Adult Education Survey (AES)

Summary

The AES is a monothematic survey and records information on different educational activities in adult age in a very detailed manner. The data set is appropriate for trend analyses as it is a repeated cross-sectional survey. It is also suitable for comparing analyses within the EU-member states. Such analyses were conducted with the data of AES 2007, in which most of the EU-member states took part. A variety of socio-demographic information is recorded, e. g. the educational background of the respondents and their parents, labour status, sector and size of company, job and occupational status, income. Educational issues are the focus of the AES, but there is also information on the usage of ICT: usage of computers and internet during working time and during leisure time, computer-based and internet-based activities, level of competence. Apart from educational and occupational items, context information is recorded only to a limited extent. The AES data are cross-sectional, so longitudinal analyses are not possible.

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Crosssection regular

Data gathering method
Face-to-face

Access to data

Conditions of access
Data available via GESIS - Study No. ZA5074: Adult Education Survey (AES 2010 - Germany)

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
anonymised microdata, 3 data sets: personal data set with all respondents, activity data set with all educational activities recorded by the respondents, data set with all informal self- learning activities recorded by the respondents

Formats available
SPSS, STATA

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
Preceding survey – Berichtssystem Weiterbildung (BSW) (partly comparable): Data was collected in 1979, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2007. AES: Wave 1: Data collected in 2007 with a sample size of approximately 7,000 individuals. Wave 2: Data collected in 2010 with a sample size of approximately 7,000 individuals.

First year of collection
(BSW: 1979) AES: 2007

Stratification if applicable
Multiple stratified random sample (ADM-standard)

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
NUTS1-federal states, East-West Germany

Age range
persons between 18 and 64 years

Statistical representativeness
Regional representative, please specify

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Monitoring of learning activities of adults as a part of the national education reporting and as a part of European official statistics. All kinds of education in adult age are reported: formal education (attending regular vocational training), non-formal education (attending further training) and informal learning activities. Uses of technologies: usage of computers and internet in working time and leisure time, activities done at the computer or on the internet, level of competence.

Linkage

Standardisation
• ISCO 1988: International Standard Classification of Occupation, 1988 • ISCED, ISCED-Field: International Standard Classification of Education • NACE: Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté Européenne, Code of economic sectors • CLA: Classification of Learning Activities

Possibility of linkage among databases
Linkage by data user not possible

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Not analysed

Breaks
Change from the national survey “Berichtssystem Weiterbildung” (BSW) to the European “Adult Education Survey” (AES) in 2007.

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
AES data set is consistent, but there were some changes after transition from BSW to AES (e.g. other grouping of learning activities).

Governance

Contact information
Frauke Bilger / Infratest TNS
TNS Infratest Sozialforschung GmbH
Landsberger Straße 284
80687 München Germany Phone: +49 89 5600-1696
Email: frauke.bilger(at)tns-infratest.com
Url: http://www.tns-infratest.com/SoFo/Expertise/Bildungsforschung_AES.asp

Timeliness, transparency