From ‘Credentialism’ to the ‘Practice of Learning’: Reconceptualising Learning for the Knowledge Economy

This article argues that there is a paradox at the heart of United Kingdom and European Union polices for learning: the knowledge economy debate rests on a traditional interpretation of the concept of learning (i.e. the acquisition of existing knowledge and skill), yet the challenge of the knowledge economy is to produce new knowledge and skill. Overcoming current credentialist approaches involves rethinking what is meant by ‘learning’. Drawing on activity theory, the article introduces the concept of ‘reflexive learning’ to illustrate how to reformulate public education policies to prepare learners for working and living in a knowledge society/economy.