The Influence of Social Background on Participation in Adult Education: Applying the Cultural Capital Framework

an article by Sebastiano Cincinnato, Bram De Wever, Hilde Van Keer and Martin Valcke (Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium) published in Adult Education Quarterly Volume 66 Number 2 (May 2016)

Abstract

In this article, we address the issue of participation in adult education building on the cultural capital framework. This theoretical framework suggests that (educational) practices are affected by one’s social background and, more precisely, by the cultural resources handed down in the family context.

To examine the validity of this theoretical framework, we build on data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies from 23 countries (n = 120,789). The Programme data allow using the variables parents’ educational level (a proxy for social background), educational attainment, and readiness to learn as precursors of participation in adult education (both a proxy for cultural capital).

Our findings suggest that the cultural capital framework is not fully suited to explain participation in adult education: Although social background has an (indirect) influence on participation, its effect does not concur with theoretical predictions, that is, mediated by the readiness to learn.

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2012 NIACE Adult Participation in Learning Survey: headline findings

a paper by Fiona Aldridge and David Hughes

This briefing provides an overview of the headline findings from the 2012 NIACE Adult Participation in Learning Survey. NIACE has been conducting surveys like this since 1996, providing a unique overview of the proportion of adults taking part in learning and a detailed breakdown of who participates and who does not.

You can read the briefing (PDF 4pp) here.
I am unable to find the full survey document as yet.

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