Correctional Education Teachers’ Teaching Competence and Use of Adult Learning Principles: Inmates and Teachers’ Views in Selected Correctional Institutions

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating teachers’, inmate’ and administrators’ views on the practices of correctional education. It investigates teachers’ competence and practice of adult learning principles and challenges faced by correctional institutions and inmates. The study involved one hundred thirteen respondents comprising of 24 teachers, 87 inmates and 2 administrators. The respondents were selected from two purposely selected correctional institutions. Systematic random sampling and comprehensive sampling techniques were used to select inmates, teachers and administrators respectively. Data were collected using questionnaire and interview. Descriptive methods and t-test were employed for analysis. Results showed actual means for six principles of adult learning and two dimensions of competence were below the expected means and were found statistically significant. Interview results also demonstrated teachers’ failure to use the principles in their instructional practice. Teachers reported lack of competence in general pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge as major reasons for not using the instructional principles. The study concludes that teachers lack required competencies and fail to support their instructional practices with core principles of adult learning. Major challenges facing correctional institutions in their efforts to educate inmates identified were lack of textbooks and teaching materials, lack of training for teachers, failure to make the literacy training functional and inmates’ psychological problems. Based on the findings, actions for intervention are suggested.