Andragogical Foundations of Adult Educators Educating More than centennial experience of development of adult education witnesses obviously and convincingly that organisation of efficient adult learning requires appropriate theory and technology of learning, specific teaching-learning aid materials and specially prepared personnel of educators, including teachers, counsellors, tutors and managers. Andragogy represents the most appropriate theory of adult learning. Andragogy is premised on crucial assumptions about the characteristics of adult learners that are different from the assumptions about child learners on which traditional pedagogy is premised. These assumptions are that, as a person matures, 1) his self-concept moves from one of being a dependent personality toward one of being a self-directed human being; 2) he accumulates a growing reservoir of experience that becomes an increasing resource of learning; 3) his readiness to learn becomes oriented increasingly to the developmental tasks of his social roles; and 4) his time perspective changes from one of postponed application of knowledge to immediacy of application, and accordingly his orientation toward learning shifts from one of subject-centred to one of problem-centred (Knowles, 1980. P. 39). The fifth assumption is that the learning of an adult is largely determined by his\her life context, i.e. by the time, area, daily life, professional, social, family factors. The sixth assumption we could formulate, means: the learner himself can play the leading role in organisation of his/her learning process. And the seventh assumption presumes co-operative activities of the learner and the teacher in all stages of the learning process. So, andragogy considers adult learner as a real subject of his\her learning process. This situation changes radically the roles and functions both of learner and teacher. The learner in adult education is a self-directed, responsible person, the principal performer in learning process. The teacher in adult education is primarily an expert in learning technology, an organiser of the co-operative activities with the learner, facilitator of adults learning process. Andragogy could be determined as science of adult learning that sets scientific fundamentals of activities of adult learners and educators concerning the organisation of adults learning process. Taking in account particularities of adult learners and the specific roles and functions of learners and teachers in adult learning, basing on andragogical assumptions mentioned above, we could formulate the fundamental andragogical principles of adult learning as follows. 1. Preponderance of the self-directed learning. According to this principle, the learner plays essential role in the organisation of learning process. 2. Principle of co-operative activities. This principle proclaims joint activities of teachers and adult learners concerning organisation of learning process. 3. Experiential learning. Following this principle the social, professional, family lifes experience of learner is used as a source of his\her own and other learners learning. 4. Individualisation of learning. According to this principle every learner, in co-operation with the teacher and sometimes with other learners, creates an individual programme of learning, aiming the accomplishment of the concrete objectives and the satisfaction of the determined educational needs, taking in account the experience, the preceding training, the psycho-physiological and cognitive particularities of a concrete learner. 5. Systemic learning. This principle foresees correspondence of objectives, contents, methods, means of the learning and of the evaluation of the results of learning. 6. Contextual learning. According to this principle the learning of an adult must be organised in the context of his\her anthroposphere (immediate milieu), i.e. it must aim at the concrete and vitally important for a person objectives and, on the other hand, it must be designed taking in account professional, social, familiar activities and time, area, everyday factors of life of an adult. 7. Actualisation of the results of learning. This principle supposes an immediate practical realisation of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and values obtained by the learner. 8. Elective learning. This means a certain learners freedom of choice of objectives, contents, forms, methods, sources, means, terms, time, place of the learning, of procedures of the evaluation of the results of learning and also of teachers. 9. Principle of the development of educational needs. According to it, the evaluation of the results of learning consists in the revelation of a real level of achievements in learning and the designation of matters not learned enough but indispensable for the achievement of the learning goals. Secondly, the learning process must contribute to the creation of new educational needs, encourage the learner to the life-long learning. 10. Consciousness of learning. This means the conscious approach of both learner and teacher to all elements and procedures of the learning process, the awareness of these two subjects about all their activities. The principles formulated above serve as the base of the technology of adult learning which can be used in different educational situations and in diverse domains of the educational service sphere. Technology of adult education based on andragogical principles of learning mentioned above, represents a system of operations, actions and functions accomplished by adult learners and educators at every one of six stages of the process of learning (diagnostics, plan designing, creation of favourable conditions, realisation, evaluation and correction) which in high degree guarantees achievement of determined objectives of learning. Finally, education of adults will be more efficient in case of using specific teaching-learning aid materials orientated towards adults educational needs and socio-psychological characteristics. They must also take in account andragogical principles of learning, and be based on specific principles of elaboration. So, they must offer to adult learners all possibilities of autonomous, self-directed learning, but in cooperation with adult educators. It is obvious that adult learning on the base of andragogical principles and using the technology of adult learning and specific teaching-learning aid materials can be organised strictly by a specially educated and trained personnel. The educating of adult educators is one of the crucial items and one of the most difficult problems in the development of adult education and in the achieving of high quality of adult learning. It requires the setting of scientific foundations, the elaboration of specific teaching-learning aids and an intensive practical work. The standpoint of this setting is formed by two models: this one of activities and another one of competence of adult educator. The model of activities includes principal actions and functions of adult educator at all of six stages of learning process: diagnostics, plan designing, creation of favourable conditions, realisation, evaluation and correction. At the stage of diagnostics adult educator accomplishes following operations: 1. Determination of educational needs of learners. 2. Determination of volume and character of vital (everyday, professional, social) experience of learners. 