Different Roles of Adult Educator: Students' Preferencies

Abstract

Theory and research on adult education show that learning process is characterized by mutual partnership between the educator and the learner. Partnership in adult education implies that all the participants in the learning process are assembled around mutual interests and guided by a common goal. Learning process is based on sharing and positive interdependence between participants and manifested by their equality, competency, authenticity, complementary approach and democratic nature. Anyhow, it seems that adult educator carries slightly bigger responsibility for establishing and developing the partnership in the learning process. Therefore, there is a need for developing and taking over different roles: lecturer, organizer, partner in communication, expert, motivator, diagnostician, appraiser, facilitator, and partner in effective communication. It can be assumed that all the above mentioned roles equally determine the quality of adult education process. This hypothesis was tested by conducting a research on students’ preferences of different roles of university teachers that contribute to a quality of provision. The study outlines what 128 students perceive as the most important teacher roles in supporting their learning.