Preparing adult educators for counselling older adult learners: lessons learned from a professional development programme in Hungary

Abstract

ABSTRACT This qualitative study focuses on the professional development aspects of adult educators who teach languages to older learners by using one-to-one counselling. Open-ended questionnaires were used to explore participating adult educators’ reflective practice during and after the professional development programme. We used a grounded theory approach and network analysis in this research. The scaffolded reflective practice that adult educators experienced in the programme contributed to their development of learner self-awareness. Junior-and mid-career educators underscored the significance of peer- and instructor-supported feedback. In the case of older adult educators, instructional clarity and organisation were identified as particularly crucial in aiming to directly link theory to practical applicability of learner autonomy development. Deepening adult educators’ understanding about instructional approaches that enhance effective learning may also contribute to developing their own learning skills and competences. These findings may have implications for constructing professional development programmes targeted at adult learning professionals who deal with older adults’ learner autonomy development.