A model for the evaluation of ABET programmes

This research project focuses on a model designed for the evaluation of ABET instructional programmes. In the light of rapid changes in the socio-economic and political contexts in Africa and particularly in South Africa, this study examines adult basic education and training, which has become acknowledged as an indispensable tool for the transformation and development of societies. Since 1994 education has become a constitutional right for all citizens of South Africa. In an attempt to offer basic education and training to all adults many institutions and departments have established ABET programmes offering adults the skills they may need in order to contribute to the development of their communities. The lack of guidelines for instructing, assessing and evaluating ABET programmes prompted the choice of research topic. The study begins with a review of relevant literature pertaining to the field of adult education and also provides a general discussion on didactics as it .is relevant to adult education. The study proposes a model for evaluating ABET instructional programmes. Focus group discussions are employed as a research tool to validate the proposed model and its accompanying guidelines. The study reveals that, for ABET instructional programmes to be outcomes based, relevant, conducive to critical thinking and creativity and productive of meaningful assessment, a model for evaluating the programmes' performance in these areas is essential. Based on this presupposition, the study proceeds to develop a model for the evaluation of ABET programmes. It draws on literature pertaining to educational evaluation in general and extrapolates the findings to construct a model appropriate for evaluating ABET programmes. In the field component of the study, endeavour is made to validate the model according to the perceptions of a sample of ABET practitioners. In-depth focus interviews are conducted to validify the various components of the model. In conclusion, the study recommends further research into the didactics of adult education and training (ABET) in order to improve adult education practices.Curriculum and Instructional StudiesD. Ed. (Didactics

Cultural Tourism and Socio-economic Regeneration of Rural Communities: The Apo Festival of Bono Takyiman, Ghana.

Tourism has been part of humankind since time immemorial. People visit destinations for educational, religious, medical or entertainment purposes. Tourism includes short-term travel of people to destinations outside their communities. It is an important income generation and source of employment in many countries. In many former European colonies, some historical sites and events still attract thousands of visitors who like to get the first-hand information about the past. An important event that attracts thousands of visitors to rural Ghana is cultural tourism. It takes place when people visit specific destinations to attend, observe, learn or enjoy cultural events of an ethnic group. Ghana is endowed with a variety of festivals which attract local and foreign visitors. This study investigated the socio-economic impact of the annual Apo festival of Bono Takyiman. This qualitative-ethnographic research employed interviews and participant observation in the investigation. The study found that the Apo festival as a cultural tourism has a positive impact on the socio-economic development of the Bono Takyiman Municipality. In view of its positive impact on communities, the paper recommended to the local authorities to make the product more attractive for cultural tourism to contribute to the socio-economic regeneration of the countryside.Adult Basic Education (ABET

The introduction of audio cassettes in an integrated study package in solving the problems of adult distance education students in Lesotho

This research project reports on an empirical study on the suitability and feasibility of audio cassette lectures in solving the study problems of adult distance education students. Having reviewed relevant literature on the subject the researcher collected data through: (a) Empirical investigation by contituting a two-group (experimental/control) design. (b) Questionnaires to find out opinions of students on audio cassettes. The study reveals that there is a significnt difference between the academic achievement of students who study via audio cassette lectures in addition to textbooks and face-to-face lectures and those who study through textbooks and face-to-face lectures only. The study therefore validates audio cassette lectures in an integrated study package. Other outcomes of the study are: (a) Suggestions to l.E.M.S. authorities to introduce audio cassette lectures on l.E.M.S. part-time courses. (b) Suggestions to course organisers at 1.E.M.S. to liaise with distance education institutions to adopt their instructional strategies.Teacher EducationM. Ed. (Didactics

The role of school governing bodies in improving school performance in Taung rural areas

The South African Schools' Act No 84 (SASA 1996) replaced Parents, Teacher and Students' Associations ( PTSAs) with School Governing Bodies whose members are democratically elected to perform mandated duties. The study focused on the role of SGBs in improving school performance in rural areas. The purpose was to investigate the role SGBs play in improving school performance in the rural areas of Taung. The SGB, as a concept and praxis, emanated from the need to involve communities, especially parents, in education. The assumption was that school improvement is dependent on responsibilities delegated to community members, especially parents, in the affairs of public schools. The study investigated the topic by a literature review on school governance, observation and interviews conducted with SGB members in three selected schools. Six focus group interviews were conducted on parents and educator components of the SGBs. The principals of the three selected schools were interviewed individually for the views on the topic. The data collected were arranged under selected themes and manually analysed and interpreted. The study reveals that * community members, particularly parents, caregivers and guardians are beginning to see themselves as equal partners with educators in education of children * the improvement in learner performance is the co-responsibility of the home and the school * community members (parents and guardians) must be empowered with relevant skills to enable them perform their tasks as school governors. The study recommends further research into greater representivity and involvement in Education.Educational StudiesM. Ed (Education Management

The Socio-Religious Significance of Songs Performed during Apo Festival at Bono Takyiman, Ghana

