Abstract:

In the course of the recent years the number of students leaving schools prematurely without gaining basic education or not continuing further on in their studies has been increasing. In the environment of Slovakia, it is mostly the case of students coming from socially disadvantaged environment with low social and cultural capital marked by poverty and high long term unemployment rate and low chances of asserting themselves in the labour market. Therefore, the need to solve the issue represents an actual challenge for many people involved in creation of educational strategies and their implementations on the level of state and of other institutions and organizations. Return of adult population to the system of formal education has been legislatively anchored in the Education Act since 2008. However, scientific examination of the system efficiency in Slovakia is insufficient contrary to more extended research conducted abroad. Because of the aforementioned facts, the objective of the paper is to offer more detailed description of research results the aim of which was to detect educational specifications of the studying adults in relation to educational strategies, content, forms and methods applied by teachers in practise. To gain relevant information, the quality research was conducted based on the design of the anchored theory and the basic method of information collection stemmed from a semi-standardized interview with teachers engaged in second chance education of adult students. The results were processed by means of open and axial coding which represented a resource for primary and secondary interpretation of research findings. The collected data helped with profound delving into the basis of educational process of adult students, with description of few issues influencing its efficiency in relation to needs and interests of the adult students, with mapping of some of the barriers in education on part of teachers and learners as well as in insufficient support from the state. Based on the results and the mapped experience in the field of second chance education in other countries there were several recommendations proposed which stem from more complex approach towards the issue, require higher support of students on economic, social and personal level as well as individualization and inclusion of the entire educational process.

Keywords:

Second chance education, educational strategies, adult learner, socially disadvantaged environment.