Changes in the activity of the adult educator

• Author: Cavaco, C.
• Position: Department of the Adult Education, Institute of Education, University of Lisbon
• Pages: 39-48

Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov • Vol. 4 (53) •No. 1 - 2011

Series VII: Social Sciences • Law

CHANGES IN THE ACTIVITY

OF THE ADULT EDUCATOR

Carmen CAVACO1

Abstract: This article aims at analyzing the influence of the specificity of

the practices of recognition, validation and certification of non formal and

informal learning on the functions and knowledge of the adult educators,

work with adult low school education levels. From a theoretical point of

view, we have based our research on the issues of adult education,

experiential learning, and evaluation. Apart from an analysis of the functions

and knowledge required to the trainers who work in the teams of the studied

centres of recognition, validation and certification of non formal and

informal learning we are going to examine the issues which they are

confronted to in their professional practices.

Key words: recognition, validation, non formal and informal learning,

adult educator, changes.

1 Department of the Adult Education, Institute of Education, University of Lisbon.

1. Introduction

This article aims at analyzing the

specificity of the recognition and

validation of the non formal and informal

learning practices on the functions and

knowledge of the educators who take part

in this process, oriented towards adults

with low school education levels. It also

aims at researching the training of such

professionals at university level. The

process of recognition, validation and

certification of competences was

established in Portugal in 2001. It is

integrated in public politicies, in a network

of Centres of recognition, validation and

certification of competences. (This will

hereinafter be referred to as ‘Centre’).

Through the recognition of learning,

these centres allow the educational

certification of the individuals aged over

18 and having benefited from less than 12

years of formal education. The attributed

certificates are of B1 level (4th year of

education), B2 level (6th year of

education) B3 level (9th year of education)

and recently, B4 level (12 years of

education).

The decision concerning the level of

education to be attributed to the adult

learner essentially depends on two factors:

the level of education of the adult at the

time when he is integrated in the centre

and the learning he proves to have

obtained in different contexts (familial,

social, professional and educational/

professional training) in the course of his

whole life. The learning recognized until

the 9th year of education constitute the

basic knowledge level in the following

fields: mathematics for life, language and

communication techniques of information