Discussion Of Findings, Conclusion And Recommendations
This chapter deals with the Summary of the Findings, Discussion of Findings, Educational Implications of the Study, Conclusion, Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Studies.
Summary of the Findings
The result of the study revealed the following major findings:
- The greatest economic factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are gaining an employment, earning an improved income, and becoming self-employed.
- The greatest education factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are obtaining certificate for a better job, becoming literate, and improvement on communicative skills.
- The greatest psychological factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are being respected in the family and society, boosting of ego in the society, occupying higher positions of authority in the society, and overcoming inferiority complex.
- The greatest political factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are participating actively in decision-making in the community, learning how to vote wisely in elections, consulting them in political matters in the community, and recognition of their rights in the society.
- The greatest family factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are taking care of their husbands, acquisition of additional skills for the family up-bringing, possessing skills to maintain healthier household, and having a better and organized home.
- The major factors militating against the effective participation of women in adult education programme are psychological feeling that one is too old to learn, cultural inhibitions, religious prohibitions, and belief that woman’s education ends in the kitchen.
- There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of young and older female adult learners on the political factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization.
- There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of adult learners who are civil servants and those who are non-civil servants on the economic factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization.
Discussion of Findings
The findings of the study revealed that the greatest economic factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are gaining an employment, earning an improved income, and becoming self-employed. This is in line with the assertion of Obeta, et al (2003) who maintained that women participate in those activities which they feel will bring increased income, which they could use to supplement whatever is available or brought in by the breadwinners of the family. Also, more women presently have received formal education and as such have more economic power. Women are found in areas that once were exclusively for men, in professions like medicine, law, engineering, architecture and rural development (Ijere, 1992). The findings of the study rated low having a better standard of living, and becoming self-reliant as one of the economic factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization. However, Omeje, et al (2003) observed that among other things, adult female learners attend adult education programme because they want to keep their own record of account. Supporting Omeje, et al (2003), Kene (1995) stated that the rural women would not only learn to read and write but would be able to increase their abilities to keep their own account.
On education factors, the findings of the study showed that greatest education factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are obtaining certificate for a better job, becoming literate, and improvement on communicative skills. Okpoko (2002) agreed with the above view that when provided with adequate non-formal education programme, rural women will demonstrate a substantial improvement in their skills – domestic tasks, food production, healthcare and reproduction. Similarly, Obetta (2004) stated that education is the foundation for the promotion and improvement of the status of women. It is the basic tool which equips women to fulfill their duties as wives, mothers and partners in development. Education mobilizes the untapped resourcefulness of women in order for them to contribute most effectively to their surrounding society. Also, supporting the right of women’s education, Obeta, et al (2003) stated that education helps women to be proficient in their responsibilities towards their fellow-men and emphasizes the need for their talents in their public services.
In a related development, the findings of the study revealed that the greatest psychological factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are being respected in the family and society, boosting of ego in the society, occupying higher positions of authority in the society, and overcoming inferiority complex. Ugwoegbu (1992) stated that participation in a learning programme depends more on psychological factors that are constantly stressed. The resultant effect is its motivation on the person’s desire to participate in an educational activity. The participation in the activity provides a means of enhancing herself and others. So, achieving literacy education is the first step to enabling women to take control over their lives to participate as equals in society and to free themselves from economic and patriarchal exploitation (Phiri, 1992).
Enemuo (2001) in his own contribution stated that effective and sustainable process of women empowerment must necessarily include the expansion of women’s access to educational opportunities, skills acquisition and positions of authority. Adebukola (2001) noted that when a woman is professionally empowered, she will make use of her endowment in a positive way, and being a master in her profession, she will not be deprived the right to practice, so as to benefit the nation. Even though the having control over their personal lives, and being bold and fearless were rated low as factors motivating women’s enrollment in adult education programme, Omeje, et al (2003) maintained that through adult education programme, women would be skilled and efficient in their occupation or career and ability to change their career to better ones.
The findings of the study further showed that the greatest political factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are participating actively in decision-making in the community, learning how to vote wisely in elections, consulting them in political matters in the community, and recognition of their rights in the society. Supporting these findings, Afigbo (1991) noted that educated women have achieved a lot in the leadership role in Africa. One of these women, Queen Dauranana, figured prominently in the Central Sudan in the early history of the Hausa Communities. She was the ruler of the state of Daura at the time of the last series of invasion that led to the emergence of the seven Hausa states. In his own contributions, Ijere (1992) stressed that literacy programme enables women to acquire political and leadership positions. According to Ijere, women who are politically and educationally empowered would do more home work in their schedule of activities.
