Since the lifelong learning field has expanded, it stressed the importance of lifelong educators conducting the education in the fields. The educators teaching in various kinds of lifelong education institutions are the essential human resources. To c...
Since the lifelong learning field has expanded, it stressed the importance of lifelong educators conducting the education in the fields. The educators teaching in various kinds of lifelong education institutions are the essential human resources. To conduct and expand the lifelong concept well, it is necessary to understand the reality of the field of lifelong educators. Therefore, based on the perception of this problem, this study focuses on the ‘narrative’ of the lifelong educators to understand the reality of the field better. This study used narrative inquiry research method, and set three research tasks. First, with checking the perception of lifelong educators' job experiences, this study tried to find out how the job experience affects the educators. Second, through knowing the reality of lifelong educators work and the problems, this study tried to understand the need of the lifelong education field. Third, based on the narratives of lifelong educators' job experience, this study tried to find the possibility of development on lifelong educator as a job.
For the above, this study examined the previous researches. In the result, most researches were just analyzing and ruling the role of lifelong educators. The role was what the lifelong educators necessarily and originally takes account. However, the role suggested by the law or the previous studies' researchers could be apart from the real perception of lifelong educators in the field. Therefore, this study chose narrative inquiry method to achieve the goal of this research. This study used narrative inquiry method cited a lot based on Clandinin & Connelly's opinion with previous studies used narrative inquiry research method.
The main research data is the ‘narrative’organized by the in-depth interview from lifelong educators. To collect effective data, this study considered career in the field and the variety and representation of the institutions. Based on this, this study conducted the in-depth interview with the field participants working in certain institutions and for certain period. The in-depth interview was progressed by questionnaire and interview protocol examined by peer researchers and lifelong educators. The collected interview data was used as important field text. The analysis and interpretation was conducted based on narrative Inquiry research progress. The research result is as below.
The first research result is about the perception of lifelong educators. First, the research participants could not have the opportunity to self-reflection. Instead of considering the philosophy and the sense of values on lifelong education, they were busy working in the field. The role lifelong educators think what they need was ‘the method’ of doing their work rather than ‘the contents ’of the work. For the standard of work satisfaction, each showed different opinion based on each other’s value. The lifelong educators were self-motivated and experiencing another change. This kind of experience was not intended. It may be natural to experience as a lifelong educator. The job experience affected not only their work, but also their routine life. In addition, the result showed that the perception about their job experiences affected from the character and the pursuit of the institutions, which the lifelong educators are involved. According to the result as above, the job meaning, which the research participants think, showed some difference.
The second research result is about the lifelong educators' perception on the working reality and the problem. First, the lack of perception on the problem in the related people working in lifelong education institutions was the cause of the issue. Some people related with lifelong education institutions perceive that lifelong educator certification is not necessary for the related work. They believe that anyone can do lifelong education-related work. On the other side, some people require lifelong education certificate to be hired as a lifelong educator, but lead the educator to work following a certain manual instead of considering lifelong education. Another problem is approving the professionalism of lifelong educators. By the in-depth interview, this study found many things. For example, lifelong educators' most works are administrative support. It led the educators confused about what the lifelong educators' professionalism is. However, according to each educator's perception, they could display their ability more than they are expected. Moreover, lifelong educators' professionalism is not determined by a certain standard like law or other data. The professionalism is determined by the lifelong educator him/herself doing self-reconsideration. For networking factor among lifelong educators, they feel the need. However, they just want to share some information, which they can apply right after. They worried the competition among institutions through networking, or tried to find solutions on their own when they are in trouble as well. That is why the reality of networking would be difficult.
The third research method is about the possibility of the development on lifelong educators. The research participants tried to take concrete shape for plan based on the job experience in lifelong education field. For sure, some lifelong educators are too eager to work, so they do not reconsider themselves. However, for most cases, the experience in the real field of lifelong education gives the best learning. The knowledge about lifelong education, which lifelong educators learn in the lifelong education field provide the opportunity, which the educators themselves consider what they need for their working role. In the lifelong education field, the lifelong educators encourage students, set the place to learn, provide potential students to learn about lifelong education. Furthermore, this study found that lifelong educators themselves in the field could be a new learning model. It means that lifelong educators not only provide some knowledge to students, but also show lifelong education's value as a role model through their life with working as lifelong educators.
Consequently, even though the participants said they just work without self-reflection on their work, this study found out that their job experience itself is the factor of learning and improving. This experience is not intended. Working as lifelong educators, they unconsciously experienced. The experience naturally affected their life as well. As a result, lifelong educator job experience was another learning experience to them. Based on the result of this research, I, the researcher of this study, suggest that there are more needs on lifelong education research in the field. Future researchers should pursue of finding a method sharing lifelong educators' job experience which law or knowledge can not show and teach.