George K. # Zarifis
George is an Assistant Professor of Continuing Education in the Department of Education (School of Philosophy & Education, Faculty of Philosophy), of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. He received his first degree from the Department of Philosophy, Education and Psychology in the same University (1993). After he was awarded a grant from the Greek State, he continued his studies in the University of Warwick, Department of Continuing Education, where he received his MA in International and Comparative Studies in Continuing Education (1995) and his PhD in Continuing Education (2000).
His area of expertise is Continuing Education with specific interest in the development of educational methodologies for accommodating adult learning.
His research interests focus on the study of adult participation in organised educational and training activities, and the comparative examination of NVAE, VET and CPD policies and practices in South-Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
He is an elected member of the ESREA (European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) Steering Committee (2010-2013), and he is the convenor of the ESREA Research Network on Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professional Development (ReNAdET) that is entirely devoted to the adult educator and trainer in Europe. The scope of the network (http://www.esrea-renadet.net) is to provide an ongoing forum for adult educators, trainers and practitioners from a range of disciplines and professional settings whether formal or non-formal (such as further education, VET and adult learning settings, counselling & guidance authorities, higher education and other academic settings, learning organizations and working environments), to contemplate, discuss, reflect and debate issues in relation to their education & training, professional development, roles & effective practices, recruitment, employment situation and working conditions.
Phone: 0030 2310 997893 (office - τηλέφωνο γραφείου), 0030 2310 997463 (fax)
Address: Faculty of Philosophy,
School of Philosophy & Education, Department of Education,
Aristotle University of Thesaloniki,
Office 208 - Old Building of Faculty of Philosophy,
GR-54124, Thessaloniki,
Greece.
His area of expertise is Continuing Education with specific interest in the development of educational methodologies for accommodating adult learning.
His research interests focus on the study of adult participation in organised educational and training activities, and the comparative examination of NVAE, VET and CPD policies and practices in South-Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
He is an elected member of the ESREA (European Society for Research on the Education of Adults) Steering Committee (2010-2013), and he is the convenor of the ESREA Research Network on Adult Educators, Trainers and their Professional Development (ReNAdET) that is entirely devoted to the adult educator and trainer in Europe. The scope of the network (http://www.esrea-renadet.net) is to provide an ongoing forum for adult educators, trainers and practitioners from a range of disciplines and professional settings whether formal or non-formal (such as further education, VET and adult learning settings, counselling & guidance authorities, higher education and other academic settings, learning organizations and working environments), to contemplate, discuss, reflect and debate issues in relation to their education & training, professional development, roles & effective practices, recruitment, employment situation and working conditions.
Phone: 0030 2310 997893 (office - τηλέφωνο γραφείου), 0030 2310 997463 (fax)
Address: Faculty of Philosophy,
