Department of Adult Education and Human Resource Studies
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Item Revitalizing Self-Help Spirit In The Communities: Are There Roles For Adult Educators To Play?(Community Development, 2022) Biney, I.K.Self-help spirit, which culminates into selfless services, voluntarism, and free labor by people in communities appears to be waning in Ghana. This free labor service is provided by community members require revitalization. Adult educators have roles to play in revitalizing self-help spirit to build resilient communities., Questions to be addressed are: What is self-help in community development? Who are adult educators and what roles they play in reviving self-help spirit in the communities? This theoretical approach to literature review paper used library research and adapted critical literature review approach. It reviewed 30 out of the 60 documents on self-help, adult educators, and community development. It was observed that self-help, a strategy to improve communities, makes people learn. Through continuous learning and training, people adapt to changes and address problems in their communities. Adult educators are to build inclusiveness, networks, attitudinal change, partnership and mobilization of self-help groups to restore vitality, make communities more vibrant and sustainableItem The role of motivational teaching techniques in adult distance learning programmes(Springer Link, 2023) Inusah, S.; Biney, I.K.This qualitative research study explored motivational teaching techniques used by instructors of distance learning programmes (DLPs) to assist adult learners in achieving learning outcomes that meet their educational goals. The authors investigated how 11 instructors in a DLP at a large university in Ghana, Africa, applied the techniques, as well as the challenges they faced. The instructors were purposively selected for face-to-face individual interviews and classroom observations. Data were analysed using content, constant comparison and thematic approaches. The findings revealed that in their teaching of adults, the instructors used different motivational techniques, described in this research as patching, resting, piecemealing, shared learning and opportunity to try. Although the choice of techniques overlapped among the instructors in the sample, they each applied them differently to help their adult learners to learn effectively. The instructors also encountered challenges (teaching frustrations), such as learner absenteeism, unwillingness to accept change, disrespect and the lack of preparedness. These findings led to the conclusion that indisciplined learner behaviour can cause underperformance. Given that the instructors faced diverse challenges, the authors recommend that open and distance learning (ODL) instructors in Ghana take advantage of professional development opportunities to keep up to date with techniques for managing complex adult learning environments and issues. Internationally, the findings of this study highlight the need for ODL providers around the world to regularly review their services to ensure that the challenges instructors and learners are facing are addressed in a timely manner. This will ensure that ODL remains a viable alternative mode of education, especially during exceptional circumstances like COVID-19 lockdowns.Item “It is not Working for Them but with Them”: Adult Educators Roles With Community Groups in Transforming Communities(Adult Learning, 2023) Biney, I.K.This paper reflects on Freire’s discourse on liberating education and adult educators’ educational roles with community groups in transforming communities. Mineral rich communities in Ghana are in danger of losing water bodies, rich arable lands, and forest vegetation cover through “galamsey,” which refers to the gathering of rich mineral resources illegally for sale. Yet the fourth Industrial Revolution Age positions adult educators strategically in making learning the needed skill among community groups to improve communities. This qualitative study adopted a convenience sampling procedure to select and interview eight graduate students in a higher education institution (HEI) in Ghana. Data were analyzed using thematic and narrative approaches. The results indicate that adult educators’ educational roles are empowering, yet they should employ more dialogical, story telling, and conversational approaches; and must listen to community members’ views on community development programs. The study concludes that adult educators drive community development programs via inclusiveness and networks to make communities sustainable.Item Adult education and entrepreneurship: getting young adults involved(Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2023) Biney, I.K.This paper reflects on adult education and the fostering of an entrepreneurial mindset. It solicits roles adult education, especially the non-formal education (NFE), could play in fostering entrepreneurial mindset of young adults. It examines short-to-medium, and long-term plans of young adults in nurturing growth and enterprising mindsets through involvement in NFE endeavours. It probes into entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in the communities that young adults could recognise and create enterprises for themselves. This is a narrative case study which purposively selected, as the unit of analysis, an adult learner who was operating a micro-enterprise and pursuing a degree programme at Accra Learning Centre. An in-depth telephone interview was conducted to garner stories and experiences young adult have had innovating with an entrepreneurial mindset. Thematic, analytical, narrative and interpretivist approaches were adapted in presenting the results. The participant had a good experience in his start up, he learned lessons, and worked hard to grow his micro-enterprises. The savings culture he built allowed him to cope with difficulties posed by Covid-19 pandemic to his micro-enterprises. Governments and stakeholders in entrepreneurship should via policy, advisory and financial support motivate young adults to invest in entrepreneurship and create sustainable jobs for themselves.Item Opportunities for Adult Learners in Ghana’s Higher Education Institutions: Limiting Factors and Strategies(The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 2023) Biney, I.K.; Salifu, I.This article focuses on a case study of adult learners in Accra Learning Center (ALC) to explore limiting factors to learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) using distance education (DE) mode in Ghana. Educated adults possess experiences that help them take up leadership roles and transform communities. However, limiting factors including lack of media support and employment opportunities to adult learners in HEIs were highlighted by this study. Mixed method research (MMR) that tilted toward qualitative study was employed, and a dialogical approach to MMR was adopted. Semi-structured interview schedules were developed and administered to 45 adult learners. Random sampling