Sustainability of adult education: Andragogues as change agents

Abstract

The paper analyses andragogues as change agents in education. Starting from critical theory, andragogues have the potential to work within the curriculum redefinition framework by enabling participants in educational process to identify areas of knowledge deficits and build on prior knowledge. In addition to this change, they can carry out transformative learning in which the central category is critical reflection, i.e. the most important characteristic of adult learning. The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of the identity of andragogues and to point out that their role in changing education, especially when in the knowledge society in which lifelong learning is the key to change the individual and society.

Revisiting competences of adult learning facilitators: Perspectives from the Mongolian context

“…For example, the extensive ALPINE study (Research voor Beleid & PLATO, 2008) has revealed that the field of adult learning and education has been characterized by its fragmented trainings for its ALFs’ professional development. This finding has been also confirmed by country-specific studies within Europe, for example in Denmark and Sweden (Andersson et al., 2012; Milana & Larson, 2010), Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (Gedvilienė et al., 2018; Jõgi & Gross, 2009), Croatia (Čepić & Mašić, 2016; Kušić et al., 2015), Portugal (Paulos, 2015), Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey (Zarifis, 2009).…”

“…However, participation in these programmes is strongly dependent on individual decision (Buiskool et al., 2009; Milana & Larson, 2010; Przybylska, 2008; Research voor Beleid & PLATO, 2008); consequently, professional development of ALFs has been treated as an individual responsibility even though there should have been regulatory frameworks (Milana & Larson, 2010). This, indeed, has created the common situation that many ALFs enter into the field without any specialization in adult learning and teaching in numerous European countries (Čepić & Mašić, 2016; Gedvilienė et al., 2018; Kušić et al., 2015; Paulos, 2015; Research voor Beleid & PLATO, 2008).…”