Introduction – Education, Competence Development and Career Trajectories

Abstract

A lifespan perspective on development and education and corresponding longitudinal studies have long been proposed scientifically in many disciplines. However, even in the 2000s, little was known about education as a lifelong process or about the cumulative and interactive effects of learning that takes place in different educational settings across the lifespan and comprehensive longitudinal studies were rare. The German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) was therefore designed to provide longitudinal data on educational trajectories and competence development from infancy to old age, and to make it possible to examine inter- and intraindividual changes and pathways in relation to family, educational institutions, workplaces, private life, and individual characteristics of the target persons. The data also addresses the institutions of the German educational system such as crèches and preschools, primary and secondary schools, vocational training, tertiary education, and opportunities of further learning in adulthood. It further enables the analysis of relevant monetary and non-monetary returns to education over the life course. The chapter briefly introduces important features of the multi-cohort sequence design of the NEPS and discusses the relevance of longitudinal data. Furthermore, it outlines Germany as a special case by introducing specific features of the German education system as well as some international comparative findings. Finally, an overview of the following chapters is given.