School of Philosophy & Education, Department of Education,
Aristotle University of Thesaloniki,
Office 208 - Old Building of Faculty of Philosophy,
GR-54124, Thessaloniki,
Greece.
less
InterestsView All (52)
Uploads
Books by George K. # Zarifis
Ο ισότιμος, ανοιχτός και δημοκρατικός κοινωνικός διάλογος αναμφίβολα συνεισφέρει στη σοφή διαχείριση των κοινωνικών υποθέσεων και τεκμηριώνει τις αρχές της δημοκρατίας, διότι θεωρείται αναπόσπαστο τμήμα της ποιότητας των σχέσεων μεταξύ του κράτους, των κοινωνικών εταίρων και των πολιτών αλλά και μέσο διαχείρισης αλλαγών, ενώ, ταυτόχρονα, αποτελεί και σημαντικό παράγοντα διακυβέρνησης. Πρόκειται, ουσιαστικά, για εκείνη τη διαλεκτική διαδικασία, η οποία συμπεριλαμβάνει όλες τις μορφές ανταλλαγής πληροφοριών και συλλογικών διαπραγματεύσεων, ενώ παράλληλα, αναφέρεται και σε μηχανισμούς συλλογικής λήψης αποφάσεων, βασισμένων σε διαφορετικές διαδικασίες μεταξύ κυβερνήσεων, εκπροσώπων των κοινωνικών εταίρων και πολιτών (ανεξαρτήτως της διαδικασίας) για ζητήματα τα οποία αφορούν στην οικονομική και κοινωνική πολιτική για το κοινό ενδιαφέρον. Αυτό, δυνητικά συνδέεται με μία τριμερή διαδικασία στην οποία το κράτος επίσημα συμμετέχει ή σε διμερείς σχέσεις (π.χ. μεταξύ εργατικών συνδικάτων και εργοδοτικών οργανώσεων). Είναι πιθανόν, η διεξαγωγή του κοινωνικού διαλόγου να γίνεται κάποιες φορές με μη τυπικό τρόπο, κάποιες άλλες να είναι θεσμοθετημένη, ενώ πολλές φορές συμβαίνει να συνδυασθούν οι δύο τρόποι. Επιπλέον, ο κοινωνικός διάλογος μπορεί να αφορά σε περισσότερα από ένα επίπεδα: διεθνές, εθνικό, τομεακό ή/και περιφερειακό, τοπικό, εταιρικό ή δομικό, ενώ καθοριστικής σημασίας στοιχείο της επιτυχίας ή της αποτυχίας του, ειδικά σε περιόδους κοινωνικο-οικονομικής κρίσης όπως αυτή που διανύουμε, είναι και ο βαθμός στον οποίο το κράτος στηρίζει αυτή τη διαδικασία καθώς και ο βαθμός στον οποίο οι προ της κρίσης σχέσεις μεταξύ των εμπλεκόμενων ήταν περισσότερο συνεκτικές και αναγνωρισμένες.
Μέσα στο παραπάνω γενικό πλαίσιο, ο πρωταρχικός σκοπός του κοινωνικού διαλόγου, ο οποίος αφορά στην ΕΕΚ τόσο σε διεθνές όσο και σε Ευρωπαϊκό πλαίσιο, είναι να συνδράμει στην κοινωνική και οικονομική εξέλιξη και ανάπτυξη μέσω της διαβούλευσης των εμπλεκομένων μερών σε θέματα υποδομών, συντονισμού, επαγγελματικών περιγραμμάτων, ελέγχου και διασφάλισης ποιότητας, οργάνωσης προγραμμάτων, αξιολόγησης, πιστοποίησης, εγκυροποίησης προσόντων κ.λπ. Πρόκειται, ουσιαστικά, για ένα μηχανισμό ο οποίος ενθαρρύνει τη διαβούλευση, τη συνεργασία και την αμοιβαία συνεννόηση στα βασικά ζητήματα μεταξύ των εμπλεκόμενων κοινωνικών εταίρων, όπως για παράδειγμα το ζήτημα της μαθητείας, το κόστος κατάρτισης στις επιχειρήσεις, τον τρόπο αξιολόγησης των καταρτιζομένων, κ.ά. Οι μέχρι τώρα γενικές διαπιστώσεις βάσει και της υφιστάμενης έρευνας και βιβλιογραφίας πάνω στο συγκεκριμένο ζήτημα, καταδεικνύουν ότι μία ποιοτική μορφή κοινωνικού διαλόγου πάνω σε ζητήματα που συνδέονται με το παραπάνω πλαίσιο, περιορίζει σημαντικά το κόστος κατάρτισης για το κράτος, ενώ ταυτόχρονα δημιουργεί και προϋποθέσεις για είσοδο νέου και ποιοτικά καταρτισμένου δυναμικού στην αγορά εργασίας.
Η τρέχουσα παγκόσμια οικονομική κρίση ωστόσο έχει δοκιμάσει τις αντοχές του συνόλου των εθνικών συστημάτων ΕΕΚ. Ακόμη και σε χώρες με μακρά παράδοση στη συνεργασία των κοινωνικών εταίρων με τις κυβερνήσεις, οι διαπραγματεύσεις απέτυχαν συχνά να διασφαλίσουν την απαραίτητη συναίνεση και μια κοινή προσέγγιση σχετικά με τον τρόπο αναδιοργάνωσης ή μεταρρύθμισης της ΕΕΚ.
Σύμφωνα με ορισμένες μελέτες, οι χώρες με ισχυρό κοινωνικό διάλογο επέδειξαν καλύτερη συνεργασία μεταξύ των κοινωνικών εταίρων. Ωστόσο, τα θετικότερα αποτελέσματα καταγράφηκαν στις συζητήσεις των κοινωνικών εταίρων σε κλάδους που χαρακτηρίζονται από μακρά παράδοση διαβουλεύσεων και συνεργασίας.
