About International Andragogical Symposium
On the 15th and 16th of May 2014 Agency for vocational education and training and adult education will organize International andragogical symposium „Professionalization of adult educators“.
Andragogy is a term that is defined in many different ways. Therefore, the andragogy can be understood as a science, profession, semi-profession, or as an occupation that is difficult to place within professional frameworks. This diversity regarding definition of andragogy has greatest consequences precisely for those who are working in adult education – adult educators. Work in adult education has been going through number of changes for the last several years. New social groups are appearing in the focus of adult education (for example, immigrants), new fields are appearing (for example, environment protection, health), new activities (for example, educational guidance). Changes are occurring regarding andragogical methods, and the approach where the learner is in focus has been becoming more and more important. Beside other things, this means that teachers’ activities are no longer confined to teaching, but they also include a care about the well-being of learners, their motivation and the overall transformation. While teaching has always been connected to adult education, awareness has been growing lately about other activities which are also carried out by adult educators – management, counselling, trainings, financial monitoring, work on projects and activities that relate to strategic development and evaluation. Adult education teachers often do their work in a way where they are not confined only to the narrower field of their activity – teaching adults, but where they are significantly included in almost all activities of the educational institution where they are working.
There are number of different ways for a person to become adult education professional, so that many persons come to this profession without specific andragogical training. After the reform of higher education system in Europe the number of graduate and post-graduate andragogical studies has increased, however further training of adult educators in high number of cases takes place in working places – through cooperation of institutions where they are working and universities. Different forms of andragogical trainings are carried out within non-governmental organizations, associations of employers, sectoral organizations, associations of andragogues, private enterprises, where mostly shorter programmes are carried out. The consequence of such diversity regarding training of adult educators is the diversity of their qualifications – from the participation certificate to the university diploma.
Andragogical profession is loosely regulated in most of European countries, specific qualifications necessary for someone to work as an adult education teacher or to do some other activity in this field, are not defined. Some teachers are simultaneously working in other fields of education (for example, vocational education) so that legal regulations from that other sector apply to their work. In most European countries, working conditions within the adult education are on average worse comparing to other parts of educational system.
One of the most important issues regarding the professionalization of adult education are the competences which adult educators, professionals working in adult education, should have. Within the research Key competences for adult learning professionals a reference framework of such competences has been created, where they are divided into two categories – generic and specific competences. Generic competences are:
1) Personal competence: competence in systematic reflection of one's own practice, learning and personal development; being a fully autonomous lifelong learner
2) Interpersonal competence: competences in communicating and collaborating with adult learners, colleagues and stakeholders
3) Professional competence: competence in being aware of and taking responsibility for the institutional setting in which adult learning takes place at all levels
4) Competence in making use of one's own subject-related theoretical and practical knowledge
5) Didactical competence: competence in being able to deploy different learning methods, styles and techniques in working with adults
6) Competence in empowering adult learners to learn and support themselves in their development into, or as, fully autonomous lifelong learners.
7) Competence in dealing with group dynamics and heterogeneity in the background, learning needs, motivation and prior experience of adult learners.
Specific competences are necessary to carry out a specific array of activities, necessary for professionals working on these activities. Specific competences directly linked to the learning and teachings process are:
1) Competence in assessment of prior experience, motivations, demands, needs and wishes of adult learners
2) Competence in designing an adult learning process
3) Competence in facilitating the learning process for adult learners
4) Competence to continuously monitor and evaluate the adult learning process in order to improve it
5) Competence in advising on career, life, further development and if necessary, the use of professional help
6) Competence in designing and constructing study programmes
Specific competences indirectly related to learning and teaching process are:
1) Competence in management of financial resources and assessing the social and economic benefits of the provision
2) Competence in managing human resources in an adult learning institute
3) Competence in managing and leading the adult learning institute in general and managing the quality of provision
4) Competence in marketing and public relations, being able to reach the target groups and promote the institute
5) Competence in dealing with administrative issues and informing adult learners and adult learning professionals
6) Competences in facilitating ICT-based learning environments and supporting both adult learning professionals and adult learners in using these environments.
