Key Competences for Adult Learning Professionals
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Key competences for adult learning professionals Contribution to the development of a reference framework of key competences for adult learning professionals Final report This study has been financed by European Commission, DG EAC B.J. Buiskool, S.D. Broek, J.A. van Lakerveld, G.K. Zarifis, M. Osborne Projectnumber: B3542 Zoetermeer, January 15, 2010 The responsibility for the contents of this report lies with Research voor Beleid. Quoting of numbers and/or text as an explanation or support in papers, essays and books is permitted only when the source is clearly mentioned. No part of this publication may be copied and/or published in any form or by any means, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Research voor Beleid. Research voor Beleid does not accept responsibility for printing errors and/or other imperfections. 2 Foreword Research voor Beleid is pleased to submit the final report of the study on key competences of adult learning professionals. The professional development and the improvement of the quality of adult learning staff have been recognised as a priority at European level. However, at European and national levels there is not always a clear view of the competences needed to fulfil the professional tasks in adult learning, partly due to the diversity of the field. In several European coun- tries, competence profiles and standards for adult learning staff (referred to hereafter as adult learning professionals) have been developed and implemented, although their scope of application differs considerably between institutional and regional levels. Therefore, the European Commission decided to finance a study on key competences for adult learning staff. The aim of this study is to come up with a set of key competences which can func- tions as a reference for Europe and which can be used by Member States on a voluntary basis. This study has been carried out by Research voor Beleid in partnership with the University of Glasgow, University of Thessaloniki, and the University of Leiden. During the last year the research team has studied a large number of documents on the duties, tasks, responsi- bilities, roles, competences and work environments of adult learning professionals, de- scribed them in a narrative, organised an expert meeting for modelling the key compe- tences and discussed the outcomes of this modelling exercise with a broad group of stake- holders all over Europe. Overall the research team’s opinion is that this study has triggered an intensive and stimulating professional debate, and we are confident that the set of key competences could play an important role in structuring future debates and developing policies for improving the quality of adult learning. This study would not have been possible without the cooperation of numerous stakeholders in the field of adult learning. Therefore, the research team would like to thank all the re- spondents around Europe for their willingness to cooperate in this study by providing feed- back on the set of key competences. Moreover, the research team would like to thank the steering committee for their support during the study and for their valuable remarks on the draft version of the report. This report contains the outcomes of this study. Chapter 1 presents as an executive sum- mary the set for key competences of adult learning professionals. Chapters 2 to 6 contain the report on the study on key competences of adult learning professionals. Chapter 7 and 8 provides information about the sources and literature used in this study. In this last chapter a short description is given of the educational programmes and job descriptions used to ground the set of key competences in empirical reality. These educational pro- grammes and job descriptions have been taken up as case-studies in the report. Bert-Jan Buiskool Simon Broek Research voor Beleid 3 4 Contents 1 Executive summary 9 1.1 A set of key competences 9 1.2 Ways of using the set of key competences 13 1.3 Recommendations 15 2 Background of the study 17 2.1 The role of adult learning in achieving the Lisbon goals 17 2.1.1 Policy agenda on adult learning 17 2.1.2 Implementing the action plan at national level 18 2.2 Improving the quality of adult learning professionals 18 2.3 Adult learning professions in Europe (ALPINE) 19 2.4 Aim of the study: developing a set of key competences for adult learning professionals 21 2.5 Some demarcation points: the context in which adult learning professionals work 23 2.6 Level of responsibility 25 3 Methodology: three step