THE PERCEPTION OF ADULT LEARNER INSTRUCTORS ON THE INTEGRATION OF REGULAR SECONDARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM IN ADULT EDUCATION IN KENYA

Authors

  • Lombo S. Lombo Birmingham Theological Seminary, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.2677

Keywords:

adult learning, school dropouts, secondary school, curriculum, integration, instructors

Abstract

Curriculum integration usually should provide learners with an opportunity for a holistic acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes with no restrictions on subject boundaries and co-curriculum activities. This however may not be the same for Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) which focuses on meeting individual adult needs and integrating adult education in the regular secondary curriculum and may not be forthcoming. ACE is geared towards attaining Vision 2030 of developing the relevant human resource base in Kenya. However, adult learning has faced a myriad of challenges including inadequate instructional materials, inability to balance family and career and the varying perceptions of the instructors on curriculum integration. This paper informed by transformative learning theory sought to assess the perception of adult learner instructors on the integration of regular secondary school curriculum in adult education in Kenya. In order to achieve this objective, data was collected through classroom observations, curriculum review, and interviews with 9 current students, 3 former students, 5 teachers, and the Principal. The results of the study indicated that instructors followed the regular high school curriculum with little adaptation and lacked training about teaching adult learners and self-directed learning approaches. A professional development project for Baraka Adult Learning Center (BALC) instructors was developed to address some of the needs identified in the study. This training could have an impact on the adult learners by better assisting them to gain access to vocational training and higher education.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

DOI

References

Brown, T. (2009). Change by design. New York, NY: Harper Collins

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Boston: MA Pearson.

Glesne, C. (2011). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (4th ed.). Boston: MA Pearson.

Goddu, K (2012). Meeting the challenge: Teaching strategies for adult learners. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 48(4): 169-173.

Julius, M. K., Bawane, J. (2011). Education and poverty, relationship and concerns. A case of Kenya. Problems of Education in the 21stCentury.

Knowles, M. (1980). The Modern Practice of Adult Education from Andragogy to Pedagogy. Englewood Cliffs Prentice Hall/Cambridge.

Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research. A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass.

Mezirow, J. (2017). Transformative Learning Theory in Learning Theories, September 30, 2017, https://www learning-theories.com/transformative-learning-theory-mezirow.html.

Mezirow, J. (2009). Transformative Learning Theory. In Mezirow and E.W. Taylor (Eds), Transformative Learning in Practice: Insight from Community.

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative Learning Theory to Practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 74: 5-12.

Smith, R. (2010). Total Parenting. Educational Theory. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-5446.2010.00363.x

Tolutiene, G., Domarkiene, J. (2010). Learning needs and the possibilities of their satisfaction: The case of prospective andragogues. Tiltai, 50(1): 147-158.

Downloads

Published

2019-10-13

Issue

Vol 6, No 7 (2019)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).