Delineating the role of environmental adult educators: drawing critical considerations from an empirical case study

摘要

Current sustainability challenges call for strengthening educational efforts and research beyond formal school practice, in the context of Environmental Adult Education (EAE). The study reported here focuses on exploring the profile and practice of Greek environmental adult educators. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 11 EAE practitioners working with some of the most prominent Greek environmental NGOs, the study delves into the role of an environmental adult educator. Qualitative content analysis indicated that participants are highly educated professionals from diverse scientific backgrounds, whose careers started as volunteers in the same NGO, or as formal education teachers. Own educational experiences and personal worldviews, the NGO's mission and professional socialization are reported as important motivational factors to pursue EAE. They draw the profile of a qualified EA educator as combining specialised knowledge, competencies, values and a vision. Their mission is perceived as primarily promoting environmental conservation through indirect action. They endorse mainly the role of co-learner, reflective practitioner and experience facilitator. Structural barriers, such as inadequate funding, multiple duties, and lack of time, seem to undermine their efforts, although educational challenges, such as how to encourage adults to revisit their acquired knowledge or how to overcome lack of interest, stand out as important challenges.