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Contents

FOREWORD

STUDIES ON THE EDUCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATIONAL NETWORKS OF THE COUNTRIES PARTICIPATING IN THE RESEARCH
Ágnes Engler - Edina Márkus: Formal and non-formal adult learning in Hungary
Tünde Barabási: Adult learning in Romania
Mária Fabó - Kornélia Gabri - Rudolf Gabri- Piroska Zachar: Education in Slovakia, with special emphasis on adult education and training
Viola Tamásová - Silvia Barnová: A Summary of Education in Slovakia
Béla Gabóda - Éva Gabóda: Educating national minorities in the native tongue in Ukraine (the Subcarpathian region)

SPECIFICITIES OF ADULT LEARNING, ADULT LEARNERS' MOTIVATION TO LEARN
Edina Márkus: The specifics of adult learning, adult learners' motivation for learning
Edina Márkus - Ibolya Juhász-Nagy: Findings of the research on the learning motivation of adult learners

APPENDICES

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Foreword

The role of general learning and different skills (basic skills, key skills, management skills, citizenship skills, etc.) has intensified. Without having these skills professional knowledge is difficult to capitalise. The development of such knowledge and skills and their acquisition is possible via adult training for some social strata. Among other things, this is the reason why adult training (of both the vocational and general kind) has recently been granted an enhanced role in Hungary and the whole of Europe, with respect to both economics and social welfare. The relationship between vocational and general training, supplementing and benefitting from one another, is obvious.

Professional literature and examples in Hungary and abroad both prove that adult learning is not merely a concern of the economy. The importance of general trainings is highlighted because of their social role, too. The role of general training in social mobility is significant: it makes it possible for citizens to freely exercise their right to knowledge; it lays the foundations for and supplements vocational and labour market trainings as well as trainings in the workplace; it may contribute to the social integration of the most disadvantaged strata (young and adult dropouts, people with low educational qualifications, immigrants). A productive adult training programme can have a positive impact on not only indices on well-being and employment but also on health care.

In 2010 the European Union approved a medium-term economic programme that is based on knowledge, a high level of employment and an environmentally friendly economy. According to the professionals, the implementation of the program may be facilitated by a more active involvement of women and younger and older employees, a better integration of immigrants in the labour market, as well as a higher rate of employment and learning among people with lower educational qualifications.

The goal of this research was to examine adult learners in the partner countries, to learn about their motivation to participate in trainings, their interest and the possible hindrances. In addition, we strove to map the areas of knowledge where adult learners are more active and find learning more effective as well as the methods of learning, which we analysed from several angles: on the one hand, whether they prioritised general, vocational or language trainings; on the other hand, the choices between formal, non-formal, cultural or community learning. We also intended to examine the institutions and sources of learning as well as the factors influencing the willingness to learn.

The closing report is divided into two greater units. The first part includes studies on the participating countries' educational, adult educational and training networks. The second part describes the findings from the processed questionnaire used in the research.

The individual units have been created by different authors; therefore, for the sake of clarity, the referenced bibliography is listed after each study similarly to the numbering of figures and tables.

The editor

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