The process of adult education in frame of the views of shareholders: A qualitative Turkey case

Adult education provides individuals with the opportunity to learn throughout their lives, helping them achieve success in business and personal development. In this sense, adult education enables individuals to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to be in a lifelong learning process. This situation is important not only for the personal development of adults, but also for their business life and social contributions. The research was designed in the case study pattern, one of the qualitative research designs. In this thesis study, which aims to examine the views of trainees, teachers and administrators on adult education in Public Education Directorates, data were collected by interview technique. A separate Semi-Structured Interview Form was used for all stakeholders as a data collection tool. After the forms were prepared, they were presented to the opinion of 6 experts and revised as a result of the feedback received, and the final form of the data collection tools was given. During the interview with the participants, audio recordings were taken and these recordings were transcribed. All stages of the study are presented in detail, based on the criteria of consistency, credibility, transferability and confirmability, which are validity and reliability criteria in qualitative research, which is known as the gold standard in the literature. In the research, the views of trainees, teachers and administrators in Public Education Directorates on adult education were examined and gathered under three main themes. These themes are; manager's views on adult education, teacher views on adult education, and trainee views on adult education. As a result of the research, it was determined that administrators, teachers and trainees stated that adult education is mostly used in the sense of lifelong learning in their views on the meaning of adult education. According to the views of administrators, teachers and trainees on adult education within the scope of adult education, the advantages of adult education are that most of the courses are free in public education centers, socialization, contribution to the family budget, adults' gaining new achievements and being therapeutic for the trainees. According to the opinions of administrators, teachers and trainees provision of course materials, lack of teachers/master trainers, inadequacy of classrooms in the course center, and inadequacy of program/course content were identified as barriers to adult education. Measures to be taken according to the opinions of administrators, teachers and trainees in order to avoid or minimize the problems that arise in the adult education process; It has been determined that some features such as age and education level should be taken into account in the distribution of the trainees, teaching techniques suitable for adult education should be used, course materials should be provided, course centers should be easily accessible, and the number of classrooms should be increased. In addition, it was determined that all of the managers participating in the research did not receive any training on adult education before they started to work in the institution, and they participated in in-service training and seminars after they started to work. It was determined that most of the teachers who participated in the study did not receive any training on adult education. In the light of the research findings, suggestions that compulsory adult education formation training and regular in-service training should be given to managers, teachers, trainers and master trainers working in Public Education Directorates, the physical conditions of the institution and classrooms should be improved, and the adult education given in Public Education Centers should be promoted well has been brought.