ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to investigate assessment of the implementation of Adult Education curriculum in adult secondary schools in Abia State. This was facilitated by the research objectives which were to examine the influence of facilitators' qualification on the implementation of Adult Education Curriculum, to examine the level of experience of Adult Educators and their influences on the implementation of Adult Education Curriculum, to find out factors influencing teaching and learning for the implementation of Adult Education Curriculum, to examine the relevance of curriculum contents and its influence in the implementation of' Adult Education program, to find out how the teaching methods in use influence the implementation of curriculum in Adult learning. The study was anchored on education as a fundamental tool and agent of liberation. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The sample size consisted of 290 respondents. Data was collected through the use of' questionnaire. The instrument was subjected to both face and content validation using three experts one from measurement and evaluation, one from curriculum studies and one from Adult and continuing Education, all in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Reliability test on the instrument was carried through test-retest method. Using Pearson product moment method reliability coefficient of 0.76 was obtained. Five research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The findings revealed that Adult Education centers had not attracted qualified facilitators and a quarter of the numbers of staffs that work there are permanently employed. The study acknowledged that professional facilitators were sparsely distributed and is very few. It revealed that government is non committal to the Adult Education programme. The study revealed that the facilitators lack training and the teaching strategies adopted do not match the ages of adult learners. The study revealed that to improve adult education programme, the quality of adult education instructors have to be improved through workshops, seminars, conferences, in-service training, incentives, and proper supervision, adequate infrastructural facilities, instructional materials and resources needed in adult education centers should be provided. The study suggested vital standard be put in place in teaching and learning materials, the teacher academic and professional qualification that will match with relevant teaching strategies for effective and efficient implementation of adult education curriculum. The study suggested that the curriculum should be revised periodically to match technological advancement and globalization. The study recommendation was the urgent need by the government on clear policy on the sector, training of the adult facilitators and employment on permanent basis to motivate them, decentralization of the sector to the local government. The staffing norms and inspection to be put in place by the quality assurance officials. The study revealed that the adult education sector is largely unexplored area hence the need to do research on the implementation strategies for effective evaluation of the curriculum in both state level and national levels. It was recommended that in-service training should be periodically organized for adult education instructors, and that necessary facilities should be adequately provided in adult education centers.