3. Revealing of physiological and socio-psychological characteristics of learners of different ages. 4. Revealing of cognitive and learning styles of learners. Actions of adult educator on this stage: diagnostic tests, questionnaires, talking, observation. At the stage of plan designing adult educator participates jointly with a concrete adult learner in creation of individual learning plan (or learning programme, or learning contract) determining objectives, strategy, tasks, contents, models, sources, means, methods, forms of learning, essential stages, criteria, procedures and forms of evaluation of achievements of learners and efficiency of the process of learning. At the next stage adult educator creates favourable conditions of learning: physical (learning spaces and places, acoustics, lighting, colours and so on), psychological (atmosphere of empathy, cooperation, mutual understanding and respect etc.) and educational (elaboration of specific teaching-learning aid materials). Principal actions of adult educator at the stage of realization of learning process (in framework of face-to-face education) consist in determination of readiness of adult learners to accomplish learning process, monitoring of learning activities, choice of methods and forms of learning adequate to readiness and individual functional characteristics of learners and facilitation of realisation of an individual learning plan (programme, contract) of concrete learner. At the stage of evaluation adult educator, in cooperation with adult learner, determines a real level of learner's achievements and prospective educational needs of learners, appreciates organisation of learning process, programmes, plan designing, activities of learner and of him/herself. At the stage of correction adult educator introduces necessary modifications in the process of learning. Functions of adults' educator at all six stages of learning process hierarchically are as follows: 1. Expert in technology of adult education. 2. Organiser of joint educational activities with learners. 3. Counsellor, facilitator, guide of adult learners. 4. Co-author of an individual learning programme (plan, contract). 5. Creator of necessary comfortable conditions of education. 6. Source of knowledge, abilities, skills, personal qualities and attitudes. Realisation of all these actions and functions requires a certain level of andragogical competences. The model of competence of adult educator includes a set of certain skills, knowledge, abilities, personal qualities and attitudes necessary for providing a high quality of organisation of adult learning. In accordance with this model, adult educator must be andragogue, high skilled specialist in organisation of adult learning. Beside possessing a large general scientific and humanity knowledge, adult educator must manage technology of adult learning, technology of self-directed learning and different techniques of teaching. He/she must be able to: determine educational needs, volume and characters of vital (everyday, professional, social) experience and level of preceding education of learners, reveal physiological and socio-psychological characteristics, cognitive and learning styles of learners; determine objectives, strategy, tasks, contents, models, sources, means, methods, forms of learning, create individual learning plan (or learning programme, or learning contract) of learners; create favourable physical, psychological and educational conditions of learning; realise operative socio-psychological, functional cognitive diagnostic of learners, monitor learning activities, choose methods and forms of learning adequate to readiness and individual functional characteristics of learners create educational situations, organize joint activities of all participants of the learning process; determine and implement in practice essential stages, criteria, procedures and forms of evaluation of achievements of learners and of the process of education; reveal the changes in the development of personal qualities and values of learners; introduce necessary modifications in the process of learning. All these skills must be based upon a system of knowledge indispensable for efficient activities of adult educator-andragogue. In this state he/she must possess: knowledge of psycho-physiological characteristics of adult learners of different age; a systemic knowledge of psychology and theory of adult learning; a concept of the history of andragogical ideas; knowledge about the philosophy, sociology and organisation of adult education; economic and legislative aspects of adult education; concepts of organisation and technology of distant education as one of the most important and appropriate type of adult learning. Adult educator-andragogue also must be able to carry out psychologo-andragogical diagnostics of adult learners, to process and analyse their results, elaborate teaching-learning aid materials, realise practical work of teaching, to work with scientific and methodological literature, to use computers in his/her activities. This specialist must have such personal qualities indispensable for the work among adults as: empathy, tolerance, communicability, discretion, organisational abilities, aspiration for leadership, enthusiasm, and thirst for permanent self perfection. He/she must share essential humanistic values and possess progressive attitudes, in particular: possess the concept of human being as self-developing, self-actualising and self-managing subject of noosphere, understand the learning as modus vivendi of human being, be conscious of equal role of adult learner in the organisation of learning, and of his/her role as facilitator, counsellor and expert in organisation of adults learning. Without any doubt, the educating of adult educators must be also based on the andragogical theory and implies the use of andragogical technology of learning. Knowledge, abilities, skills, personal qualities and attitudes mentioned above could be acquired in process of learning of such andragogical matters as: psychology of growth of the adult, psychological foundations of adult learning, theoretical fundamentals of andragogy, history of andragogical concepts and ideas, philosophy and sociology of adult education, psychology of human being, psychology of adult learning, technology of adult learning, history of organisational forms of adult education, economic and legislative aspects of adult education, technology of self-directed learning, organisation and technology of distant learning. So, andragogically organised education of adult educators as andragogues, i.e. the process of acquiring skills, knowledge, abilities, personal qualities and attitudes included in the model of competence of adult educator, which are necessary for activities providing organisation of adult learning of high quality determined in the model of activities of adult educator, is an indispensable and decisive factor of efficient functioning and developing of adult education. References Knowles, M.S. (1980) The Modern Practice of Adult Education. From Pedagogy to Andragogy. Chicago. - Educating the Adult Educator: Quality Provision and Assessment in Europe. Inaugural Meeting. CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS. E-book of conference proceedings. ISBN 978-960-243-668-4 University of Macedonia Thessaloniki, Greece, 6-8 November 2009. P. 601-605.

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