THE EJA (YOUTH AND ADULT EDUCATION) TEACHER AS AN AGENT OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

This paper presents a critical-reflective analysis of the educator's role in Youth and Adult Education (EJA) as a promoter of social change, based on the principles of Freirean pedagogy. The central purpose of this investigation is to examine the pedagogical praxis of the EJA educator as a catalyst for social emancipation and the full exercise of citizenship. To this end, the following specific objectives were established: to analyze the socio-political dimension of teaching in the promotion and respect for diversity; to explore teaching methodologies that stimulate critical awareness and self-determination of individuals; and to map the most recurring obstacles in the daily life of the classroom. Methodologically, the investigation is characterized as qualitative, supported by a bibliographic survey and guided by an interpretative perspective, engaging with theoretical frameworks that address EJA, education as a practice of freedom, and critical pedagogy. The research findings demonstrate that teaching in Adult Education (EJA), when structured based on dialogue, recognition of students' world knowledge, and the centrality of their active role in the educational process, transforms the school into a space for personal re-signification and social mobilization. It is concluded, therefore, that the EJA teacher occupies a strategic position in the articulation between formal knowledge and the real experiences of students, playing a crucial role in combating educational inequalities and in achieving a genuinely liberating education.