The Impact of COVID-19 on Adult Education: Insights from Slovenia

• Authors: Marko Radovan , Sonja Klemenčič , Tanja Možina

Abstracts

EN

This paper presents the results of a study that explored the experiences of adult educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. This online survey was conducted in June 2020 and included directors and teachers in adult education from various institutions in Slovenia. Tutors at Slovenian Third-Age Universities and other associations that provided adult education were also included. The aim of our study was to examine how distance education was implemented during the pandemic, using the concept of ‘emergency remote teaching’ (Hodges, 2020). The study sample included 30 directors of adult education institutions and 124 teachers or tutors. The results showed that organisations providing adult education responded during the lockdown by providing adults with the opportunity to continue their education through distance learning. However, this was not the case for all of adult education programmes. Mostly language courses and formal education were offered. The results show that most adult educators quickly adapted to the new working conditions, but that teaching approaches were rather static and asynchronous teaching solutions. An analysis of the problems teachers faced and the support they needed has shown that action is needed to remove the obstacles to the future provision of adult education as much as possible.

Keywords

EN

distance education; emergency remote teaching; COVID-19; adult education; pandemic; non-formal education.

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek
• Journal: Kultura i Edukacja
• Year: 2021
• Issue: 4(134)
• Pages: 212-228

Dates

published

2021

Contributors

author

Marko Radovan

• University of Ljubljana

author

Sonja Klemenčič

• Slovenian Institute for Adult Education

author

Tanja Možina

• Slovenian Institute for Adult Education

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Identifiers

DOI

10.15804/kie.2021.04.12

Biblioteka Nauki

1931967