Παρά ταύτα, είναι σαφές ότι σε ορισμένους τομείς ο κοινωνικός διάλογος έχει αποδυναμωθεί και, πιο συγκεκριμένα, σε περιπτώσεις όπου ο αντίκτυπος της κρίσης επιτάχυνε την ανάδυση προκλήσεων που ήδη σοβούσαν, όπως η συνεκτικότητα μεταξύ των διάφορων βαθμίδων του κοινωνικού διαλόγου, η μείωση του ποσοστού και της έντασης της συμμετοχής στα αρμόδια όργανα εκπροσώπησης και το ζήτημα της διαπραγματευτικής ισχύος των κοινωνικών εταίρων . Ειδικά για την Ελλάδα, η αύξηση του φαινομένου της μονομερούς λήψης αποφάσεων εκ μέρους των κυβερνήσεων επί ζητημάτων που επηρεάζουν την ΕΕΚ, αναδεικνύει ακόμη περισσότερο την ανάγκη περαιτέρω ενίσχυσης και εμβάθυνσης του ρόλου του κοινωνικού διαλόγου στη δημόσια σφαίρα.
-Analyzes the implementation of the Memorandum for Lifelong Learning from a wide range across the European Union
-Helps understanding and interpreting the different dimensions of lifelong learning
-Brings forward new aspects of lifelong learning that are critically positioned towards European policy trends
The book critically reflects on the context in which lifelong learning policies and practices are organized in Europe with contributions of researchers and policy makers in the field. Through a critical lens the book reinterprets the core content of the messages that are conveyed by the European Commission in the “Memorandum for Lifelong Learning”, the most important policy document in the area, which after a decade from its publication still remains the vehicle for all current developments in lifelong learning in Europe. With references to research findings, proposed actions, and applications to immediate practice that have an added value for Europeans –but which either do not appear to correspond directly to what is stipulated by the European Commission, or are completely ignored as part of the lifelong learning process– the book offers an analytic and systematic outlook of the main challenges in creating the ‘European Area of Lifelong Learning’. In times as decisive as the ones we are going through today (both in social and economic terms), a critical perspective of the practices and policies adopted by the EU Member States is essential. The book follows the same structure as the Memorandum in order to debate and critically approach in separate sections the core issues that Europe faces today in relation to the idea of making a ‘European area of Lifelong Learning’.
Contents:
Introduction, Maria Gravani & George K. Zarifis
Part I: Lifelong learning and new basic skills for all.
The Skills - a Chimera of Modern European Adult Education, Katarina Popović | Computer Literacy among the Generations: How can Older Adults Participate in Digital Society? Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha & Claudia Strobel | Basic Skills for Becoming a Citizen, Emilio Lucio-Villegas | ‘New Basic Skills’, Non-Basic Skills, Knowledge Practices and Judgment: Tensions between the Needs of Basic Literacy, of Vocational Education and Training, and of Higher and Professional Learning, Martin Gough.
Part II: Lifelong learning and more investment in human resources.
Incentives and Disincentives to Invest in Human Resources, Marcella Milana | An Inconsistent Policy: Lifelong Learning and Adult Education Policy towards Competitive Advantage, Paula Guimarães & Fátima Antunes | Vocational Education – the Tension between Educational Flexibility and Predictability, Eva Andersson & Gun-Britt Wärvik | Lifelong Learning and Employability, Andreas Fejes | Human Capital and Human Activity in Lifelong Learning,
Despina Tsakiris.
Part III: Lifelong learning, innovative teaching and learning, and rethinking guidance and counselling.
Re-representing Education’s Image and Status: In the ‘Interest’ of Pedagogical Innovation, Stephen O’Brien | Teaching Methods and Professional Teaching in Adult Education: Questioning the Memorandum's Understanding of Professional Teaching, Regina Egetenmeyer & Patrick Bettinger | From “Innovation” to “Quality”: The Topic of Professionalization for adult Learning Staff in Selected European Policy Documents, Simona Sava | Being an Adult Learner and Learning through Life, Larissa Jõgi | Perspectives on Guidance and Counselling as Strategic Tools to Improve Lifelong Learning in Portugal, Maria Paula Paixão, José Tomás da Silva & Albertina L. Oliveira.
