A Policy of Individualization and Flexibility Ignoring the Situation of Non-Self-Reliant Individuals: The Example of Swedish Basic Adult Education

Autor/inn/en	Loeb, Ingrid Henning; Wass, Karin Lumsden
Titel	A Policy of Individualization and Flexibility Ignoring the Situation of Non-Self-Reliant Individuals: The Example of Swedish Basic Adult Education
Quelle	In: Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 12 (2014) 2, S.399-422 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1740-2743
Schlagwörter	Adult Basic Education; Foreign Countries; Case Studies; Educational Policy; Flexible Scheduling; Immigrants; Academic Support Services; Independent Study; Educational Legislation; Educational Change; Policy Analysis; Municipalities; Interviews; Student Attitudes; Tests; Guides; Web Based Instruction; Sweden + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Adult; Adults; Education; Adult education; Erwachsenenbildung; Ausland; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Flexible working hours; Flexible Arbeitszeit; Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; Selbststudium; Bildungsrecht; Schulgesetz; Bildungsreform; Politikfeldanalyse; Magistrat; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Schülerverhalten; Examination; Prüfung; Examen; Handbuch; Leitfaden; Web Based Training; Schweden
Abstract	Based on a case study in Swedish municipal basic adult education this article addresses current policies for providing individualized and flexible learning, which have been reinforced in recent adult education reforms. Concepts from the organization theory of "action nets" have been used. Institutionalized procedures and a number of "organizing knots" have been identified. The results display a paradox in relation to the policy imperatives of individualization and flexibility: successful individualized and flexible studies show to be quite strictly conditioned. We provide different aspects of how students connect strongly to this rigorous learning design and perform well, but also confirm results of previous studies which show how such study forms require an "individual self-reliant learner". However, not all students act and participate in accordance with the institutionalized procedures. We identify a significant lack of organizing knots for a group of young students, who had recently arrived in Sweden without any of their family members and who encounter difficulties in pursuing their studies and need educational support. We discuss how this is related to the Education Act (SFS 2010:800, Ch. 2, §26) that states that professional and psychological support, health care and special needs is optional in municipal adult education, and argue that the current policy of Swedish adult education with the reinforced "individualized perspective" actually ignores the context and life situations of many individuals (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Institute for Education Policy Studies. University of Northampton, School of Education, Boughton Green Road, Northampton, NN2 7AL, UK. Tel: +44-1273-270943; e-mail: ieps@ieps.org.uk; Web site: http://www.jceps.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10