programme for Japanese Elementary School Students" (Lynne Parmenter and Yuichi Tomita); (9) "Students as Virtual Ethnographers: Exploring the Language Culture-Connection" (Sheila Carel); (10) "Working in Tandem: An Anglo-French Project" (Clare Dodd); (11) "New Tools for Old Tricks: Information and Communication Technology in Teaching British Cultural Studies" (Paul Whittaker); (12) "Tandem Learning as an Intercultural Activity" (Jane Woodin); (13) "'Why Do Danes Put Their Elderly in Nursing Homes?'--Working Outside the Classroom with Adult Second Language Learners" (Judith Parsons and Peter Junge); (14) "Cultural Understanding in Danish Schools" (Leon Aktor and Karen Risager); (15) "'I Thought My Teacher Fancied Me'" (Tanya Madjarova, Magdalena Botsmanova, and Tanya Stamatova); (16) "British and Bulgarian Christmas Cards: A Research Project for Students" (Krassimira Topuzova); and (17) "Study of Landscapes as an Approach to Openness to Others" (Francoise Vigneron). (Papers contain references.) (SM)

This book, which is designed primarily for undergraduate and graduate students of education, contains 12 papers devoted the New Labour's policies for schools in the United Kingdom. "Introduction" (Jim Docking) presents an overview of the book's contents and lists questions to help evaluate the effectiveness of New Labour's educational policies. "What Is the Problem?" (Jim Docking) examines the background to the standards debate and the government's rationale for increasing investment in education and intervention to raise standards. "What Is the Solution? An Overview of National Policies for Schools, 1979-99" (Jim Docking) recaps successive governments' policies to raise standards. "Target Setting, Inspection and Assessment" (Derek Shaw) explains how standards are monitored and considers problems of benchmarking. "Curriculum Initiatives" (Jim Docking) reviews national programs to raise standards in literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology. "The Revised National Curriculum" (Jim Docking) traces the curriculum's development. "Early Years Education" (Peter Jackson) explores issues and developments in early years education. "Special Educational Needs and Inclusion" (Ron Letch) discusses the drive to place more special needs children in mainstream schools. "14-19 and Lifelong Learning" (Roger Marples) examines the complexities of provision for learners aged 14-19 and the policy to improve provisions for of lifelong learning. "The Teaching Profession" (Graham Welch, Pat Mahony) looks at policies for reforming the teaching profession. "The Role of Local Education Authorities" (Ron Letch) focuses on the changing role of local education authorities. "Choice, Diversity and Partnerships" (Peter Jackson) outlines New Labour's policies regarding choice, diversity, and development of partnerships. "Disengagement, Truancy and Exclusion" (Jane Lovey) is devoted to New Labour's policies to arrest pupil disengagement and reduce the incidence of truancy and exclusion. All papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN)

This book contains 11 papers on higher education and lifelong learners. The following papers are included: "Traditions and New Directions in Higher Education: A Comparative Perspective on Non-Traditional Students and Lifelong Learners" (Hans G. Schuetze, Maria Slowey); "Austria: The Enduring Myth of the Full-Time Student: An Exploration of the Reality of Participation Patterns in Austrian Universities" (Hans Pechar, Angela Wroblewski); "Germany; Non-Traditional Students in German Higher Education: Situation, Profiles, Policies and Perspectives" (Andra Wolter); "Ireland: Adult Learners and Non-Traditional Students in Irish Higher Education" (Tom Collins); "Sweden: Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education in Sweden: From Recurrent Education to Lifelong Learning" (Agnieszka Bron, Karin Agelii); "The United Kingdom: Redefining the Non-Traditional Student: Equity and Lifelong Learning in British Higher Education, 1985-2000" (Maria Slowey); "Canada: Higher Education and Lifelong Learning in Canada: Re-Interpreting the Notions of 'Traditional' and 'Non-Traditional' Students in the Context of a 'Knowledge Society'" (Hans G. Schuetze); "The United States: Heterogeneity of the Student Body and the Meaning of 'Non-Traditional' in U.S. Higher Education" (Seth Agbo); "Australia: Higher Education and Lifelong Learning: An Australian Perspective" (Richard James, David Beckett); "Japan: From Traditional Higher Education to Lifelong Learning: Changes in Higher Education in Japan" (Shinichi Yamamoto, Tomokazu Fujitsuka, Yuki Honda-Okitsu); and "New Zealand: The Impact of Market Forces in the Quest for Lifelong Learning in New Zealand Universities" (Roger Boshier, John Benseman). Most papers include substantial bibliographies. Twenty-three tables/figures are included. (MN)

This book contains nine papers devoted to the psychological experience of youth employment and its role in shaping future employment experiences and expectations. "Introduction" (Julian Barling, E. Kevin Kelloway) emphasizes the diversity of young people as a group and the diversity of individual youth's employment experience. "The Nature of Youth Employment" (Catherine Loughlin, Julian Barling) examines relationships between employment quality and young people's work-related attitudes and behaviors. "Learning To Work: The Development of Work Beliefs" (E. Kevin Kelloway, Steve Harvey) explores the impact of learning before and during employment. "Gender Differences in Employment and Income Experiences among Young People" (Serge Desmarais, James Curtis) considers previous and new research on gender and youth employment. "Developmental Consequences of Youth Employment" (Michael R. Frone) reviews developmental outcomes of employment among adolescents. "Child Labor and Exploitation" (Chaya S. Piotrkowski, Joanne Carrubba) discusses child labor in the United States and worldwide. "Occupational Safety and Health in Young People" (Dawn N. Castillo) details the substantial risks that employment poses to U.S. youths. "Reconceptualizing Youth Unemployment" (Graham S. Lowe, Harvey Krahn) documents how school-to-work transition and life course perspectives can enrich a social-psychological understanding of youth unemployment. "Youth and Labor Representation" (Daniel G. Gallagher) reviews current trends and future directions in the relationship between young people and labor unions. All papers include substantial bibliographies. (MN)