Abstract
National policy agendas for lifelong learning place responsibility for learning as a lifelong endeavor at the feet of individual learners. ‘Failure’ in the labor market – unemployment, underemployment, not achieving progression, or successful switching of careers – is seen as an outcome of an individual’s decisions about education and training. That is, it is individual actions and decisions that are perceived as being entirely in the control of the individual, as it is for individuals to invest in their development to increase their capacity. Those who do not meet this expected undertaking are labeled variously as having ‘gaps’ in their skills and knowledge, and/or as non-learners, as a problem that either needs addressing or is of the individual’s making. Lifelong learning is positioned as a state of mind. This is a very human capital perspective commonly used by government and enterprises alike. Individuals are simultaneously pawns expected to exercise particular kinds of agency, assumed to be operating on a level playing field. Despite even the best of government provision of funding and places, it is no surprise that not all opportunities are equal.
Genuine opportunities are denied to many depending on their circumstances and biographies. Race, class, gender, income, access to childcare, cost of transport, options offered by accessible institutions, being part of a supportive workplace, the nature and design of the work individuals are engaged in: these and more mediate chances to participate actively and meaningfully in lifelong learning. Debates about the realities of lifelong learning addressing inclusion and equity issues are not new. So how to conceive of lifelong learning beyond, for example, government support for places in educational institutions, and who the players are that have a role in contributing to genuine opportunities for lifelong learning? Learning conceived of as social practices brings a focus to individuals’ potential, their genuine opportunities through their biographies, and the contexts in which they live and work. These perspectives position lifelong learning very differently, with different foci, intent, and creation of possibilities for individuals, collectives, and a nation. This conceptual chapter aims to address what a different conception and positioning of lifelong learning ‘looks like,’ and what it might mean for different players.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Avis, J. (2000). Policy talk: Reflexive modernization and the construction of teaching and learning within post-compulsory education and lifelong learning in England. Journal of Education Policy, 15(2), 185–199.
Bi, X., Bound, H., Mohamed, F., Cai, V., & Chuen, K. H. (2020). Understanding adult learners’ sense-making to inform pedagogical innovations in blended learning (BL). Institute for Adult Learning.
Boud, D., & Soler, R. (2016). Sustainable assessment revisited, Assessment & Evaluation. Higher Education, 41(3), 400–413.
Bound, H., & Chia, A. (2020). The 6 Principles of Learning Design Designing learning for performance. A practitioner note. Institute for Adult Learning.
Bound, H., & Lin, M. (2013). Develo** competence at work. Vocations and Learning, 6(3), 403–420.
Bound, H., & Tan, S. C. (2020). Dialogical inquiry A short guide to teaching using a dialogical inquiry approach. Institute for Adult Learning.
Bound, H., & Yap, C. (2021). Reconceptualising “develo** competence at work” to a journey of being and becoming. In U. Bollmann & G. Boustras (Eds.), Safety and Health Competences: A Guide for a Culture of Prevention. CRC PRESS, Taylor & Francis (part of the series ‘The Interface of Safety and Security - George Boustras’).
Bound, H., Sadik, S., & Karmel, A. (2015). Develo** non-permanent workers in Singapore. IAL.
Bound, H., Chia, A., & Karmel, A. (2016). Assessment for the changing nature of work. Institute for Adult Learning.
Bound, H., Sadik, S., Evans, K., & Karmel, A. (2019a). How non-permanent workers learn and develop challenges and opportunities. Routledge.
Bound, H., Chee, T. S., Chow, A., **nghua, W., & Hui, C. K. (2019b). Dialogical Teaching: Investigating awareness of inquiry and knowledge co-construction among adult learners engaged in dialogic inquiry and knowledge (co)construction. Institute for Adult Learning.
Bound, H., Lim W. Y., & Tan, P. L. (2022). Foregrounding conceptions of learners’ contexts, identities, and what it means to be future-oriented. In Flip** the Lens from teaching to Learning: Pedagogies for future-oriented learners. Springer.
Brown, P., Lauder, H., & Ashton, D. (2011). The Global Auction. The broken promises of education, jobs, and incomes. Oxford University Press.
Brown, P., Lauder, H., Sadik, S., & Sung, J. (2018). Towards a ‘Wealth of Talent’ Talent management in dynamic times. Research Note. Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Chia, A., Karmel, A., & Bound, H. (2016). Assessment for the changing nature of work: Training cooks for menu change in a restaurant chain. Institute for Adult Learning.
Chia, A., Yang, S. A., & A & Lee, M. (2019). Innovative learning cultures in SMEs. Institute for Adult Learning.
Commission for The European Communities. (2000). Memorandum on lifelong learning. (Brussels, 30 October, SEK (2000) 1832.
Cruikshank, J. (2008). Lifelong learning and the new economy: Sorting through the rhetoric. In D. W. Livingstone, K. Mirchandani, & P. Sawchuk (Eds.), The future of lifelong learning and work. Critical perspectives (pp. 47–58). Sense Publishers.