Beside projects and activities related to andragogical profession which are carried out within the educational policies of the European Union, this issue is focused on number of other international efforts. One of the most important is the project Curriculum GlobaALE (Curriculum for global adult education and learning) which has been developed by the German institute for adult education, dvv international and the UNESCO Institute for lifelong learning. The purpose and the objective of the global curriculum is to enhance professionalization of adult educators by providing a common reference framework; support adult education providers in the design and implementation of train-the-trainers programmes and foster knowledge exchange and mutual understanding between adult educators word-wide. Curriculum GlobaALe is corresponding to the level 5 of the European qualifications framework. It contains five modules: approaching adult education; adult learning and adult teaching; communication and group dynamics in adult education; methods of adult education; planning, organisation and evaluation in adult education. Curriculum is intended for teachers with previous experience in adult education, but is also appropriate for those who are just starting their career in adult education.
The question of professionalization of adult education is in the centre of focus in Croatia too. Agency for vocational education and training and adult education has been regularly organizing and implementing professional further training activities for adult educators which is, in accordance with the Law on Agency for vocational education and training and adult education, its legal obligation. Adult education act has also emphasized the importance of this issue, by specifying that adult educators have a right and the obligation to take part in professional and andragogical further training. Some of the topics that were covered within andragogical further training activities organized by the Agency were: Andragogical teaching modules, use of andragogical didactics, planning and programming of consultative-instructive and distance-consultative education in programmes for acquisition of secondary-school qualifications and re-training programmes, learning and teaching styles, cooperative learning, and number of others.
Beside this, in 2011 Agency for vocational education and training has, in cooperation with the Croatian andragogy association, organized an International conference with the topic andragogical profession and competences of experts in adult education. This conference has focused on relationship between, on one side, traditional approach to professionalization in the field of adult education (where the existence of theoretical basis is important, together with systematized knowledge and skills which make a comprehensive basis for professional activity, and are transferred through organized education system) and, on the other side, changes which are occurring in relation to understanding of the concept and practice of profession, and as a result, the understanding of andragogy as a profession.
Do we need to be reminded that within the lifelong learning process mandatory or standard (regular) schooling lasts on average twelve years, while the education which is supposed to keep us on our working place lasts forty of forty five years? Teaching and learning during the so-called second (working) age is accompanied by significantly different rules which teachers of today don't acquire during their university education. We can add to this the thousands of those who have completed various other non-teaching studies, and later life has taken them to the field of education or schools. Only systematic acquisition of andragogical and methodical competences will enable them to perform teaching activities for persons from the so-called second (working) age in quality manner.
Andragogy is a term that is defined in many different ways. Therefore, the andragogy can be understood as a science, profession, semi-profession, or as an occupation that is difficult to place within professional frameworks. This diversity regarding definition of andragogy has greatest consequences precisely for those who are working in adult education – adult educators. Work in adult education has been going through number of changes for the last several years. New social groups are appearing in the focus of adult education (for example, immigrants), new fields are appearing (for example, environment protection, health), new activities (for example, educational guidance). Changes are occurring regarding andragogical methods, and the approach where the learner is in focus has been becoming more and more important. Beside other things, this means that teachers’ activities are no longer confined to teaching, but they also include a care about the well-being of learners, their motivation and the overall transformation. While teaching has always been connected to adult education, awareness has been growing lately about other activities which are also carried out by adult educators – management, counselling, trainings, financial monitoring, work on projects and activities that relate to strategic development and evaluation. Adult education teachers often do their work in a way where they are not confined only to the narrower field of their activity – teaching adults, but where they are significantly included in almost all activities of the educational institution where they are working.
There are number of different ways for a person to become adult education professional, so that many persons come to this profession without specific andragogical training. After the reform of higher education system in Europe the number of graduate and post-graduate andragogical studies has increased, however further training of adult educators in high number of cases takes place in working places – through cooperation of institutions where they are working and universities. Different forms of andragogical trainings are carried out within non-governmental organizations, associations of employers, sectoral organizations, associations of andragogues, private enterprises, where mostly shorter programmes are carried out. The consequence of such diversity regarding training of adult educators is the diversity of their qualifications – from the participation certificate to the university diploma.
Andragogical profession is loosely regulated in most of European countries, specific qualifications necessary for someone to work as an adult education teacher or to do some other activity in this field, are not defined. Some teachers are simultaneously working in other fields of education (for example, vocational education) so that legal regulations from that other sector apply to their work. In most European countries, working conditions within the adult education are on average worse comparing to other parts of educational system.
