Teacher personality as a motivation for learning among elderly returnees in the context of non-formal education in Israel

the article is dedicated to studying motivation development among elderly people. The research is based on the practice of organizing non-formal education for elderly returnees in Israel and focuses on teacher personality as an important factor in the formation of educational motivation.The author studies the practice of the implementation of socio-educational projects under the authority of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, the Ministry of Education of Israel and the social department of the municipality of Yavne: a literature and psychological lecture halls (educational centres), «Musical Meetings» interest club, the newspaper for retired people. The following methods were used: survey (questionnaires, interviews), participant observation and analysis of the project activities in the field of non-formal education. The article provides a list of personal qualities and pedagogical skills of teachers, which are most valued by elderly returnees. It contains numerous examples of positive interaction between teachers and participants of various forms of adult education. The author also presents the preferred styles of interaction between teachers and students and identifies a number of conditions under which a teacher personality becomes an effective motivational factor for elderly returnees. The study shows the influence of internal motives for learning in adulthood on the improvement of personal qualities that contribute to a successful integration of elderly returnees into a new society. This area is little studied yet and the proposed findings and conclusions are of interest to researchers and organizers of adult education, as well as to researchers of lifelong learning development in Israel.