The curriculum of study programmes for adult educators – the study cases of Italy, Germany and Portugal

In this comparative case study, the authors take two different types of perspectives into account: one perspective centres on the competences associated with adult education train- ers; the second perspective focuses on an approach to the trainers’ curriculum in adult education, regarding their differences and similarities. The body of European research on competences is large. After more than ten years of studies and projects, we have some common frameworks and precise directions. In particular, the path lead by Knowles (1997) in the 1970s marked an important aspect: the adult educator is not a teacher but a guide and facilitator, both in a formal learning context and in an informal or non-formal situa- tion. From a curriculum point of view, we can identify a German and an Italian effort in building up a common core curriculum in adult education, which includes contents and ECTS perspectives. In Portugal, the trainer’s profile and curriculum have evolved a lot: he/ she is no longer just someone who has the pedagogical ability to communicate a certain type of knowledge and evaluate learning outcomes but an inspiring and creative guide. The comparison further shows a similar perspective regarding the competences of an adult educator in the countries considered.