The Journey from Past to Present: From Academic Studies to Learning Experiences and Professional Identity in Estonia

The focus of this paper is on the development of andragogy as an academic discipline and andragogy programmes at Tallinn University. It also reviews the development of adult education in Estonia and outlines empirical findings from previous research related to the learning experiences and the professional identity of students and graduates of andragogy programmes. The research questions in this paper are: What are the main developments of adult education and andragogy as an academic discipline? How do andragogy students and graduates understand their learning experience and professional identity? The findings suggest that academic studies and learning experiences enable students to construct a strong learner identity, which impacts the formation of professional identity. The sense of professional identity becomes stronger during the period of academic studies and continues to develop as a self-developmental process with professional, educational, and personal choices. Članek se osredotoča na razvoj andragogike kot akademske discipline in andragoških programov na Univerzi v Talinu. Prinaša pregled razvoja izobraževanja odraslih v Estoniji in predstavlja rezultate preteklih raziskav o učnih izkušnjah in profesionalni identiteti študentov in diplomantov andragoških programov. Članek naslavlja vprašanja poglavitnih razvojnih točk izobraževanja odraslih in andragogike kot akademske discipline ter kako študenti in diplomanti andragogike razumejo svoje učne izkušnje in profesionalno identiteto. Rezultati kažejo, da študij in učne izkušnje študentom omogočajo vzpostavitev močne identitete učečih se posameznikov, kar vpliva tudi na oblikovanje njihove profesionalne identitete. Občutek profesionalne identitete postane močnejši v času študija in se nadalje razvija v procesu samorazvoja prek strokovnih, izobraževalnih in osebnih odločitev.