THE PERCEPTION OF PROFESSIONAL AUTONOMY AMONG EDUCATORS OF ADULTS

Doc Dr Kristinka Ovesni

Faculty of Philosophy,Department for Pedagogy and Andragogy,

University of Belgrade

Term autonomy is linked to multiple meanings

ordinarily it is used to refer to independenceindependence, political sovereigntysovereignty, self-controlself-control in and freedom tofreedom to performance

in psychology, the term autonomy is used to refer to a relative freedom offreedom of influence of others in a different process; or to refer to a psychogenic needneed linked toto a controlcontrol, or to a process of struggle struggle for independencefor independence and resisting to a different influencesresisting to a different influences

when associate to professionalism, term assumes socially socially recognized functional specificityrecognized functional specificity with technicaltechnical, organizationalorganizational and ethicalethical implications

In andragogy, the term is used to refer to a reflection of reflection of knowledgeknowledge, or to a specific form of personal freedompersonal freedom, tightly interconnected with the concepts like independence, self-responsibility, self-determination or self-directed learning

The phenomenon of autonomy is one of basic concepts of one of basic concepts of distinction between adults and childrendistinction between adults and children: adult are autonomous individuals, old enough to be responsible for his/her actions.

Also, regarding HRD perspective, professional autonomy is a powerful incentiveincentive

Professional autonomy could be categorize on

1.1. external external (by professional standards, by professional preparation and by continuing professional development driven) and on

2.2. internalinternal autonomy (individual perception of professional power on: work conditions and contents, performance, making decisions, etc).

The basic research problem considered in is the perception of professional autonomy among perception of professional autonomy among teachers of adultsteachers of adults

We considered it research problem through:1. subsistence of professional autonomy,2. conduction of independence in work,3. importance of own professional influence as a

reflection of professional autonomy

Research Findings and Discussion

The main research hypothesis - that moremore the formal formal gained professional knowledgegained professional knowledge teachers in adult education have, the more autonomy inmore autonomy in their workwork they reflected - is completely confirmed.

Also, expression of some determinants of professional autonomy between the teachers in adult education differ than the perception of these determinants between the members of developed professions (law, medicine, etc.)

A research findings suggests that the most of respondents claim that autonomy in their work is reflection of:

complexitycomplexity of their dutiesduties (88.3%), continuing critical reconciliation of practicecritical reconciliation of practice (92.4%), confidence and self-determinationconfidence and self-determination at work (89.7%), priority of own judgmentown judgment (89.0%) and that is proportional to the level of influence in makinglevel of influence in making

important decisionsimportant decisions in organizations (83.3%).

The most of respondents (79.4) perceive a frequency of autonomous professional actingfrequency of autonomous professional acting and

easiness in accomplishing dutieseasiness in accomplishing duties (81.9%) as a dominant moments in obtaining a professional autonomy

Respondents perceived that professional autonomy is a reflection of own professional influence on

clients/customersclients/customers – adult learners/students (89.7%), at associatesassociates (84.6%), at own socially constructed contextown socially constructed context (85.8%) and a reflection of overalloverall influence (88.3%).

but, they estimate own professional influence on managementmanagement and on the social settings of their clientssocial settings of their clients as a relative weakweak (over 76.0%).

Teachers in adult education perceive (more than 50% per item) domination of combination of team and independent domination of combination of team and independent workwork on all of the activities in their work:

planning, choosing contents, identification and posing a objectives, selecting of tools and methods, overall activities, making decisions, and evaluation

Regarding the perception of own autonomy, we also learned that one could claim, with statistical significance at the p < 0.01 level that:

parent’s educationparent’s education and occupational statusoccupational status influence the continuing critical reconciliation of practicecritical reconciliation of practice

the past servicepast service and professional rankprofessional rank of respondents influenced perception of a level of influence influence in making making important decisionsimportant decisions in organizations

the number of organizations of employmentnumber of organizations of employment in respondents work history influence on perception ofperception of own autonomyown autonomy

father’s occupational statusfather’s occupational status and organization of employmentorganization of employment have a impact on the perception of ownown professional influenceinfluence at own at own socially constructed contextsocially constructed context;

the past servicepast service have a statistically significant impact on the perception of own overall professional influenceoverall professional influence;

father’s educational statusfather’s educational status and past servicepast service have impact on the perception of dominancy of independent, fully autonomous work in activities such as choosing contentschoosing contents, and in own professional influence at own socially constructed context and in making making decisionsdecisions;

the ageage have a impact on the perception of dominancy of autonomous work in activities such as planningplanning and identification identification and posing a work objectivesand posing a work objectives;

we also learned that one could claim, with statistical significance at the p < 0.05 level that:

the gendergender and mother’s educational statusmother’s educational status have a impact on the perception of own professional influence at the social influence at the social contextcontext of their clients/customers.

the mother’s occupationalmother’s occupational and educational statuseducational status have a impact on the perception of dominancy of independent work in overall activitiesoverall activities and in evaluationevaluation.

Based upon a considered literature and on analyzed data it is concluded that:

regarding relevant criteria of professionalization teaching adults makes huge progressprogress in process of professionalization, but that this dimension is more openly expressed between adequate professionally preparedadequate professionally prepared ones

political dimensionpolitical dimension have significant impact in perceiving professional autonomy

gender influencegender influence perceiving professional autonomy as a reflection of culture, context and formal education

standing centralization in planning and centralization in planning and managing work activitiesmanaging work activities of teachers in adult education, as a relict of earlier practice have influence at perceiving professional autonomy

What imply emergency for

professional educationprofessional education obtained at universitiesuniversities or professional schoolsprofessional schools

and for

mandatorymandatory, widespread coveragewidespread coverage with the programs for continuing professional continuing professional education education