The identity of any ethnic group is portrayed through cultural practices and ·traditions. The Bono of Takyiman in Ghana celebrate their annual Apo festival in April. The week-long festival celebration reaches its climax on the 8th day, which is a Friday. The festival was constituted by King Amoyaw Akumfi I, one of the founders of the Bono State around the 15th century AD. The king's advisors revealed to him a planned revolt against the monarchy because of his authoritarian rule. To satisfy his subjects, he set a day aside annually for the people to voice out their grievances. Apo comes from the Akan word po {meaning "to reject"). Apo is the time the people of Takyiman are permitted to reject {po) bad governance, corruption, abuse and unacceptable behaviour of the king, chiefs and people in high places. During the festival, people masquerade, wear funny hats, headgear and cultural outfits to hide their identity as they parade through the main streets singing songs, some of which rebuke the king and his chiefs. The songs performed during the festival hold leaders accountable for their misdeeds. The leaders are subject to ridicule by the exposure of their corruption, misuse of state resources, immoral behaviour and abuse through folksongs. The opportunity for the Bono to expose bad governance peacefully is worthy of emulation by other ethnic groups. Participant observation was used to investigate the socio-religious importance of Apo songs in assisting community members to amend their ways for the achievement of social cohesion.Adult Basic Education (ABET

The nature of Historical Facts: History teachers’ conception of it

The study focused on how History teachers conceived historical facts. With this, data illumination was done qualitatively. In all, a sample of 4 History teachers was used in the study. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the data. There were varying views on the developmental nature of historical facts. With this, the responses were related to two schools of thought, namely, the unique pattern of historical facts which undermines the developmental nature of History and the other aspect which talks about the element of development in History. On integration, it is astonishing that some teachers were ignorant of the integrated character of History while others acknowledged that the nature of History is such that it integrates with other social science subjects, notably, Geography, Economics, and Sociology. Regarding the element of subjectivity, responses were situated in the Positivist and Relativist philosophies. Those who identified themselves with the Positivists acknowledged Historical objectivity and yielded to no such thing as History being unobjective. The Relativists, on the other hand, intimated that History is subjective, no less no more. Finally, teachers in the study noted that there are no underlining theories or laws in History. Indeed, they all shared a view of the traditional Historians who do not accept and submit to theories and laws in historical explanations. Keywords: Historical facts, History teachers, Nature

The Role of Student Support Systems in Student Integration and Persistence at a TVET College in South Africa

Technical Vocational Education and Training Colleges (TVETs) accommodate students from different backgrounds. The diversified student populace encounters challenges that interfere with their integration process and persistence. TVET colleges need to establish a conducive environment that fosters student integration and persistence through student support systems. This qualitative case study comprised three focus groups (18 Students) and student support staff (11) at one TVET College in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The obstacles to student integration and persistence are investigated in this case study. The study also explored the various strategies that can be implemented to improve student integration. It emerged from the study that it is necessary for the institution to establish student support services that seek to eliminate obstacles that inhibit student integration and persistence to ensure student success. It was further noted that the institution’s student support system could not sufficiently address the factors that inhibit student integration and persistence. The paper’s findings indicate that several strategies, such as improvement in infrastructure and recruiting more qualified staff, could improve student integration and persistence at the TVET College in question

Situating Adult Learning and Education in Refugee Livelihood Adaptation and Progression Toward Self-Reliance: The Case of Refugees in the Kyaka II Settlement in Southwestern Uganda

Livelihood adaptation in refugee camps is often fragile and inherently problematic owing to their physical characteristics and policy restrictions. The Uganda refugee policy applauded as progressive exhibits internal contradictions which influence livelihoods. The purpose of this study is to explore the significant role of adult education in livelihood adaptation. The study used qualitative research methods of interviews and focus group discussions. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 70 participants from eight Common Interest Groups, of both refugees and Ugandan nationals. The findings indicate that access to agriculture extension education and financial literacy facilitates the acquisition of relevant skillsets for adaptation. The study concludes that adult education provides immediate, relevant skillsets for adaptation.Adult Basic Education (ABET

Literacy matters in sustainable livelihood development among refugee adults in South Africa

Background: Political and economic upheavals in the current millennium globally have displaced millions of people, making cross-border and forced migration a reality. Many refugees are forced out of their countries and flee to other countries to find new languages with which they are not familiar. South Africa as a signatory to the 1954 UN Convention on refugees and stateless persons accepts refugees (asylum seekers) from all over the world. The displaced persons are mostly illiterate in English and the indigenous languages of their new settlement countries. Objectives: The study was set up to investigate the socio-economic value of literacy in the lives of refugee adults in South Africa. Hence, in this article, literacy refers to the ability to read, write, calculate, communicate and function in any language with a basic understanding in one’s environment. Method: This ethnographic qualitative study used interviews, observations and focus group meetings to explore how literacy matters in the sustainable development of entrepreneurial activities among the refugee adults and youths in South Africa. The study is grounded in Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy theory and has some implications for adult literacy throughout the developing world where millions of adult refugees find themselves vulnerable. Results: The study revealed that refugee adults learn functional literacy in English and other 11 local South African languages informally as communication skills for the survival of their small businesses and for social and economic use in their ‘adopted home’. They find it difficult to get employment in the formal sector and often use their ingenuity to create their own jobs for survival and livelihoods in informal trade and entrepreneurship. Conclusion: The article concludes that within the public adult learning interventions by the Department of Basic Education, where literacy programmes are offered, refugees should be encouraged and supported in attending formal classes to deal with their livelihoods and small businesses for survival.Adult Basic Education (ABET