Desjardins, R. (2018). Economics and the political economy of adult education. In I. M. Milana, S. Webb, J. Holford, R. Waller, & P. Jarvis (Eds.), The Palgrave international handbook on adult and lifelong education and learning (pp. 211–226). Palgrave Macmillan.
Du Gay, P. (1996). Consumption and Identity at Work. SAGE Publications.
Ecclestone, K. (2009). Lost and found in transition Educational implications of concerns about ‘identify’, ‘agency’ and ‘structure’. In J. Field, J. Gallacher, & R. Ingram (Eds.), Researching transitions in lifelong learning (pp. 9–27). Routledge.
Facer, K. (2011). Learning futures Education, technology and social change. Routledge.
Fenwick, T. (2008). Learning on the line: Skills, sociality and solidarity among garment workers. In D. W. Livingstone, K. Mirchandani, & P. Sawchuk (Eds.), The future of lifelong. Learning & work (pp. 185–199). Sense Publishers.
Harteis, C. (2019). Supporting learning at work in an era of digitalisation of work. In A. Bahl & A. Dietzen (Eds.), Work-based learning as a pathway to competence-based education (pp. 85–97). A UNEVOC Network Contribution.
Hinchliffe, G. (2013). Workplace identity, transition and the role of learning. In P. Gibbs (Ed.), Learning, work and practice: New understandings (pp. 51–69). Springer.
Holland, D., Lachicotte, W., Skinner, D., & Cain, C. (1998). Identity and agency in cultural worlds. Harvard University Press.
Jarvis, P. (Ed.). (2011). The Routledge international handbook of lifelong learning. Routledge.
Lee, M., & Morris, M. (2016). Lifelong learning, income inequality and social mobility in Singapore. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 35(3), 286–312.
Lim Wei Ying, Rebekah. (2017). Discussion paper: Towards mastery – Operationalizing identity development and implications for skills future. Paper presented at IAL Expert Roundtable (20th to 24thMar, 2017), Singapore.
Livingstone, D. W., Mirchandani, K., & Sawchuk, P. (2008). Introduction: Critical perspectives on learning and work in turbulent times. In D. W. Livingstone, K. Mirchandani, & P. Sawchuk (Eds.), The Future of Lifelong Learning and Work (pp. 1–10). Sense Publishers.
Mirchandani, K., et al. (2008). The paradox of training and learning in a culture of contingency. In D. W. Livingstone, K. Mirchandani, & P. Sawchuk (Eds.), The future of lifelong. Learning & work (pp. 171–184). Sense Publishers.
Olssen, M. (2006). Understanding the mechanisms of neoliberal control: Lifelong learning, flexibility and knowledge capitalism. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 25(3 May–June), 213–230.
Owen, C. (2017). Enhancing learning in the workplace. Paper presented at IAL Expert Roundtable (20th to 24thMar, 2017), Singapore.
Rees, G. (2011). The political economy of adult education. In K. Rubenson (Ed.), Adult learning and education (pp. 259–264). Elsevier Academic Press.
Sadik, S., Bound, H., Karmel, A., & Sivalingham, M. (2014). Masters of their destiny? Identities, learning & development of freelance workers in Singapore’s technical theatre industry. Institute for Adult Learning.
Sawchuk, P. (2008). Lifelong learning and work as ‘value’ production: Combining work and learning analysis from a cultural historical perspective. In D. W. Livingstone, K. Mirchandani, & P. Sawchuk (Eds.), The Future of Lifelong. learning & work (pp. 73–83). Sense Publishers.
Seddon, T. (2018). Adult education and the ‘learning’ turn. In M. Milana, S. Webb, J. Holford, R. Waller, & P. Jarvis (Eds.), The Palgrave International Handbook on Adult and lifelong Education and Learning (pp. 111–132). Palgrave Macmillan.
Sen, A. (1985). Well-being, agency and freedom: The Dewey Lectures 1984. The Journal of Philosophy, 82(4), 169–221.
Sen, A. (1993). Capability and well-being. In M. Nussbaum & A. Sen (Eds.), Quality of life (pp. 30–53). Clarendon Press.
Sfard, A. (1998). One two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one. Educational Researcher, 27(2), 4–13.
Webb, S., & Warren, S. (2009). Who is the ‘responsible learner’? Viewing learning careers through social narratives and recursive methodology. In J. Field, J. Gallacher, & R. Ingram (Eds.), Researching transitions in lifelong learning (pp. 50–64). Routledge.
Wheelahan, L. (2009). The limits of competency-based training and the implications for work. In J. G. Field & R. Ingram (Eds.), Researching transitions in lifelong learning (pp. 201–212). Routledge.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd
About this entry
Cite this entry
Bound, H. (2023). Pawn or Agent in the Lifelong Learning Agenda. In: Lee, W.O., Brown, P., Goodwin, A.L., Green, A. (eds) International Handbook on Education Development in the Asia-Pacific. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6887-7_41
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6887-7_41
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-19-6886-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-19-6887-7
eBook Packages: EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education