Part IV: Lifelong learning and valuing learning.
Contradicting Values in the Policy Discourse on Lifelong Learning, Nils Bernhardsson | Quality in Adult Learning: EU policies and Shifting Paradigms? Bert-Jan Buiskool & Simon Broek | The Adoption of an International Education Policy Agenda at National Level: Conceptual and Governance Issues, Alexandra Ioannidou | Vocational Learning: Shifting Relationships between Education and Working Life, Erik Kats & Jaap van Lakerveld | Evaluating Learning and the Work of a Researcher in the Era of Lifelong Learning, Κristiina Brunila | What About the Learner-Search for Identity and Meaning in Autobiographic Methods, Laura Formenti & Michaela Castiglioni.
Part V: Lifelong learning and bringing learning closer to home.
“Bringing Learning Closer to Home”: Understanding ‘outreach work’ as a mobilization strategy to increase participation in adult learning, Barry Hake | Lifelong Learning and Schools as Community Learning Centres: Key Aspects of a National Curriculum Draft Policy Framework for Malta, Peter Mayo | The Rise and Fall and Rise again of Learning Cities, Lynette Jordan, Norman Longworth & Michael Osborne | Collective Dimensions in Lifelong Education and Learning: Political and Pedagogical Reflections, Françoise F. Laot | Reinstating the invisible: a proposed framework for European Learning Collectives, George K. Zarifis & Maria Gravani.
Index""
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ΠΕΡΙΕΧΟΜΕΝΑ
ΜΕΡΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟ: ΘΕΩΡΗΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΟΣΕΓΓΙΣΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΝΝΟΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΡΙΤΙΚΟΥ ΣΤΟΧΑΣΜΟΥ ΣΤΗ ΜΑΘΗΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΝΗΛΙΚΩΝ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 1
Ο κριτικός στοχασμός ως ‘ex-post facto’ συνθήκη μάθησης και ανάπτυξης στους ενηλίκους.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 2
Αποτίμηση της σχέσης μεταξύ νοηματοδότησης και κριτικού στοχασμού στη μάθηση των ενηλίκων.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 3
Ο κριτικός στοχασμός ως προϋπόθεση μετασχηματισμού της ανθρώπινης εμπειρίας και ο ρόλος των συναισθημάτων.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 4
Κριτικός στοχασμός και ο κύκλος της ‘conscientização’: ζητήματα κατανόησης του πλαισίου δράσης με στόχο τη χειραφέτηση και την κοινωνική αλλαγή.
ΜΕΡΟΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟ: ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΟΕΚΤΑΣΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΝΝΟΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΡΙΤΙΚΟΥ ΣΤΟΧΑΣΜΟΥ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΚΠΑΙΔΕΥΣΗ ΕΝΗΛΙΚΩΝ
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 5
Από την ενδυνάμωση στη χειραφέτηση: προϋποθέσεις οργάνωσης του ρολού του εκπαιδευτή στο πλαίσιο μιας κριτικοστοχαστικής πρακτικής.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 6
Ζητήματα προσέγγισης των αναγκών των ενηλίκων εκπαιδευομένων μέσω της ανάλυσης της εμπειρίας τους, στο πλαίσιο μιας κριτικοστοχαστικής εκπαιδευτικής πρακτικής.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 7
Ο κριτικοστοχαστικής εκπαιδευτής και η κοινωνικο-πολιτικη διάσταση του ρόλου του.
ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ 8
Ο ρόλος του κριτικού στοχασμού στο πλαίσιο του σύγχρονου οργανισμού μάθησης. "
6 κεφάλαια αναρτημένα.
A selected number of papers focus on the following themes:
- Perceptions of adult educators: by adults-students, policy makers and in public.
- Theoretical, political and practical discourses on adult educators: the future of adult education as an academic field.
- Context and environment of adult education and different 'types' of adult educators.
- Ownership of the adult educators? profession and professional borders: is there a professional future for adult educators?
- Learning, becoming, being and growing as professional adult educator, including issues of ageing and gender."
