Participation reimagined: beyond the one-dimensional approach to participation in adult learning and education

Abstract

This article re-evaluates the concept of participation in adult learning and education (ALE), introducing a novel framework based on Kelty’s work on modes of participation. The article contends that investigations into ALE must venture beyond simplistic, one-dimensional approaches to participation that focus solely on participant numbers or hours dedicated to organised learning, as these approaches fail to capture the complexity of engagement in organised adult learning. The research framework introduced in this article decomposes participation into seven distinct dimensions: educative dividend, goals and tasks, resource control, exit, voice, visible metrics and affective capacity. This article demonstrates the utility of the new framework through analysis of data from a 2023 nationally representative survey conducted in the Czech Republic. For a sub-sample of non-formal education (NFE) participants, we find clear sociodemographic patterns of scoring across the dimensions, with education level, employment and occupation status, and employer size being the most articulate. By applying cluster analysis, we identify two subgroups: the high engagement participation (HEP) cluster and the low engagement participation (LEP) cluster. Overall, our findings contribute towards constructing a new typology based on the characteristics of participation itself, not on individual characteristics, such as motivation or attitudes.