Analysis of the Status and Challenges of Lifelong Educator Training at Universities

This study was conducted to examine the current status of certified lifelong educators educated at various institutions in South Korea. Furthermore, it aims to identify the tasks required at the university level for the development of specialized lifelong educator professionals. To achieve this, the study utilized data from the 2023 Educational Statistics Service provided by KEDI and other relevant literature. The key findings are as follows. First, out of the total 179 institutions that train lifelong educators, higher education institutions accounted for 145, representing 81%. It was found that approximately 61.0%(16,380 individuals) of all certified lifelong educators between 2019 and 2022 obtained their certification through regular university education programs. Second, approximately 42.3% of general universities were engaged in training lifelong educators. In contrast, university-affiliated lifelong education centers accounted for only about 2.87%(12 institutions) that offered lifelong educator training through the credit bank system. Third, a comparative analysis of the elective courses offerings in the lifelong educator training programs at six universities showed that, in the practice domain, courses such as 'Adult Learning and Counseling,' 'Youth Education,' and 'Education for the Elderly' were predominantly included. In the methods domain, courses like 'Corporate Education,' 'Human Resource Development,' and 'Educational Technology' were primarily offered. Based on the above research findings, future tasks required at the university level were proposed..