approach 27 3.1 Competence identification 27 3.1.1 Sources 27 3.1.2 Outcomes of the competence identification 28 3.2 Competence modelling 28 3.2.1 Expert workshop 28 3.2.2 Modelling 29 3.3 Competence assessment 29 3.3.1 Meetings and conferences 29 3.3.2 Interviews 30 3.3.3 Final report 30 3.4 Validity of the research findings 30 4 Outcomes of the study 33 4.1 Introduction 33 4.2 Activities of adult learning staff 34 4.2.1 Need assessment activities 35 4.2.2 Preparation of courses activities 35 4.2.3 Facilitation of learning activities 36 4.2.4 Monitoring and evaluation activities 36 4.2.5 Counselling and guidance activities 37 4.2.6 Programme development activities 37 4.2.7 Financial management activities 37 4.2.8 Human resource management activities 37 4.2.9 Overall management activities 38 4.2.10 Marketing and PR activities 38 4.2.11 Administrative support activities 38 4.2.12 ICT-support activities 39 4.2.13 Overarching activities 39 5 4.3 Generic competences (A) 39 4.3.1 Being a fully autonomous lifelong learner (A1) 40 4.3.2 Being a communicator, team player and networker (A2) 43 4.3.3 Being responsible for the further development of adult learning (A3) 45 4.3.4 Being an expert in a field of study/practice (A4) 48 4.3.5 Being able to deploy different learning methods, styles and techniques (A5) 50 4.3.6 Being a motivator (A6) 58 4.3.7 Dealing with heterogeneity and diversity in groups (A7) 60 4.3.8 Conclusion on generic competences 62 4.4 Specific competences: directly involved in the learning process (B) 63 4.4.1 Being capable of assessment of adult learners’ learning needs (B1) 64 4.4.2 Being capable of designing the learning process (B2) 66 4.4.3 Being a facilitator of the learning process (B3) 68 4.4.4 Being an evaluator of the learning process (B4) 71 4.4.5 Being an advisor / counsellor (B5) 74 4.4.6 Being a programme developer (B6) 78 4.5 Specific Competences: supportive for the learning process (B) 81 4.5.1 Being financially responsible (B7) 82 4.5.2 Being a people manager (B8) 83 4.5.3 Being a general manager (B9) 85 4.5.4 Dealing with PR and marketing (B10) 86 4.5.5 Being supportive in administrative issues (B11) 88 4.5.6 Being an ICT- facilitator (B12) 89 4.6 Summary of descriptions of key competences 91 4.7 Raising the question: what makes this set of key competences different with regard to initial education? 98 5 Potential ways of making use of the set of key competences 101 5.1 Potential ways of using 101 5.1.1 Self-assessment and evaluation 101 5.1.2 Selection of training courses 102 5.1.3 Action learning and action research 102 5.1.4 Networks of professionals 102 5.1.5 Professional associations 103 5.1.6 Peer learning 103 5.1.7 Labour agreements 104 5.1.8 Development of qualification structures 104 5.1.9 Development of educational programmes 105 5.1.10 Probation/induction of new staff 107 5.1.11 Assessment of competences 107 5.1.12 Continuous professional development 107 5.1.13 Implementing institutional self evaluation 107 5.1.14 Developing institutional accreditation criteria 107 5.1.15 Implementing benchmarks and external evaluation 108 5.1.16 Developing quality certificates and standards 108 5.1.17 Legislation or sector agreements 108 5.1.18 National and European Qualifications Frameworks (NQF and EQF) 109 5.1.19 European tools (ECTS, ECVET, and EQARF/EQAVET) 109 5.2 Stakeholders involved in using the set of key competences 110 6 5.2.1 Professionals 110 5.2.2 Employers 111 5.2.3 Providers of training for adult learning professionals 111 5.2.4 Sector level 111 5.2.5 Governments 111 5.2.6 European level 111 5.3 Discussion on implementation and the involvement of stakeholders 111 6 Conclusions and recommendations 115 6.1 Introduction 115 6.2 What competences are relevant for working in the field of adult learning? 115 6.3 What instruments can be used for transferring the key competences? 118 6.4 Recommendations 120 7 The research team and experts consulted 125 8 Sources 127 8.1 Literature used: 127 8.2 Job profiles studied: 132 8.3 Educational programmes studied: 141 Annex 1: Competence-activities-matrix 153 7 8 1 Executive summary 1.1 A set of key competences Adult learning staff plays a key role in making lifelong learning a reality. Adult learning pro- fessionals help learners to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes throughout their lives. Indeed, the professional development of people working in education and training is one of the vital measures to improve quality of learning at all levels. This has been acknowledged by several European wide initiatives and has been reaffirmed during the Stockholm confer- ence on teacher quality in November 2009.