THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER AS A MEDIATOR OF KNOWLEDGE IN YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION (EJA)

Abstract

This research focuses on the mediating role of the teacher in Youth and Adult Education (EJA), an educational modality aimed at individuals who, for various reasons, were excluded from the right to schooling within the socially established timeframe. The general objective of this study is to analyze the teacher's role as a mediator in Youth and Adult Education (EJA). Specific objectives include: understanding the pedagogical practices that enhance mediation in EJA; analyzing strategies for integrating popular knowledge and formal knowledge; identifying the challenges faced by teachers in this context; and reflecting on the ethical, political, and affective foundations that underpin emancipatory education. Methodologically, a qualitative approach of an exploratory and descriptive nature was adopted, based on bibliographic review and document analysis. Contemporary academic productions, educational legislation, and empirical research on pedagogical mediation, inclusive practices, and critical education were examined. The analyzed data reveal that teacher mediation in Adult Education transcends the technical dimension, requiring cultural sensitivity, listening skills, relational competence, and political positioning from the teacher. It is concluded that the mediating teacher in Adult Education plays an eminently ethical, political, and humanizing role: they not only teach content but also contribute decisively to the construction of citizenship, intellectual autonomy, critical awareness, and the dignity of the students.