One of the most important issues regarding the professionalization of adult education are the competences which adult educators, professionals working in adult education, should have. Within the research Key competences for adult learning professionals a reference framework of such competences has been created, where they are divided into two categories – generic and specific competences. Generic competences are:
1) Personal competence: competence in systematic reflection of one's own practice, learning and personal development; being a fully autonomous lifelong learner
2) Interpersonal competence: competences in communicating and collaborating with adult learners, colleagues and stakeholders
3) Professional competence: competence in being aware of and taking responsibility for the institutional setting in which adult learning takes place at all levels
4) Competence in making use of one's own subject-related theoretical and practical knowledge
5) Didactical competence: competence in being able to deploy different learning methods, styles and techniques in working with adults
6) Competence in empowering adult learners to learn and support themselves in their development into, or as, fully autonomous lifelong learners.
7) Competence in dealing with group dynamics and heterogeneity in the background, learning needs, motivation and prior experience of adult learners.
Specific competences are necessary to carry out a specific array of activities, necessary for professionals working on these activities. Specific competences directly linked to the learning and teachings process are:
1) Competence in assessment of prior experience, motivations, demands, needs and wishes of adult learners
2) Competence in designing an adult learning process
3) Competence in facilitating the learning process for adult learners
4) Competence to continuously monitor and evaluate the adult learning process in order to improve it
5) Competence in advising on career, life, further development and if necessary, the use of professional help
6) Competence in designing and constructing study programmes
Specific competences indirectly related to learning and teaching process are:
1) Competence in management of financial resources and assessing the social and economic benefits of the provision
2) Competence in managing human resources in an adult learning institute
3) Competence in managing and leading the adult learning institute in general and managing the quality of provision
4) Competence in marketing and public relations, being able to reach the target groups and promote the institute
5) Competence in dealing with administrative issues and informing adult learners and adult learning professionals
6) Competences in facilitating ICT-based learning environments and supporting both adult learning professionals and adult learners in using these environments.
Beside projects and activities related to andragogical profession which are carried out within the educational policies of the European Union, this issue is focused on number of other international efforts. One of the most important is the project Curriculum GlobaALE (Curriculum for global adult education and learning) which has been developed by the German institute for adult education, dvv international and the UNESCO Institute for lifelong learning. The purpose and the objective of the global curriculum is to enhance professionalization of adult educators by providing a common reference framework; support adult education providers in the design and implementation of train-the-trainers programmes and foster knowledge exchange and mutual understanding between adult educators word-wide. Curriculum GlobaALe is corresponding to the level 5 of the European qualifications framework. It contains five modules: approaching adult education; adult learning and adult teaching; communication and group dynamics in adult education; methods of adult education; planning, organisation and evaluation in adult education. Curriculum is intended for teachers with previous experience in adult education, but is also appropriate for those who are just starting their career in adult education.
The question of professionalization of adult education is in the centre of focus in Croatia too. Agency for vocational education and training and adult education has been regularly organizing and implementing professional further training activities for adult educators which is, in accordance with the Law on Agency for vocational education and training and adult education, its legal obligation. Adult education act has also emphasized the importance of this issue, by specifying that adult educators have a right and the obligation to take part in professional and andragogical further training. Some of the topics that were covered within andragogical further training activities organized by the Agency were: Andragogical teaching modules, use of andragogical didactics, planning and programming of consultative-instructive and distance-consultative education in programmes for acquisition of secondary-school qualifications and re-training programmes, learning and teaching styles, cooperative learning, and number of others.
Beside this, in 2011 Agency for vocational education and training has, in cooperation with the Croatian andragogy association, organized an International conference with the topic andragogical profession and competences of experts in adult education. This conference has focused on relationship between, on one side, traditional approach to professionalization in the field of adult education (where the existence of theoretical basis is important, together with systematized knowledge and skills which make a comprehensive basis for professional activity, and are transferred through organized education system) and, on the other side, changes which are occurring in relation to understanding of the concept and practice of profession, and as a result, the understanding of andragogy as a profession.
Do we need to be reminded that within the lifelong learning process mandatory or standard (regular) schooling lasts on average twelve years, while the education which is supposed to keep us on our working place lasts forty of forty five years? Teaching and learning during the so-called second (working) age is accompanied by significantly different rules which teachers of today don't acquire during their university education. We can add to this the thousands of those who have completed various other non-teaching studies, and later life has taken them to the field of education or schools. Only systematic acquisition of andragogical and methodical competences will enable them to perform teaching activities for persons from the so-called second (working) age in quality manner.