The factors that influence utilization of functional literacy skills among adult education learners in Naivasha District, Rift , Valley Province, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the utilization of functional literacy skills among adult education learners in Naivasha District of Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population of study were the adult education teachers and their learners in the adult education centres in the district. The study site was Naivasha District, a new district in Rift Valley Province. A simple random sample sampling design was used to sample the centres and the respondents. Use of standard questionnaires and interview schedules provided qualitative and quantitative data. The collected data was coded and analyzed using SPSS software. From the analysis of the data, some key findings of the study were that adult education learners utilized functional literacy skills to daily life situations such as reading newspapers and running small business ventures. It was revealed that functional literacy skills were also utilized at the place of work. The study showed that the utilization of functional literacy skills was hindered by numerous problems such as inability to master the skill of reading and also that many learners did not encounter situations requiring the utilization of skills learnt in class. Many of the adult learners were old and experienced poor eyesight in addition to other problems associated with old age. The study recommended that the government provide learning materials in line with the current level of technology to enhance acquisition of functional literacy skills and hence their utilization. It also recommended the opening of more adult education centres in the district to improve access to Adult and Continuing Education and Non-Formal Education (NFE) for empowerment of the adult education learners in Naivasha District. The study further recommended the introduction of Naivasha Literacy Week to commence or climax on 8th September every year in line with the World Literacy Day as a wake up call to education stakeholders in Naivasha District so as to encourage adult education learners to utilize the functional literacy skills acquired during their learning programmes.