The quality of adult training: Two perspectives

Abstract

The work examines the issue of adult training quality. Our analysis rests on two perspectives, i.e. evaluations of training quality, which frequently vastly differ from one another, as we are about to see. Both the trainees and independent estimators-andragogues reviewed the quality of the training. The research of training quality has been performed on the basis of double evaluations of certain aspects (properties, traits) and elements (constituent parts) of adult vocational training at an informal educational institution in Belgrade. Following the theoretical analysis of key terms, such as the quality of adult education and adult training, the work presents the methodological framework of the empirical segment of the research, with a more detailed analysis of the achieved results. The analysis prompted us to conclude that examining training quality from the perspective of two different participants results in two very different evaluations and thus perceptions of training quality. Such findings bring us back to certain fundamental questions regarding the quality of (adult) education and highlight the complexity of "measuring" quality and quality management, in that regard. Furthermore, within our final remarks, we presented a pathway to the present development of a quality system for training and organizational work with the status of JPOA (publicly recognized organizer of adult education activities) in Serbia and we additionally highlighted various orientations towards quality in adult education.