Becoming an Adult Educator in Greece: Past Experiences, Existing Procedures and Future Challenges
The professionalization of adult educators is a topic that has been under discussion for many years in the field of adult education in Europe. In this paper we present the development of this discussion in Greece, where the field of adult education has displayed notable and variable growth within the last three decades. The paper outlines the initiatives that have been undertaken in various periods of Greece’s adult education history to develop a professional body of adult educators. It presents and discusses the current system of certification of adult educators and criticizes the existing procedures in the light of the contemporary political and social conditions in Greece. The opinion of the authors is that in the existing socio-political framework there has to be a shift from a skills-oriented certified adult educator to a more critically reflective professional, capable of facilitating learning that fosters critical thinking and consequently leads to personal and social transformation.
Authors:
Alexis Kokkos, Hellenic Open University, Greece
George A. Koulaouzides, Hellenic Open University, Greece
Thanassis Karalis, University of Patras, Greece
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