We provide a framework for integrating sociological and political-historical approaches to the worldwide expansion of higher education in the twentieth century. Doing so enables scholars and policymakers to better identify variation across place and time in how the provision of higher education has been rendered culturally meaningful and…

This paper examines the dominant approach to entrepreneurship education in the South African education system regarding the crisis of youth unemployment. It draws on the case of the public-school sector, in conjunction with the technical vocational education and training (TVET) subsector of the post-school education sector. The comparison of the…

In different streams of literature employability has been defined in different, often related ways. We take an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from research on higher education and workplace learning, taking a Western perspective. In doing so we take a multi-dimensional, competence-based approach. Our approach to conceptualizing…

Projecting higher education enrollments requires a thorough understanding of the phenomena that impact student enrollment. Popular theories that have been used to project enrollment include human capital theory and consumer choice theory; more than a dozen other theories have also been cited in the literature. This article situates selected…

Purpose: This paper explores the economic and social effects of human capital investment in the 20th century. As well as drawing on census data and statistical yearbooks in Australia and Aoteoroa/New Zealand, the paper develops its argument by an intersection of scholarly work in sociology, economics and the history of education to consider the…

In many Western nations (an area of the world identified by Connell as the Global North), the early childhood sector has positioned itself within the education discourse. This positioning brings along with it the neo-liberal agenda in relation to education -- i.e. that education's key aim is the preparation of employable future employees (children…

In this commentary, Kathleen Scalise highlights some of the points made in Alonzo and Ke's 2016 article, "Taking Stock: Existing Resources for Assessing a New Vision of Science Learning" (EJ1122509) and applies her own work experience to take the discussion further. Alonzo and Ke outline important resources available in large-scale…

The ubiquitous and often pervasive expansion of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) agenda across global education systems has largely gone uncontested. Strategic efforts to build on perceived natural subject synergies across the separate STEM disciplines are promoted as central to supporting the growth of economies through…

"Dawn" is an autobiographical university theatre production based on the narrative of Samanyanga, a University of Zimbabwe undergraduate. The article draws from interview materials, personal communication and observations to theorise the experience of participating in the project. The concepts of "Aesthetics of Existence" and…

The deficiency in providing quality education is a significant challenge across many developing nations. This study examines the connection between the education system and the level of socioeconomic issues in the context of Nepal. The main argument is that Nepal's gender-related issues, the training gap among its populace concerning…

This paper critiques the emergence of micro-credentials in higher education. It argues that micro-credentials build on the discourse of employability skills and 21st century skills within human capital theory, and that they increase the potential of human capital theory to 'discipline' the HE curriculum to align it more closely with putative…

Psychology and economics are powerful sources of expert knowledge in contemporary governance. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is becoming a priority in education policy in many parts of the world. Based on the enumeration of students' 'noncognitive' skills, SEL consists of a 'psycho-economic' combination of psychometrics with economic…

This paper offers a conceptual framework that combines Sen's concept of capability and Bourdieu's forms of capital to understand the generative mechanisms of educational advantage or disadvantage. The paper illustrates some ways that the Sen-Bourdieu framework can be applied to understand the Programme for International Student Assessment 2015…

This European Training Foundation (ETF) assessment provides an external, forward-looking analysis of Kosovo's human capital development issues and vocational education and training (VET) policy responses in a lifelong learning perspective. It identifies challenges related to education and training policy and practice that hinder the development…

Study at a foreign university can be an important way of developing international human capital. We investigate factors affecting international student flows for higher education and their consequences for bilateral market integration in Australia. Estimation results demonstrate that income, cost competitiveness, migration network effects and…