Pedagogical support of cognitive functions of mature individuals

The article focuses on the continuous professional training of adults as a strategic factor in ensuring their cognitive resilience throughout their life cycle. At the theoretical level, the study mobilizes the contributions of education economics, cognitive psychology, and pedagogical sciences, viewing education and cognition as dynamic components of human capital shaped by family, social, and educational conditions throughout the life cycle. The study's methodological analysis is based on longitudinal data that compare the cognitive performance of adults in their learning journey. At the theoretical level, the study mobilizes contributions from educational economics, cognitive psychology, and pedagogical sciences, considering education and cognition as dynamic components of human capital, shaped by family, social, and educational conditions throughout the life cycle. The methodological analysis is based on longitudinal data, controlling for the influence of shared family and genetic factors. The empirical results show that educational achievement is a robust and long-term predictor of quantitative and abstract reasoning in midlife. However, nearly half of the crude association between education and cognition is explained by observed and unobserved family characteristics. The study's key contribution lies in its evidence of strong nonlinearity in the cognitive returns to education: marginal benefits are significantly higher in the early years of schooling than after lower secondary school. Furthermore, the cognitive effects of education vary significantly by maternal educational attainment, highlighting the persistence of intergenerational inequalities. The article shows that these results have a direct impact on adult education. They advocate for differentiated systems of continuous professional education that are sensitive to educational and family pathways and are designed as targeted cognitive support systems. This article provides a scientific basis for the pedagogical design of a cognitive support system for adults in the context of additional professional education. The primary goal of this system is to ensure the sustainable development of cognitive abilities in this age group.