Key competences of adult learning staff Bert-Jan Buiskool (Research voor Beleid / PANTEIA)

1. Key competences of adult learning staff Bert-Jan Buiskool (Research voor Beleid / PANTEIA) Thessaloniki, 8 december 2011

2. The overall objectives • To inform you about some recent research work of the European Commission • The key competences AL staff (ideally) should have • How to use the framework for developing (Grundtvig) courses

3. Rationale for improving the quality of staff • Addressed in a wide range of policy documents on EU / national level • Play an important role in the delivery of adult learning (besides systems / structures) • Lead to efficient and effective learning systems • Positive correlation with qualified staff and learning outcomes and drop out rates • Mobilisation strategy leading to increasing and widening particpation • Gives professionals a sense of personal fulfilment • Positive effects on career development and package of benefits • Providers are increasingly adopting more professional approaches to management including quality assurance and measurement of impact

4. Contextualising adult learning policies

5. Who are they? • Teachers / trainers • Guidance and counsellors • Managers • Programme planners • Administrative staff • Media / ICT staff

6. Repertoire of activities

7. Changing working contexts

8. Key competences

9. Result: the reference framework • 2 levels of competences: • Generic competences (7) • Specific competences • Directly related to the learning process (6) • Indirectly related to the learning process (6) • The model will only mention the heading, the description contains information on knowledge, skills and attitudes

10. Context

11. Repetoire of activities

12. Set of key competences

15. Difference Reference framework – job profile • Reference framework abstracts from the context • Job profile makes the competences concrete by putting them in a context An example: Teacher in second chance education • Context • Activities • Competences

16. Context:

17. Activities: Teaching, includes: • Empowering, activating, motivating and encouraging the adult learner, being a challenger, inspirer of adult learners, and mobiliser of their motivations. • Setting, negotiating and communicating the objectives of the course and to inform the adult learners on the structure of the learning process • Relating the learning process to the living world and practice of the adult learner. This is achieved by making use of the prior knowledge and experience of the adult learner, by integrating real life contexts into the classroom. • Creating a positive learning/development environment • Having awareness and understanding of diversity and having insight in the problems that can occur from the diversity and anticipate to possible problems, involving the adult learner, the group and oneself • Providing, or facilitating the acquisition of, relevant content in the learning process (knowledge, skills, insight, information and attitudes) Making the content accessible by means of explanation and attune and dose the content to the needs and abilities of the learners • Managing the learning process: Monitoring, assessing and evaluating the learning process and the progress of the adult learners. Keeping track with the aims that have been set during the course and make changes in the course to improve the learning process, as well as management of time in the course • Providing support and feedback as a two-way process to the learners (receiving and giving between the adult learning professional and the learner) • Evaluating the context, the process and the outcomes of the learning process

18. Competences:

20. Thank you for your attention! Bert-Jan Buiskool (b.buiskool@research.nl)