Work as educational principle: some reflections

Abstract

After a glance at concepts such as work and education, this article approaches some orientations or principles that can contribute to the organization of adult education courses. When we work in education programs of this nature, we must always have in mind that we are working with individuals who already have theoretical knowledge and practical experiences that must be considered as starting points. We have to consider that learning happens throughout one's life and a course is no more than part of the learning path. Another important issue when we talk about adult's education, especially those programs which are developed within work situations, is that they must have meaning for those who will be attending the course. The participants are supposed to engage in the education program voluntarily, otherwise it will be seen not as a professional gain, but as something that was imposed. It is also of great value that the course be developed based on accurate knowledge of the reality of those who will participate. Evaluating and preserving the memory of what happened during the course helps to prevent never-ending restarts. Finally, it is also important that the education courses have a suport programm, to help the participants feel safer when they start taking the changes proposed by the education program back to their real working daily lives.