Category: Non-refereed article

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The role of the University of the Third Age in meeting needs of adult learners in Victoria, Australia

Author/s: Roger Harris

Edition: Volume 48, Number 3, November 2008

Summary: Many older adults are interested in learning long past the age dictated by social norms. Some want to learn simply for the joy of learning, others because of the social contacts made by joining a community of learners, and still others want to learn so that they have a purpose in life. The University of the Third Age (U3A) is one of several models for lifelong education after retirement which have been developed worldwide. This article reports on a survey which explored the experiences of U3A members of two selected U3As in Victoria, Australia. The findings indicated that respondents were satisfied with their U3A experiences which had contributed in various areas of their lives leading to personal, mental, social and physical enhancement. It emerged that U3A is an important means of enhancing the quality of life for older adults through the provision of lifelong education.

Keywords: older adults, social norms, learning, social, lifelong learning, quality of life

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Faces in tertiary places and spaces: experiences of learning in both higher education and VET

Author/s: Roger Harris

Edition: Volume 48, Number 3, November 2008

Summary: The development in today’s society of knowledge workers for tomorrow is of critical importance. Worldwide, there is considerable interest in the respective roles of higher education (HE) and vocational education and training (VET) in building human capability. This paper is designed to provoke such questions as: what kinds of learning places and spaces are Australia’s HE and VET institutions? and how do individuals make sense of the learning and teaching in these sectors? The paper focuses on the experiences of those learners who have studied in both sectors – faces who are therefore in a unique position to analyse them as learning places and spaces. A survey was undertaken of 556 learners who commenced study in technical and further education (TAFE) and universities in South Australia. Subsequent interviews with 69 of these students explored their educational histories in greater depth. The data reflected important differences in the learners’ experiences within the sectors. The findings can provide policy-makers and institutional leaders with insights into how best to position these two sectors to the advantage of learners with changing needs, expectations and desired pathways. They suggest that greater recognition could be afforded to the different but increasingly complementary roles that HE and VET play.

Keywords: learning places, survey, role, higher education, vocational education

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“Do the thing you think you cannot do”: The imperative to be an adult learner in order to be a more effective adult educator

Author/s: Janet MacLennan

Edition: Volume 48, Number 2, July 2008

Summary: Despite the fact that we are learning more and more about the particular challenges and possibilities of teaching adult learners, we may still be overlooking – or forgetting – some of the most fundamental aspects of what makes an effective educator of adults. This paper addresses this oversight by reminding adult educators of the imperative of being adult learners to gain continuous new insights into their craft. The reader is taken on the author’s own journey of realising and enacting this imperative.

Keywords: teaching, adult learners, effective, educators

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‘They’re funny bloody cattle’: encouraging rural men to learn

Author/s: Soapy Vallance and Barry Golding

Edition: Volume 48, Number 2, July 2008

Summary: Our paper examines and analyses the contexts and organisations in rural and regional communities that informally and effectively encourage men to learn. It is based on a combination of local, rural adult education practice and a suite of studies in Australia and elsewhere of learning in community contexts, most recently into community-based men’s sheds. It is underpinned by both experience and research evidence that many rural men tend to have an aversion to formal learning. The intention of our paper and its specific, practical conclusions and recommendations is to focus  on and share positive and practical ways, demonstrated through practice and validated through research, of encouraging rural men to learn.

Keywords: rural, regional, communities, informal learning, adult education, practice

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A volunteer training framework

Author/s: Moira Deslandes and Louise Rogers

Edition: Volume 48, Number 2, July 2008

Summary: Volunteering SA (VSA) has responded to the need to revise and expand the training offered to volunteers. It has developed a volunteer training framework to provide structure and guidance for the sector in making policy and financial decisions about directions and type of training that volunteers require and desire, where the training can lead and what recognition can be given for it. Basic entry-level volunteer training is the focus of the framework. However, other planks in the training framework include training and identifying pathways from basic entry-level volunteer training to accredited training. This approach offers clear linkages and pathways for volunteers and organisations, and it is anticipated this will build a culture of continuous service improvement.

