Wirksame Weiterbildungsberatung

In February 2009, a national association of guidance practitioners and scientific experts, known as the German National Guidance Forum for Education, Career and Employment (nfb), presented a widely recognized key issues paper. The following report comments on the paper from the perspective of continuing education research with a special focus on the following issue: Will the structural improvement of continuing educational counselling lead to an increase of participation in adult education? Due to the rather meek data situation, only temporary assumptions are possible. However, the data suggest that the present confusion in continuing education presents no pivotal barrier for participation and not all groups are equally affected by transparency problems which can effectively be reduced through counselling.

Firstly, the author explores the terminological field covering the outcome of educational counselling and develops beneficial dimensions, which are visualised as a network. The author stimulates the German discussion with methodological topics and research results originating in British evaluations. Scientific studies used to confirm the positive effects of educational counselling. Finally the report suggests an agenda for researching the benefits in the field of counselling in continuing education.

The report outlines the outcome of scientific monitoring of the educational and continuing educational counselling centre in Munich with regard to the effectiveness of counselling in the field of continuing education. Results prove the high contentment level among those seeking advice even after a longer time interval. Looking back, the respondents were still motivated to actively take their education in hand; some participate in further education.

The report contributes statements by educational counsellors indicating their self-expectations and objectives and their attempt to obtain a high beneficial level of counselling in continuing education. At the same time, the ratio of the competences of counselling personnel in continuing education to their self-defined objectives is observed. This qualitative empiricism backs the analysis of the location of continuing educational counselling as a location in the triangle between public expectations, self-defined objectives and expectations, and general conditions, which are unsatisfactory with regard to developing professionalism. However, professionalism can only adjust to clear counselling objectives.

This report reflects the current place and task of adult education centres in the German educational counselling landscape. It outlines current challenges and points out activities of state associations and the federal association aimed at a higher level of professionalization and quality in the field of counselling.

This report reflects potentials and dangers for adult education resulting from the process of Europeanizing educational politics. The report indicates the associated structural mechanisms of action in the area of tension of cooperation and competition with the example of the European Qualification Frame (EQF). While intending to achieve a better comparability of educational systems and educational programmes the EQF in fact injects fresh impetus for more national and international competition. The author classifies this dynamic in comprehensive educational political processes, associated with Bologna, Lisbon and Copenhagen.