Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The 'National Adult Learning Survey 2001' (NALS 2001) is the third study in a series which explores participation in a range of learning experiences. The NALS series is used by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to evaluate the effectiveness of their adult learning policies. It is also used to monitor progress in meeting the government National Learning Target for adult participation. The third survey aimed to collect data on a wide range of learning experiences, including taught and self-directed learning, vocational learning and other types of job-related earning. It covered not only people who have done some learning, training or education, but also those who have not done any in recent years. The survey aimed to increase understanding of why some people decide to learn while others do not. The DfES are keen to identify barriers to learning that people experience such as course fees, bad past experience of learning at school and lack of time. Therefore, they are particularly interested in those who have not done any learning recently. The first survey in the series, NALS 1997 is held at the UK Data Archive under SN:3815, and was conducted by the National Centre for Social Research under its former name, Social and Community Planning Research (SCPR). The second survey, NALS 2000, conducted by Ipsos-RSL, is held under SN:4578.
Main Topics:
The dataset includes information on: full-time education and qualifications; taught learning: subject, mode and use of information and communication technology (ICT), time and place of learning, motivations and outcomes, advice received and problems with courses; self-directed learning: subject, use of ICT, motivations and outcomes, problems with learning experience; information and advice about learning; future learning and knowledge of learning initiatives; use of ICT. Standard Measures For qualifications, the NVQ level equivalent was derived using the Labour Force Survey code frame. Employment data were classified using Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 1990) and Socio-Economic Group (SEG). The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) multiple deprivation index (2000) was added to the data (England only).
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Face-to-face interview
computer-assisted
