Abstract:
The purpose of the study is to present the group learning behaviours of
adult students at a public university in Ghana. The study setting is the University
of Ghana, specifically the Department of Adult Education and Human Resource
Studies. Adults engage in continuous learning for purposes of personal and
professional development. The study draws from the concept of self-directed
learning and constructivist theories, examining the relationship between selfdirection
and group learning in an adult learning context. Through the qualitative
approach, the researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the transcribed
interviews to gain insights into what influenced adult learners’ self-direction and
peer engagement. The research found that collaborative contexts lead to better
student engagement. Also, support from a more capable colleague contributed
significantly to successful learning. The main contribution of the study is that the
self-direction of the adult learner is critical to moving from the zone of the
current development to the zone of potential development. For practice, adult
educators need to design curriculum programmes that can encourage adult
learners to create student-driven support groups for learning. Concerning workplace
learning, adult learners should develop professional relationships and build
networks especially voluntary support groups with their peers.
