Abstract
M.Ed.
Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) is currently part of the process to
address the widespread illiteracy in South Africa and to connect literacy with basic
adult education on the one hand and with training for income on the other. However,
the research literature indicates that student persistance and completion of programs
is a widespread problem in adult education programs. This has serious implications
for South Africa where almost forty percent of the adult population is eligible for
some form of adult basic education. Recent studies indicate that the curriculum, the
structure of the program and how it is learned, has a strong influence on persistance
and attendance.
Against this background, the aim of this study was to investigate teaching and
learning processes currently used in an ABET program to shed light on the current
problems with attendance and attrition experienced at the center.
A qualitative design was used to explore the teaching and learning processes in a
specific ABET class. Participant observation was used as primary source of data,
coupled with interviews, informal conversations and document analysis. The
constant comparative method was used to conduct an inductive analysis of data.
This revealed the teaching and learning processes in the class.
This study has enlarged understanding of a widespread problem in adult basic
education as it is manifested in a specific ABET class in several ways. These are
the findings. In the first instance the teachers' views of teaching and learning were
influenced by several factors that influenced and constrained their pedagogical
decisions. Their lack of training, their own experience of education as well as their
view of their learners resulted in authoritative classroom management, a monologic
approach to teaching and passive learners whose needs are never assessed or
taken into consideration when planning for instruction. The lack of training, guidance
and support of educators have a crucial influence on the teaching and learning
processes implemented in this class. Another significant finding was the need for
the application of theory of adult education and practice for the creation of
accountable and successful learning experiences.