Abstract

Personalisation has become a widely spread aspiration in education and training in many countries (OECD 2006). It is generally justified - as are many other education policy issues - with changes in working life and the economy, the needs of individuals and improving the quality and effectiveness of education and qualification systems. It is also clearly connected to assessment and recognition of prior learning, which is emphasised in EU policy, too (e.g. Council of the European Union 2004). In Finland, the system of competence-based qualifications (CBQs) offers the adult population a way to gain official recognition of their competencies, regardless of whether the skills have been acquired through formal, non-formal or informal learning. In competence-based qualifications, vocational skills are demonstrated through competence tests, and possible preparatory training and demonstration of skills are separate processes. Personalisation of adult education and CBQs has been developed in a large national project during years 2000-2006. From the beginning of year 2006 the law governing the system of competence-based qualifications provides that personalisation is taken care of in three phases: in enrolment phase, in competence tests and in acquiring the vocational skills.

In my paper I study representations of personal and personalisation in adult education and qualifications. What is new in personalisation of Finnish adult education and qualifications? What is it assumed that personalisation does, how is it made persuasive? Who is personalising, how does it change relationships, what are the roles of different actors? What organizational or institutional changes or developments does it require?

Methodology or methods/research instruments or sources used:

The paper is based on analysis of policy texts, extending the category of these also to relevant and justified documentary material on the issue (Ozga 2000). Bills and Acts of Parliament, other government regulations and writings from a national development project (e.g. Rikkinen 2006) are used as resources for analysis. Attention is also paid to the role and effects of international organizations. As research methods features of critical discourse analysis and rhetorical analysis are used (Nicoll & Edwards 2004; Taylor 2004).

Conclusions or expected outcomes or findings:

Personalisation in its current form is a fairly new issue and new policies and practices are emerging. This paper seeks to illuminate the sources, scope and patterns of personalisation in vocational adult education, to analyse the conditions and effects of the new Finnish legislation and to put personalisation of competence-based qualifications into larger framework of developments in adult education in Finland and internationally.

References (including own publications):

• Council of the European Union (2004) Common European principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning. Doc. 9600/04.
• Nicoll, K. & Edwards, R. (2004) Lifelong learning and the sultans of spin: policy as persuasion? Journal of Education Policy 19 (1), 43-55.
• OECD. (2006). Personalising Education. Paris: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
• Ozga, J. (2000) Policy research in educational setting. A contested terrain. Buckingham: Open University Press.
• Rikkinen, A. (toim.) (2006). Henkilökohtaistamisen hyvät käytännöt, mallit ja mekanismit. Helsinki: Opetushallitus [Rikkinen, A. (ed.) (2006) Best practices, models and mechanisms of personalisation. Helsinki: National Board of Education.]
• Taylor, S. (2004) Researching educational policy and change in 'new times': using critical discourse analysis. Journal of Education Policy 19 (4), 433-451.

Full Papers:

[Word version - full paper] Faces and Phases of Personalisation In Vocational Adult Education and Qualifications

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Paper to be presented at ECER 2007, Ghent, Belgium, 19-21 September 2007 Draft, language not revised Petri Haltia, researcher Department of Education, University of Turku Email petri.haltia@utu.fi