THE EDUCATIVE ROLE OF THE ANDRAGOGUE: FACILITATION AND MENTORSHIP IN ADULT DEVELOPMENT

Abstract: The article examines the educative role of the andragogue within the field of adult learning, with particular emphasis on the convergence of facilitative and mentoring functions within a purposeful, adaptive and supportive model of practice. It traces the need to move beyond a traditional understanding of teaching as one-directional transmission of knowledge, and advances the view of the adult learner as an autonomous individual whose experience constitutes a formative intellectual resource. Drawing on contemporary theoretical and empirical considerations, the study introduces a model articulated through five sequential stages: orientation and diagnostic assessment; negotiation of goals and learning direction; experiential engagement with content; reflective reinterpretation of newly acquired knowledge; and continued mentoring after the formal completion of instruction. The model is applicable both in general educational contexts and in work with vulnerable adult groups, where support and trust form the basis for renewed motivation and responsible participation in learning. The central argument presented is that facilitation does not diminish the role of the educator; rather, it redefines that role by positioning the andragogue as a co-participant and partner in knowledge construction. Mentorship is therefore not an auxiliary function but an extended phase of learning which sustains critical reflection and enables the practical application of new competences. Taken together, the stages form a coherent framework through which the andragogue emerges as an architect of developmental processes, rather than a passive transmitter of information.