Ellen Boeren - Böcker

Issues of access, social exclusion and widening participation dominate educational policy agendas and are a shared global challenge. Participation in higher education and adult lifelong learning activities can be a life-changing experience that opens up new opportunities. However, access remains unequal. People from lower socio-economic backgrounds, those living in the most deprived areas and people from minority ethnic groups are underrepresented.In this book, we focus on how we can move the field of widening participation forward, paying specific attention to the theories and methods we can use to better understand and tackle the problem of underrepresented groups in post-compulsory education, and how individuals and institutions can be supported. We argue that in order to make sense of these issues, it is important to engage in both the findings of widening participation research and the theoretical foundations which underpin them. This way, alternative perspectives on the widening participation agenda and emerging research and policy can be explored from alternative perspectives.This book was originally published as a special issue of Studies in Continuing Education.

This informative book provides an accessible guide to understanding higher education rankings and the data informing them. Highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, Ellen Boeren illustrates the methodologies behind a variety of leading university league tables including QS, Times Higher Education and ShanghaiRanking.The author provides an in-depth discussion of the underlying data sources used by ranking compilers, presenting guidance on how to critically evaluate this information. She details the different indicators featured in university work, such as research, teaching, internationalisation, employment and industry. Chapters also investigate business school rankings, regional and domestic league tables and new alternative rankings investigating higher education's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.This book is an essential reference for graduate students and researchers studying higher education, particularly those investigating quality assurance in higher education institutions. It is also an insightful guide for university leaders and administrators, as well as policymakers and rankings followers looking for a unique understanding of higher education data.

Drawing on the role of individuals, education and training providers and countries' social policy actions, and borrowing insights from psychology, sociology and economics, this book works towards an interdisciplinary theory of adult lifelong learning participation.

Issues of access, social exclusion and widening participation dominate educational policy agendas and are a shared global challenge. Participation in higher education and adult lifelong learning activities can be a life-changing experience that opens up new opportunities. However, access remains unequal. People from lower socio-economic backgrounds, those living in the most deprived areas and people from minority ethnic groups are underrepresented.In this book, we focus on how we can move the field of widening participation forward, paying specific attention to the theories and methods we can use to better understand and tackle the problem of underrepresented groups in post-compulsory education, and how individuals and institutions can be supported. We argue that in order to make sense of these issues, it is important to engage in both the findings of widening participation research and the theoretical foundations which underpin them. This way, alternative perspectives on the widening participation agenda and emerging research and policy can be explored from alternative perspectives.This book was originally published as a special issue of Studies in Continuing Education.

This book sheds light on the experiences of adult learners, despite the difficulties facing the sector: interweaving empirical discussions with theoretical debates, the editors and contributors demonstrate the challenges and struggles of adult learners in higher, further and community education.