Furthermore, Eboh (2002) had it that women have taken some prominent positions and occupied many leadership roles in many occasions due to level of education they have attained. According to Eboh, the following female leaders succeeded in their leadership positions in their various states because they had the opportunity to acquire literacy which gave them the backbone to stand: the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba, the Legendary Queen Amina of Zaria, the Queens of Daura and the Queen mothers of Ashanti in Ghana, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of United Kingdom, Corazon Aquino of Philippine, Indira Gandhi of India, Genazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundland of Norway, the Prime Minister Golden Meir of Israel, Mrs. Bardaranika, The Chief Executive of a National Government in Sri Lanka, the Dominican Prime Minister, Eugenia Charles and President Violeta Chamorro Nicaragua.
On the family factors, the findings revealed that the greatest family factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are taking care of their husbands, acquisition of additional skills for the family up-bringing, possessing skills to maintain healthier household, and having a better and organized home. On this, Omeje (2010) stressed that the factors that motivate women to participate in distance education programme include improving family management as their husbands wish them to learn and write and be able to take care of the children at home. Also, Udugwomen (2004) affirmed that education has imbibed enough discipline in our educated women to enable them maintain a healthier house and a more organized family than her uneducated counterpart. In support of the above assertion, Ugwoegbu (1992) stated that participation of an adult female in a learning programme provides a means of enhancing herself and others. Okide and Obetta (2011) emphasized that for a person to live with the family and social demands of the present age, he/she has to be literate, as it is literacy that removes inferiority complex and offers the confidence needed for good behaviour and child-caring. Therefore, an educated woman is an asset to the family. Emphasizing the influence of an educated woman in the family, Osuala (1997) stated that women as mothers are educators within their family. What they learn, they pass on to their children and thus to future generations. This means that through adult education, women are aware of the need for the education of their children.
The findings of the study also revealed that the major factors militating against the effective participation of women in adult education programme are psychological feeling that one is too old to learn, cultural inhibitions, religious prohibitions, and belief that woman’s education ends in the kitchen. On these, Indabawa (2004) stressed that the socio-cultural factors which militate against girls and participation in adult education include early marriage, hawking practice, the poverty level of families, poor practices on the support of/for girls’ education, some misunderstanding on the position of Islam on women’s education, society’s poor attitude to girls’/women’s education, irrelevance of the curriculum to the nature of women, poor female participation in studying the sciences, female’s poor self-concept and poor link between education and employment. In their own contributions, Ekpo, Orok, Ekukinam and Okon (2003) observed that the factors militating against women participation in adult education include the social structure of the society, geographical location, family structure, childbearing and rearing and influence from other members of the extended family. Again, Moda (1992) asserted that many women find it difficult to attain adult basic education classes because the agencies fail to recognize the importance of family-time table.
The analysis on hypothesis one revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean ratings of young and older female adult learners on the political factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization. The analysis deduced that both young and older female adult learners agreed that the greatest political factors that motivate women to participate in adult education programme are participating actively in decision-making in the community, learning how to vote wisely in elections, consulting them in political matters in the community, and recognition of their rights in the society.
Also, the analysis on hypothesis two revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean ratings of adult female learners who are civil servants and those who are non-civil servants on the economic factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization. The indication is that both adult female learners who are civil servants and those who are non-civil servants agreed that the greatest economic factors that motivate women to participate in adult education programme are gaining an employment, earning an improved income, and becoming self-employed.
Educational Implication of the Study
The results of this research indicate a number of implications for government, organizers of women adult education programme and the society. The study revealed that the greatest economic factors Motivating Participation in Adult education programme towards education for self-actualization are gaining an employment, earning an improved income, and becoming self-employed. The implication here is that government should as a matter of urgency establish more skills acquisition centres in the rural areas for female learners. Such skills acquisition centres will enable them to be self-employed and earn an improved income.
On psychological factors, the study also revealed that adult education programme helps women to be respected in the family and society, boost ego in the society, occupy higher positions of authority in the society, and overcome inferiority complex. These findings imply that the adult literacy facilitators and other organizers of adult education programmes should ensure that the female adult learners are adequately motivated to learn by stirring their interest in the programme. Also, the behaviour of the adult education literacy programme organizers should be accommodating, friendly and respect commanding.
The study further showed that the major factors militating against the effective participation of women in adult education programme are psychological feeling that one is too old to learn, cultural inhibitions, religious prohibitions, and belief that woman’s education ends in the kitchen. The implication of this finding is that for the female adult learners to be sustained in the adult education programme, the society should change its attitude towards women and recognize that they (women) are integral part of the society. Therefore, all the obnoxious cultural and religious inhibitions and prohibitions against women should be eliminated. Also, the adult literacy organizers should always make allowance for the social situations of the female adult learners. They should always take the learning programme to where the female adult learners are.
