Who Upgrades to Higher Level Qualifications in Midlife?

Abstract

This paper investigates why people return to study in their 30s and beyond and upgrade to a higher level qualifications. Some previous research has argued that attitudes formed in childhood, via family background and schooling, continue to shape a person's engagement in learning throughout the adult lifecourse. Psychologists distinguish extrinsic motivation, determination to progress in a career, from intrinsic motivation, love of learning and suggest that both may be relevant to participation in adult education. A well-established education literature focuses on barriers to adult learning, such as lack of time or lack of funds.The research focuses on people who did not enter higher education at the conventional ages of late teens or early twenties but who did subsequently obtain degree-level or equivalent qualifications in midlife, defined here as from their early 30s through to age 50. The research uses data from the 1958 British birth cohort, a large-scale longitudinal survey. In the paper, a comparison group methodology and binary logistic regression models are used to isolate the key factors which explain why cgertain individuals progress to higher level qualifications in midlife while others do not.

Exploring Effects of the Educational Investments and Returns on Teachers with Upgraded Qualifications Acquired On Self-Sponsorship in Lusaka District

“…This was revealed in the findings where it was discovered that there was a strong relationship between education and income. This is in line with reviewed literature which state that the human capital theory predicts that increases in the overall levels of education can benefit individuals and society in ways that are not fully reflected in the returns (Jenkins, 2018). The implication is that when one has more education, and then there are very high chances of earning higher income.…”

“…This is because they expect to benefit from the further investments made, which in turn also sufficiently compensates the forgone earnings. The human capital theory predicts that increases in the overall levels of education can benefit individuals and society in ways that are not fully reflected in the returns (Jenkins, 2018).…”

Patterns of participation and non-participation in learning in mid-life and their determinants

“…Of course, some who have few qualifications by age 33 do manage to gain new qualifications or participate in other forms of learning in mid-life. Sabates et al (2007) report on the acquisition of lower academic and vocational qualifications amongst people in their 30s and early 40s who left school without credentials; other researchers have demonstrated that quite sizeable numbers of people obtain degree-level qualifications for the first time in mid-life too (Jenkins, 2018). But, on the whole, the fact that the level of mid-life participation is linked to earlier participation shows that there is a tendency for educational inequalities to widen over the lifecourse -those who already have a recent track record of participation, or higher levels of qualifications by age 33 tend to be more likely to engage in further learning in mid-life.…”

“…The evidence suggests that women who had already had several children in their twenties and early thirties were likely to engage in learning during the mid-life phase of the lifecourse as those children grew up. Substantial numbers of them could gain qualifications and to return to paid careers at this time in their lives (Jenkins, 2006;Jenkins, 2018).…”

“…Moreover, a very important predictor of participation in adult learning is previous experiences of education, with more positive experiences predicting participation later in life (Brown & Bimrose, 2018;Hammond & Feinstein, 2006). Hence participation in learning at one stage of the lifecourse may encourage people to carry on their learning at the next stage (Jenkins, 2018;Jenkins et al, 2003). For example, people who return to learning in their 20s may then be enthused to do further study in their 30s and 40s.…”