Effects of Instructional Materials used at the Community Learning Resource Centers on Adult Learners’ Participation in Community Development Activities in Nyamira North Sub-county Kenya

Benjamin Obonyo Bella,Peter Koome,Susan Kamuru

doi:10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.9n.1p.15

Abstract

This research sought to investigate the effects of instructional materials used at community resource centers on adult literacy learners in community development activities with a specific focus on Nyamira North Sub–County, Kenya. The study was guided by the constructivism theory of learning. It employed the descriptive survey design where a sample of 254 learners was drawn from a population of 492 adult learners in the study area using the stratified random sampling method. Questionnaires were administered to elicit information from the respondents. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. From the findings, there was a clear indication that textbooks and sewing machines were more available and adequately utilized. Other resources like computers, projectors, ovens, banana ripening chambers, and videos were least available and inadequate. Results further showed that most of the adult learners were involved in small-scale farming as their main economic activity with most of their products was selling them to the market in raw form. Some learners were also involved in natural resource management activities with the majority of them planting trees, water resources management, bridges, and path construction. The study recommended that to diversify the livelihoods of the communities in the study area, the Directorate of Adult Education should provide diverse instructional materials such as ICT facilities and equipment that which will impart value addition skills to the learners.

Highlights

Nations with the inferior literacy rates attract higher poverty returns, and the poorer the social condition (UNESCO, 2008), the less likely the people’s participation in adult education and community activities
A recent report by UNESCO (2012) on adult illiteracy, intelligence design, and empowerment of the poor for example discovered that great deficiency levels have contrary effects on the well-being of the underprivileged and this leads to deprivation of basic needs directly resulting in wastage or lack of participation in adult literacy programs by many adults
The findings indicate that the majority of adult learners in the study area are middle-aged

Summary

Introduction

Nations with the inferior literacy rates attract higher poverty returns, and the poorer the social condition (UNESCO, 2008), the less likely the people’s participation in adult education and community activities. A recent report by UNESCO (2012) on adult illiteracy, intelligence design, and empowerment of the poor for example discovered that great deficiency levels have contrary effects on the well-being of the underprivileged and this leads to deprivation of basic needs directly resulting in wastage or lack of participation in adult literacy programs by many adults. In Kenya, there are 7.8 million adults who need literacy programs while 61.5 % of the population had attained minimum masterly levels while only 29.8% of the adults had the required masterly levels. This calls for the expansion of the adult literacy program by the government of Kenya and makes it easy for the learners to access the programs offered. 29.9% of the youth aged 15 to 19 years and 49% of adults aged 45 to 49 years don’t know how to read, write, and compute simple math for their survival

Methods

Results

Conclusion