ABSTRACT
This study investigated the analysis of factors influencing adult learners’ participation in functional literacy programmes in Benin metropolis. To achieve this, four research questions were raised. The design of this study was a survey research design. The population for the study involved a total of 285 adult learners and 24 facilitators across adult literacy centres in Benin metropolis. The study sampled 97 adult learners and seven facilitators totaling 104 participants for the study, using the simple random sampling technique. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by 3 experts in the Department of Adult and Non-formal Education, University of Benin, Benin City. A reliability score of 0.853 was obtained which shows that the instrument is reliable. The researcher personally administered the questionnaires to the respondents and retrieved them upon completion. The response from the respondents was organized frequency distribution tables and percentages. The data was analyzed with the use of simple percentages.
The findings of the study revealed that that individual factors such as high motivation and positive attitude facilitated adult learners’ participation while feeling too old to be learning, low self-efficacy, negative experience with formal education and the irrelevance of programme to the needs of the adult learners militated against the participation of adult learners in functional literacy programmes in Benin metropolis; institutional factors such as conducive learning environment, the availability of relevant learning materials, use of primers, adequate reading materials, relevant adult curriculum guide as well as qualified, experienced and adequate facilitators facilitate adult learners’ participation in functional literacy programmes in Benin metropolis; social factors such as stigma, gender norms, family responsibilities, marital status militated against the participation of adult learners in functional literacy programmes in Benin metropolis; and finally, economic factor such as high programme tuition, low household income and lack of funding from the government hindered the participation of adult learners in functional literacy programmes in Benin metropolis.
The study recommended among others that the government should provide funding for the establishment of adult literacy centres to accommodate the rising number of adult learners and practical skills relevant to the daily needs of the learners should be incorporated into these programmes.