Keywords: volunteering, training, framework, policy, pathways

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Use of development centre methodology to focus workforce learning strategies – case study: NSW Department of Community Services

Author/s: Sean O’Toole and Natalie Ferres

Edition: Volume 48, Number 2, July 2008

Summary: This paper examines the use of development centre methodology to measure the gap in performance for fieldwork staff in a social welfare organisation. The process follows the construction of a capability framework, a set of work-based simulations for participants and the use of a 360-degree instrument. These processes are combined to measure and compare capabilities of both high level performers and a random selection of staff at various levels within the organisation. The results are analysed in the context of a range of organisation development options.

Keywords: social welfare, fieldwork, staff, 360-degree instrument

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Literacy teaching method and peace building in multi‑ethnic communities of Nigeria

Author/s: Omobola Adelore and Henry Majaro-Majesty

Edition: Volume 48, Number 1, April 2008

Summary: The challenge of peace building in Nigeria is increasing as communities continue to show adversary tendencies. This is happening even after many third party conflict transformation efforts have been expended to resolve and set a conducive climate for stakeholders to sustain peace. Some peace building assessment projects have indicated that the peace building process is not fully realised, which justifies exploring the place of literacy education in peace building. Since illiteracy has been identified as one major factor which promotes conflict and violence in Nigeria’s multi ethnic communities, the importance of functional literacy is further stressed. In this paper, a review of some adult education teaching theories is undertaken, and a model for literacy functionality – a transformative teaching paradigm for peace building called ‘cemento-conscio education’ – is developed.

Keywords: Nigeria, peace building process, functional literacy, cemento-conscio education, transformative

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The emergence of continuing education in China

Author/s: Xiao Chen and Gareth Davey

Edition: Volume 48, Number 1, April 2008

Summary: This article reports on continuing education in China. It discusses the emergence of the field in the 1980s, the Chinese characteristics of continuing education, recent developments, and limitations. Continuing education became available in China in the 1980s following a change in government policy and economic reform. It caters mainly for training specialist technicians, although the field has recently diversified to include programs for government officials, leaders of public services, teachers and the general public. Continuing education is increasing in popularity due to the developing economy that demands a skilled workforce. However, several problems and challenges limit the field’s development, including inaccessibility (particularly for the general public), out-dated curricula and teaching methods, and limited legislation. These issues need to be addressed if continuing education in China is to develop further, be of high quality and meet the needs of society.

Keywords: China, continuing education, policy, skilled workforce

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Participation of elderly women in community welfare activities in Akinyele local government, Oyo State, Nigeria

Author/s: Stella O. Odebode

Edition: Volume 49, Number 3, November 2009

Summary: This paper assessed the participation of elderly women in community welfare activities in Oyo State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 120 elderly women from six out of the twelve political wards in the study area. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used to elicit information from the respondents. A focus group discussion was conducted with the elderly women groups, in each of the six wards. Frequency counts and percentages were used to summarise the data, while chi-square and the multinomial logit regression model were also used to analyse the data.

Keywords: elderly, women, community welfare, Nigeria

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 49_3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.

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Investigating students’ beliefs about Arabic language programs at Kuwait University

Author/s: Shaye S. Al-Shaye

Edition: Volume 49, Number 3, November 2009

Summary: The current study attempted to identify students’ of Arabic programs beliefs about their chosen programs. To achieve this purpose, a survey was developed to collect the data from randomly selected students in liberal-arts and education-based programs at Kuwait University. The results showed that students were statistically differentiated as a function of different beliefs insofar as the Arabic language programs are concerned. Yet beliefs were not just confined to materialistic benefits; students tended to value other types of benefits as well. Implications for educational policies and recommendations for future research were also included. The most important implication is that students along with their beliefs should be included in evaluating or revising the educational programs.

Keywords: Arabic programs, liberal arts, education, policy

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This article is part of AJAL, Volume 49_3. The entire volume is available in .pdf for purchase here.