Sustainability of adult education: Andragogues as change agents

Siniša Kuši̇ć,Sofija Vrcelj,Anita Zovko

doi:10.24289/ijsser.759203

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. Andragogues are qualified people who have a wide range of activities in the industry, the business world, the military, mass media, various institutions of education institutions and other areas. Their power of change is reflected in the aspect of emancipation, liberation and development of critical awareness of oppression and in critical thinking of educational policy and official curricula.

Highlights

Since the time of Kurt Lewin, a theorist who first studied the theory of change and practiced it in the 1940s (Burnes, 2004; Kritsonis, 2004-2005), the concept of change agent has recently become more and more used as a specific social category which designates persons or groups that play a significant role in initiating, managing, or implementing change (Caldwell, 2003; 2005)
Given the considerable economic disparities within the European area, biological age is a problematic criterion since, for example, material independence and personal autonomy are more important criteria separating young people from adults (Shanahan, 2000). Regardless their identity is not being clearly defined because there is an understanding that anyone who works with adults is an andragogue, we can say that andragogues - no matter where they work, are specialists in change (Reischmann, 2017; 2017 a)
Andragogues cannot depend on the system and wait for the system to change if they want sustainable emancipatory education

Summary

Introduction

Since the time of Kurt Lewin, a theorist who first studied the theory of change and practiced it in the 1940s (Burnes, 2004; Kritsonis, 2004-2005), the concept of change agent has recently become more and more used as a specific social category which designates persons or groups that play a significant role in initiating, managing, or implementing change (Caldwell, 2003; 2005). Given the considerable economic disparities within the European area, biological age is a problematic criterion since, for example, material independence and personal autonomy are more important criteria separating young people from adults (Shanahan, 2000). Regardless their identity is not being clearly defined because there is an understanding that anyone who works with adults is an andragogue, we can say that andragogues - no matter where they work, are specialists in change (Reischmann, 2017; 2017 a). Andragogues cannot depend on the system and wait for the system to change if they want sustainable emancipatory education

Andragogues as change agents - critical emancipatory discourse

Conclusion