Abstract
M.Ed.
The focus of this research essay was to describe and interpret the high drop-out rate of
ABET learners as it is manifested in a specific adult centre in the Free State province.
This inquiry is premised on the view that although the government has put into place
many good policies aimed at maximizing participation in ABET programmes throughout
the country, much still has to be done to ensure that learners who have enrolled in these
programmes are retained until the end. The ignorance and or, violation of adult education principles has been identified as one of the main causes for the high drop-out rate from ABET programmes. The main argument of this report therefore is, unless adult educators and administrators of ABET programmes adapt their procedures and teaching approaches from their disregard for adult education principles to ones that are based on,
and informed by sound principles of adult education, high drop-out rates will continue to
be a reality in many ABET centres. This study is grounded in the interpretative paradigm. Therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Purposeful sampling was used to select information rich cases for in-depth study, and with them, the constant comparative method of data analysis was employed to search for recurring themes and patterns.
The main finding of this study is that the main cause for the high drop-out rate of ABET
learners at Kgolediyamanka is the violation of adult education principles by educators
and programme organizers. Other contributory factors were found to be the disregard of
the multiple life roles of adult learners in the planning and implementation of learning
programmes, as well as the use of monologic teaching which results in rote learning,
which in turn alienates learners from the learning programmes. The study concludes with a few recommendations that can possibly improve future practices and ultimately improve retention.