The Impact of Adult Literacy Education on Community Development (Case Study: Webuye Division)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ...................................................................................................... i

APPROVAL ........................................................................................................... ii

DEDICATION ....................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ v

LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................. ix

ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. x

ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1

1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .................................................................. 1

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ................................................................. 2

1.2 GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY ...................................................... 3

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...................................................................... 3

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................................................. 3

1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................ 4

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................... 4

1.7 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS ....................................................................... 5

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CHAPTER TWO:LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................ 6

2.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 6

2.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION ........... 6

2.2 ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. ...... 7

2.3 ADULT LITERACY AND EMPLOYMENT, HEAL TH, POLITICS AND

GENDER .............................................................................................................. 9

2.4 ADULT LITERACY AND MANAGEMENT OF FAMILY RESOURCES ........ 10

2.5 ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION AS A SOURCE OF SOCIAL

TRANSFORMATION .......................................................................................... 10

2.6 SOCIAL CAPITAL AND ADULT EDUCATION ............................................. 12

CHAPTER THREE:METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 15

3.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 15

3.1 RESEARCH PRODEDURE .......................................................................... 15

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN ................................................................................... 16

3.3 QUANLITATIVE METHODS ......................................................................... 16

3.4 QUANTITATIVE METHOD ........................................................................... 16

3.5 TARGET POPULATION ............................................................................... 17

3.6 SAMPLE SELECTION AND SIZE. ............................................................... 17

3.7 SAMPLING TECHNIQUES .......................................................................... 18

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3.8 INTERVIEW GUIDE ..................................................................................... 18

3.9 DOCUMENTATION ...................................................................................... 18

3.9.1 DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................. 18

3.9.2 DATA ANALYSIS.···················································.·································· 19 3.9.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................................. 19

CHAPTER FOUR:DATA PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION, ANALYSIS

AND DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS ................................................ 20

1.2 DISCUSSIONS ............................................................................................. 28

1.2.1 Ways in which literacy education helped learners and the community in

achieving rural transformation ............................................................................ 28

1.2.2 Adoption of better methods of education related to needs ........................ 29

1.2.3 Findings on the state of awareness among community members ............. 29

1.2.4 Attitude of the community towards adult literacy education ....................... 30

CHAPTER FIVE:SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND

AREA FOR FURTHER STUDIES ...................................................................... 31

1.0 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 31

1.1 SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 31

1.2 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................... 32

1.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................ 33

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1.4 AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH .......................................................... 36

REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 37

APPENDIX ! : INTRODUCTORY LETTER. ........................................................ 39

APPENDIX 11:QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE KEY INFORMANTS

(TEACHERS)SELF ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE .................................. 40

APPENDIX 11I:MAP OF RESEARCH AREA ....................................................... 47

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out in Webuye Division. The study aimed at assessing the impact of adult literacy education on community development and whether it is viable and powerful potential to generate community development. The dissertation is comprised of five chapters starting with the background of the study, literature review, research methodology, data presentation, interpretation and analysis through summary of the major findings, recommendations and conclusions. Chapter one focuses on introduction and the background followed by chapter two which presents the review of related literature. Methodology used in this study is discussed in chapter three. The next chapter presents the findings and interpretation of results. The conclusion and recommendations from findings are presented in chapter five. Data presentation and analysis of findings answered the research questions raised in chapter one. The major findings show that adult literacy education has a big impact on community development in the following aspects: Social transformation and sustainable growth, promoting behavioral change and modification, accessing new information to develop intellectual powers of the mind, social sector development and promote social change to reform the society, primary health care and HIV/AIDS prevention, improvement of quality of life to enhance personal growth and development and critical awareness to bring about fundamental social, political and economic changes. I have given suggestions and recommendations which might lead to more development in Webuye division. Let this dissertation help the policy makers in redesigning Kenya's adult literacy education and public education policies and systems so that they facilitate a divergence in style and approach and a high level of local judgment and flexibility.