Factors influencing participation of learners in adult literacy programmes in Kakamega central sub-coutny, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the factors influencing participation of learners in adult literacy programmes in Kakamega Central Sub-county. The objectives of the study were to examine the influence of economic factors on participation of learners in adult literacy, to establish the influence of socio-cultural factors on participation of learners in adult literacy and to examine the influence of institutional factors on participation of learners in adult literacy. The study was guided by Abraham Maslow‟s Theory of Motivation which states that motivated learners are likely to join the literacy classes and complete the learning cycle. It employed the descriptive design. The sample was 2 adult education supervisors, 5 adult education instructors and 70 adult learners. The descriptive survey method was used. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used. Frequency tables, graphs, pie charts and percentages were used to enhance data presentation. The major findings of the study were: There were more female instructors than male instructors, there was an acute shortage of instructors, learners were generally of low socio-economic status and Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) centres did not receive any financial support leading to low morale, majority of women preferred mixed classes while men preferred men only classes, there was low participation in the literacy programme, ACE centres lacked relevant teaching/learning materials and that there was no approved curriculum for the ACE programme. The following recommendations were made: A two third gender rule in employment should be adhered to, the government should provide capitation to adult learners, the government to provide infrastructure improvement grants to ACE centres, the government to provide adequate teaching/learning materials to ACE centres, the government should do away with part time instructors and employ more full time instructors to address the shortage. On areas for further research, the study recommended the need to carry out a study on the impact of Regenerated Freirean Literacy for Empowering Community Techniques (REFLECT) methodology on provision of literacy and community empowerment and to carry out a national literacy survey to establish the actual literacy rate in Kenya.