ADULT EDUCATION IN THE CONCEPTUAL ACCENTUATIONS

Abstract

The article examines the main characteristics of adult education, its functions and social significance. It is noted that adult education represents an organic unity of formal and non-formal educational practices that complement and extend school education, contributing to the development of relevant skills, deepening of knowledge potential, and improvement of an individual’s professional qualifications. Educational practices for adults enrich the individual’s social and civic life and expand their opportunities for participation in the spiritual and cultural existence of society. Adult education is a structured social subsystem that incorporates educational institutions as socially oriented entities, subjects of social relations, and the educational process as a form of sociocultural activity, the effectiveness of which is determined by the optimal parameters of the educational environment. It is stated that adult education is one of the most effective means of human adaptation in the scientific and cultural spheres. By acquiring education, an individual masters not only knowledge but also cultural values. Considering these circumstances, the global community puts forward requirements for the development of a global educational strategy that directly concerns the adult person as well. Adult education should be supported by a system of comprehensive organizational, legal, and managerial solutions and be based on specific methodologies for teaching various disciplines. The effectiveness of providing educational services for adults largely correlates with the educator’s ability to create an atmosphere of partnership during classroom interaction and with the level of their professional knowledge and skills. The educator must be able to model situations in which adult learners can realize the experience acquired throughout their life and professional activity. In conclusion, it is stated that, in its conceptual dimension, adult education is a complex social phenomenon that encompasses, apart from purely pedagogical and psychological aspects, also socio-economic, legal, and managerial components. Adult education is a necessity of the present time, as it is capable of ensuring the effective adaptation of older citizens to new socio-economic conditions.