procedure was used, and descriptive and interpretivist approaches were adopted in presenting the results. Simple descriptive statistics were adopted to help build a case for using the qualitative data which sought participants’ voices, meanings, experiences, and understanding of limiting factors to learning in HEIs by DE mode. Poverty, the high cost of education, and poor time management constituted some of the limiting factors to adult learners in HEIs. The article recommends that HEIs adopt flexible terms of fee payment for adult learners and that young adult learners seek jobs and learn to save while learning in HEIs.Item Engaging young adults in fostering entrepreneurial mind-set using the community education approach: Case study of chorkor community, Ghana(Community Development, 2023) Biney, I.K.This paper draws on McGivney’s study of adult education for marginal groups, including unemployed young adults. The young unemployed adults in Ghana are growing in numbers; hence engaging them using the community education to foster entrepreneurial mind-sets is a means of addressing the unemployment problem. The formation of learning groups helps foster self-help and enhances the contributions of diverse synergies to community development and transformation. This qualitative case-study used young adults between the ages of 18 to 35 at Chorker, Accra, as the unit of analysis. Judgmental sampling techniques were adopted to sample fourteen (14) participants to participate in the study. They consist of 8 participants for in-depth interview and 6 participants comprising three (3) male and three (3) female formed focus group discussions. Data was analyzed using descriptive narrative and interpretivist approaches. The results indicate that the participants were empowered as they engaged in group learning to acquire skills in trades. The study recommends that young adults are motivated to engage in community education to foster entrepreneurial mind-set, innovate and exploit opportunities to make their communities more vibrant and sustainableItem Revitalizing self-help spirit in the communities: Are there roles for adult educators to play?(Taylor & Francis Group, 2022) Biney, I.K.Self-help spirit which culminates into selfless services, voluntarism, and free labor by people in communities appears to be waning in Ghana. This free labor services provided by community members require revitalization. Adult educators have roles to play in revitalizing self-help spirit to build resilient communities., Questions to be addressed are: What is self-help in community development? Who are adult educators and what roles they play in reviving self-help spirit in the communities? This theoretical approach to literature review paper used a library research and adapted a critical literature review approach. It reviewed 30 out of the 60 documents on self help, adult educators, and community development. It was observed that self-help, a strategy to improve communities, makes people learn. Through continuous learning and training, people adapt to changes and address problems in their communities. Adult educators are to build inclusiveness, networks, attitudinal change, partnership and mobilization of self-help groups to restore vitality and make communities more vibrant and sustainable.Item McClusky’s Theory of Margin and its implications on adult learners in higher education institutions(SAGE, 2021) Biney, I.K.This paper draws on McClusky’s Theory of Margin which contains elements of life transitions. Adulthood period is one of growth, change and integration of balance between energy needed to engage in learning. There is an increasing participation of adult learners in higher education institutions. This paper finds out whether learners complete degree programmes on time, or otherwise by examining responsibilities, resources required for learning, challenges faced and margin available to learners. This qualitative case study used Accra Learning Centre and adopted homogenous, random and sequential purposive sampling procedures. Fifteen participants participated in the in-depth interview conducted. Thematic, narrative and interpretivist approaches were adapted in analysing data collected. It emerged that adult learners have limitless potentials to learn, yet poor time management, work commitments and financial challenges made it difficult to complete programmes on time. Engagement in multiplicities of responsibilities consumed adult learners’ time and energy to learn. The findings made are discussed and recommendations are made.Item Continuing education and employment creation: Investment in entrepreneurship matters(Taylor & Francis Group, 2021) Biney, I.K.This paper explores continuing education and employment generation in Ghana. It places emphasis on entrepreneurship, and how continuing education could help students’ create jobs. It used Bachelor of Administration final year students at Accra Learning Center as a unit of analysis. It is a qualitative study which sought to understand, determine the range of responses, and secure deeper insights and meaning into what it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. In-depth interview guides were conducted with 14 purposively selected students. It came to light that, in addition to classroom learning, students' participation in short seminars and workshops equipped them to become creative thinkers, take informed risks, create jobs, and envision a better future for them selves. It concludes that students’ lifetime experiences should be allowed to supplement the classroom lecture.Item Exploring the power of the media in promoting lifelong learning and popular mobilisation drive against 'Galamsey' in Ghana(Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 2019-11) Biney, I.K.This paper explores the power of media in promoting lifelong learning in mobilising the citizenry against 'galamsey' activities in Ghana. 'Galamsey' connotes 'an illegal process of gathering mineral resources, especially gold, and selling them'. It is an activity engaged in by young adults resulting in destroying water bodies and posing water-related challenges to the citizenry. This qualitative study sought to ascertain what informed practitioners in the media space to mount a sustained lifelong learning drive against 'galamsey' in Ghana. The study used in-depth interview and focus group discussions to collect data from 15 participants purposively selected. Six male and female participants also shared their experiences on the 'galamsey' menace and the fight against it. Their thought, views and insightful ideas lie at the heart of this study. It emerged that the 'galamsey' activities were complex and engaged in by both Ghanaians and foreigners using heavy earth moving machines destroying forest vegetation cover and water bodies. The players involved bribe their way for protection. This paper recommends that the Government of Ghana and media houses involved in the fight against 'galamsey' sustain the lifelong learning drive to save water bodies, arable lands, and forest vegetation cover in Ghana.