Logics of action in the academic professionalisation of adult educators : a comparative analysis of degree programmes in Germany and Serbia

Breitschwerdt, Lisa (author), Gojić, Anđela (author), Guimarães, Paula (author)

As professionals, adult educators must mediate between different logics of action (professionalism, market, bureaucracy) in their daily work. The article analyses how the academic professionalisation in adult education achieved through university degree programmes in Germany and Serbia – two countries with different levels of professionalisation structures – relates to these logics of action and prepares future adult educators for their professional work. In a qualitative comparative perspective, documents and interviews with people related to three degree programmes are examined in a content analysis. The results show a strong orientation towards professionalism but also the need to consider the other two logics, especially concerning the requirements of changing labour markets and student groups. The analysis of the three logics provides a nuanced view of the connections and discrepancies between country-specific collective professionalisation efforts and the development and design of study programmes as an important professionalisation pathway for adult educators.

• Language: English
• Keywords: professionalism, adult education, logics of action, academic professionalisation, degree programmes, comparative education
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 105-124
• Numbering: Letn. 31, [št.] 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178394
• UDC: 374.7
• ISSN on article: 1318-5160
• COBISS.SI-ID: 236379907
• Publication date in RUL: 26.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Andragoška spoznanja
• Shortened title: AS. Andrag. spozn.
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1318-5160
• COBISS.SI-ID: 45586176

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: študijski programi, izobraževanje odraslih, primerjalna andragogika, strokovnost, akademska profesionalizacija