Abstract:

Currently, the topic of lifelong learning as well as adult education is widely used in educational science. Lifelong learning is a process that encourages and enables individuals to acquire the knowledge, values, skills and understanding they need throughout their lives and to apply them creatively in all roles, contexts and environments. The knowledge economy, new technologies, the increasing pace of technological change and globalization require continuous improvement in the skills and competencies of the population. Therefore, it is important to analyze the situation of lifelong learning in different contexts. It is particularly important to study the opportunities for lifelong learning and adult education in different countries and specific geographical areas. There is a lack of such studies. The aim of our study is to compare the situation of lifelong learning in European countries. 20 countries were selected for the study: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The study draws on data from International Survey of Adult Skills OECD PIAAC. This led to the selection of the countries chosen: these 20 European countries participated in PIAAC Cycle 1. Statistical methods were used for the analysis. Respondents aged 30 years and older were selected for analysis, as a significant proportion of younger people had not yet completed their formal studies. The analysis revealed that adults from Nordic countries were most likely to be involved in lifelong learning. In contrast, representatives from Greece and Spain spent the most time in lifelong activities, both in days and hours. In all countries, individuals with tertiary education are most likely to participate in lifelong learning activities, compared to those with upper secondary and lower secondary education.

Keywords:

Lifelong learning, adult education, PIAAC.