Improving the quality of adult learning staff Experiences from several European wide projects

1. Improving the quality of adult learning staff Experiences from several European wide projects Bert-Jan Buiskool (Research voor Beleid / PANTEIA) Tuesday 8 March 2011, Budapest

2. The overall objectives • To inform you about the state of the art knowledge on the professional situation of adult learning staff • The key competences AL staff ideally should have • An assessment of what can be done stimulating further professionalisation of staff

3. Contextualising adult learning policies

4. 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

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. Provision of (initial) training of NVAL staff • Enormous variety of educational pathways • Training offered by universities • Training offered in learning partnerships • Adult learning institutions • Training is fragmented • No evidence on which pathway is most effective • Wide variety of qualifications • Less transparent for employers and staff

9. Educational level and work experience • Most of them have a higher education diploma • Most of them have professional experience or subject specific education • Most of them had general teacher training or pedagogical background • A small group have specific adult learning training • Most of them enter the profession after some years of professional experience outside the adult education sector

10. Employment conditions • Contract status • Payments • Social security and pension • Labour unions • Flexible working hours • Opportunities to shape the syllabus and the possibility to develop one’s own skills • the recognition and feedback given by participants and the experience of working with serious, motivated people.

11. Quality assurance (measures) • Requirements to the profession • Recruitment and selection policies; • Induction of new staff • Accreditation of prior learning of staff • Monitoring, internal evaluation, assessment of staff • External evaluation, registration, certification of staff • External training of staff • Internal training of staff • Policies to improve mutual learning in the organisation (‘learning organisation’) • Peer assessment, communities of practice, professional associations • Career development policies • Registration, certification, accreditation of the organisation itself

12. Key competences

13. Context

14. Repertoire of activities

15. Set of key competences

16. What is specific for professionals in the adult learning sector? • More emphasis on diversity -> Competence A7: Dealing with diversity and groups • More emphasis on motivating adults -> Competence A6: Empowering adult learners • Using different learning methods, styles and techniques -> Included in A5, B2, B3, B6 • More emphasis on guidance -> See B5 • Using the expertise and background of the learners -> Competence A4

18. (Policy) agenda • Baseline for further developing a reference framework of key competences (coordinate; disseminate; test, contextualize, monitor & evaluate, identify good practices, assess transferability) • Input for developing quality criteria / standards on organisational level • Develop a common approach for all sub sectors • Stimulate the development of qualification structures • Develop training activities according the needs of staff (in-service training, short modular courses, flexible provision etc.) • Improving quality management, focusing on in-service training; external and internal evaluation; and continuous Development policies • Raising attractiveness, stimulating and developing flexicurity-concepts and a stronger lobby NVAL • Identify good practices, disseminate and exploit them, and create ownership of the problem • More research and monitoring of the sector

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