Conclusion
Effective participation of women in adult education programme demands an organization of effective communication, which will remove the fear of the potential and prospective learners that they are too old to learn what is taught in the adult literacy centres. Building of flexibility into the structure and scheduling of the programme should take care of illiterate female adults who feel that they are incapable of combining engagements in their occupation and participation in the adult education programmes.
Ensuring effective participation of women in adult education programme through active motivation will help to free the women from ignorance, low wage employment and unemployment, and inequality, injustice and corruption. The achievement of this transformation will go a long way to bringing about development on a self-sustaining basis and equality in the society.
Finally, it is very important to note that a successful adult education programme can be achieved through the employment of better motivational strategies. These strategies include adequate publicity for the programme, improving the means of funding of the programme and provision of effective and efficient instructional materials and methods. Giving the adult education programme wider publicity can be achieved through the re-activation of the use of radio, television, cinema, newspapers, and magazines among others. They will help immensely in the dissemination of information on the programme. Also, making the adult education programme tuition-free for the learners, the female learners, will go a long way to improving the level of women participation in the programme. Other motivational strategies that can be put in place include facilitating the female adult learners in their native language as it is enshrined in the National Policy on Education, using a wide range of participatory teaching methods, and establishing the adult literacy centres in village squares rather than in schools or churches.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proffered:
Enugu State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education, in conjunction with Commission for Women Affairs, should embark on a realistic and holistic campaign for women’s education, emphasizing that age is no barrier to education. Towards this direction, the use of radio, television, cinema, and newspapers should be re-activated to disseminate information and publicize women’s education. Through these media, potential female adult learners would be motivated to participate in adult education programme. These media would help to project adult education programme as a continuous process that requires sustained learning and application.
Enugu State Government should promulgate edict prohibiting early marriage syndrome in the state. This is to enable the young women to attend formal education before getting married at the matured stage.
Enugu State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (SAME) should establish adult literacy resource centres and rural libraries in all the communities where adult literacy centres are established. This would help to provide course materials, computers for computer-assisted instructions and other supplementary learning materials for the female adult learners.
The government, non-governmental organizations and all-good spirited individuals should be involved in the funding of the adult education programme by creating budgetary and statutory allocation for the programme. The adult education programme, especially for women should be made free as enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals Blue Print.
Heads of community development associations, traditional rulers, community-based associations and other opinion leaders should be involved in the management of community education projects especially adult education programme. This will embrace planning, implementation and evaluation of the programme. It will go a long way to motivating the potential adult learners, especially the female folks in the community. This can be done through the formation of village education committee (VEC).
Adult literacy administrators, supervisors, co-ordinators and other people involved in the provision of adult education programme should ensure that the time and venue for the adult education programme are conducive and friendly to the female adult learners. Also, there should be regular supervision and monitoring of the programme to ensure that the facilitators perform their duties effectively and efficiently.
The National Mass Education Commission (NMEC) should periodically review the adult literacy curriculum to ensure that it embraces the felt-needs and aspirations of the female adult learners. This should include the development of active citizenship, improved health and livelihoods, and gender equality. Therefore, skills training/acquisition centres should be provided to train young women on different life acquisition skills. The skills acquisition centres should serve as post-literacy education programme.
Enugu State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (SAME) should ensure that a wide range of participatory methods are used in facilitating the female adult learners in the adult literacy centres. These would help to ensure the active engagement of female adult learners in adult education programme. These same participatory methods and processes should be used at all levels of training of trainers and facilitators.
Enugu State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (SAME) should ensure that the recruited facilitators are from the local people who received substantial initial training and regular refresher training. Also, the recruited adult literacy facilitators should ensure that the female adult learners are given active choice about the language in which they learn, especially, in multilingual contexts as in the case of Nigeria. Therefore, efforts should be made to encourage and sustain at least bilingual learning in adult education centres.
Suggestions for Further Research
Following the findings of this study, the researcher suggested some areas for further study. They are:
- The influence of spoken language in literacy instruction as a motivational strategy for the participation of women in adult education programme in Enugu State.
- The factors that affect the utilization of learning materials for effective facilitation of adult education programme in Enugu State.
- Assessment of community education needs of the rural women in Enugu-West Senatorial Zone of Enugu State.
- Assessment of the administration of adult education programme for the rural women in Enugu-West Senatorial Zone of Enugu State.
- Assessment of the adult literacy facilitators’ perceptions of female adult learners’ characteristics on effective facilitation of adult literacy in Enugu State.