Available on ERIC Database (ERIC# ED535098)
The network’s first conference meeting was held in Thessaloniki, Greece (6-8 November 2009) at the University of Macedonia, and it was entirely devoted on issues of quality on the education and training of the adult educator in Europe. The meeting was a forum for exchanging theoretical considerations and empirical evidence, between researchers studying the different roles and tasks of the adult educator and trainer and the ways that these are assessed. The meeting also addressed issues relating to the quality of adult educators’ training (initial and continuing), their professional development as well as how these parameters could contribute to the overall quality of adult educational provision in Europe today.
In total 4 keynote presentations, 83 paper presentations and 18 e-poster presentations in eleven thematic workshops (divided in 5 parallel sessions) took place during the conference, as well as eight special presentations were made in six (6) plenary sessions. Based on the thematic workshops and the plenary sessions of the conference, the structure of this e-book is the following:
• Keynote Presentations
• Paper Presentations
1. Quality assurance: Validating effectiveness for adult educators and trainers.
2. Professionalisation & professional development: Not anybody’s business.
3. Confronting quality: Theoretical assumptions and practical challenges.
4. Quality in educational provision: Redefining basic assumptions.
5. Becoming an adult educator in Europe: Some biographical perspectives
6. Quality under review: Policy development issues.
7. Developing competence and skill: New roles and new challenges for adult educators today.
8. The role of the University in providing quality education and training: Unfolding the HE agenda.
9. Initial and continuing training of teachers and teacher trainers: From initial preparation to in-service training.
10. In-service training of adult trainers: The role of the enterprise and the role of the individual.
11. ICT and quality provision: Issues of identity and personal knowledge management.
• E-Poster Presentations
1. Educating the adult educator: European perspectives
• Plenary Presentations
1. Highlights of major European initiatives and projects
PASCAL Universities' Regional Engagement project (PURE).
Self-Evaluation in Adult Life Long Learning (SEALLL).
Grundtvig International Network of Course Organisers (GINCO).
Promoting Active Learning and Ageing of Disadvantage Seniors (PALADIN).
Study on Key Competences for Adult Learning Staff."""
The event in Thessaloniki brought together a variety of participants such trainers, employment counselors and careers’ officers, entrepreneurs, researchers, as well as representatives from the academia, and specialists in validation.
The shared theme among this broad group of participants was the acknowledgment of a serious social problem that is brewing in Central and Eastern European countries where hundreds of thousands of labor migrants are estimated to be returning home due to the lack of employment prospects. In several instances, this can easily be seen as a net outflow from countries facing the results of the severe economic crisis, especially from badly affected sectors such as construction and tourism, where many migrants are employed. Now, with unemployment rates rising off the scale (in countries like Spain of Greece have already reached 25 percent) many immigrants in European countries are making their way back to their hometowns (especially to countries like Romania and Bulgaria), whereas others are moving from southern to northern Europe with the prospect of finding employment.
In the midst of the economic downturn that already affected all efforts for strengthening social cohesion among Europeans, the “Back to Work” project set as its aim to enable those professional dealing with the unemployed, with the necessary counseling skills and instruments for facilitating the valorization of their previous experience and competences gained in different contexts. Counseling for valorization of prior experiences and learning can accompany the unemployed person in different phases:
1. Mapping the competences: this initial phase is dedicated to identify and cluster the competences and prior experiences of the unemployed persons, to match his/ her profile with labour market needs at the respective moment, to direct the person towards competence assessment centres or training programmes, to raise his/her self-esteem etc.
2. Assessing the competences: in this phase the counselor offers support and advice regarding where and how the unemployed person should find the necessary competence proofs, how the assessment instruments have to be dealt with, how to manage the relation and interaction with the evaluator/ assessor etc.
3. Orientation on the labour market: having his/ her competences validated, the unemployed persons still need support: how to look for jobs that suit his/her profile, where to find jobs and how to apply for them are top issues for the unemployed person.
It is on this basis that the “Back to Work” project has produced an elaborate yet user friendly counseling instrument and a user guide for those counselors who deal with the unemployed and (returning) migrants. Along the same line the papers presented at the conference mainly focus on counselling initiatives for the unemployed as well as other vulnerable social groups. We are therefore very pleased by the diversity and the quality of the papers submitted for this event and we express our satisfaction that our conference has attracted professionals from all around Europe that had the opportunity to thoroughly discuss and reflect upon their work and the work of others dealing with similar issues.