ABSTRACT
This study
investigated the effect of social interactions on the academic performance of
adult learners in Lagos state. The purpose
of this research were to establish
the extent to which social interaction affect
the academic performance of adult learner; examine how
do social interaction contribute to the academic performance of
adult learner; identify how adult learner utilize social interaction in class room and examine the relationship
between social interactions and the performance of adult learners. Four research questions and hypotheses were
stated for the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted in
the study. A total sample size of 120 part-time students was randomly selected
using confidence interval of 5 and confidence level of 95% (0.05) from the
total population of part-time students in the University of Lagos. The sampling
technique used for the study was the simple random sampling (SRS), where 120
postgraduate part-time students were randomly selected from different
department in Faculty of Education. A self-developed Likert-type scale titled
“the effects of social interactions on the academic performance of adult
learner Questionnaire” thoroughly scrutinized by the project supervisor was
used for data collection. The instrument was validated and found to be
reliable. It was personally administered by the researcher. The data collected
were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics of frequency counts and
percentages were used in analyzing demographic variables and research questions
while t-test was used to test hypothesis one and correlation coefficient to
test hypothesis two at 0.05 level of significance. The results obtained showed
that, there is significant effect of social
interaction on academic performance of adult learners and there is
significant relationship between social interactions and the performance of
adult learners. Based on the conclusions the following recommended were made;
that using social
interaction to enhance the academic performance of adult learners is all about
the method that should be encouraged by the adult facilitators. The individual
learners should allow social interaction in teaching and learning process.
Adult learners' facilitators should encouraged social interaction among the
adult learners.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
Title
page i
Certifications
ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgment
iv
Abstract
v
Table
of Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2
Statement of the Problem 9
1.3. Purpose of the Study 10
1.4
Research Questions 10
1.5 Research
Hypotheses 11
1.6 Significance of the Study 11
1.7 Scope of the Study 11
1.8 Definition of Relevant Terms 12
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Definition of Social Interaction 14
2.2 Models of Social Interaction 14
2.3 Social Multiplier 15
2.4 Definition
of Adult learning: 16
2.5 Adult and Community Learning 17
2.6 Theory of Social Interaction 17
2.7 Adult Learning Theories 18
2.8 Characteristics
of adult learners 21
2.9 Instructional
implications of adult learning 23
2.10 Adult
learning transformation 26
2.11 Perspectives
on adult learning 28
2.12 Technology-based
adult learning 32
CHAPTER
THRE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0
Introduction 38
3.1
Research Design 38
3.2
Population of the Study 38
3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique 38
3.4 Research Instrument 39
3.5
Validity of the Instrument 39
3.6
Reliability of the Instrument 39
3.7
Method of Data Collection 39
3.8 Method of Data Analysis 39
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDING
4.1 Introduction 41
4.2 Analysis
of Demographic Data 41
4.3 Analysis
of students’ questionnaires 43
4.4 Testing
of Hypotheses 51
4. 5 Summary
of Findings 52
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction
53
5.1 Summary of the Study 53
5.2 Conclusion 54
5.3 Recommendations 54
References 55
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.3
Background
to the Study
Adult education is the practice of
teaching and educating adults. This often happens in the workplace, through
'extension' or 'continuing education' courses at secondary schools, at a
college or university. Other learning places include folk high schools,
community colleges, and lifelong learning centers. The practice is also often
referred to as 'Training and Development'. It has also been referred to as
andragogy (to distinguish it from pedagogy). A difference is made between
vocational education, mostly undertaken in workplaces and frequently related to
up-skilling, and non-formal adult education including learning skills or
learning for personal development. Adult learn in diverse
ways and one of them is by bringing together experience with what they can see.
When it comes to learning, It is believed that children learn faster that
adult. Children find it easier to grap and learn because there is nothing that
takes away their attention or focus from it such as thoughts, worries, etc.
Learning in adulthood is completely different from learning in childhood. In
other to understand adult undergraduates, we must completely, not partially,
look into and understand how adults learn. In this field of study, educators
who specialize in adult education are more experienced and informed. This study
of adult learning theory will make available the foundation to thoroughly
examine, evaluate roles institutional policies, services and the classroom
environment have in persistence. Oftentimes institutions craft out curricula
and services that are in accordance with adult learning that may have an effect
on whether an adult undergraduate insists on graduation. ‘’Understanding
learning in adulthood is like piecing together a puzzle; there are numerous
area that must be put together before the total picture surfaces” ( Merriam
& Caffarella, 1999). The individual learner, the context in which the
learning takes place and the learning procedures are all parts of this puzzle.
Adult learning is like glue that holds together the field of study, adult
education that is numerous in content, clientele, and delivery system. In
recent times, a lot of studies have been done on adult learning and a good number
of the adult learning cantered on intelligence declined with age.
Studies
concerning adult intelligence in the early part of the century were a product
of both stained methodology and stained conclusion about the loss of
intelligence later in life. Such studies were done in an artificial setting and
timed educational tests were used to compare young learners with older
learners. We know now that intelligence is not minimized during the aging
process. Apparently, a large proportion in the kennel research of the 1990s
shows that the more the brain is used, the less likely cognitive function will
be lost.
Today's
students have taken to social networking like fish to water; yet, from our
perspectives, there is little social interaction taking place in many of
today's classrooms from kindergarten through college. The model of discourse in
most classrooms is a one-way communication from the teacher to the students.
For example, the first thing one kindergartener said to his mother after his
first day of school was: "All teachers do is talk, talk, talk." He
said the same thing after his first day of high school and his first day of
college. His observations are not uncommon. As early as 1984, Goodlad wrote
"the data from our observations in more than 1,000 classrooms support the
popular image of a teacher standing in front of a class imparting knowledge to
a group of students" (p. 105). Smith wrote in 1998 that teachers talk 90%
of the time in classrooms. Frey, Fisher, and Allen (2009) observed that "students
are expected to sit hour after hour, taking notes, and answering the occasional
question with little interaction with peers" (p. 70).
The
concept of teachers doing all of the talking in classrooms is in direct
contrast to the philosophy that learning is primarily a social activity (Dewey,
1963; Lindeman, 1926) and the idea that the person who is doing the work is the
person doing the learning (Hurst, 1998). Teachers expend a lot of energy
preparing lectures. They must read various texts and synthesize the
information, pick out the most important points and organize them in a cohesive
manner, write lecture notes, and then deliver the information to students who
sit passively often thinking of everything but what the teacher is saying. Who
is doing all of the work in this process? The teacher. The teacher is the one
reading, writing, thinking, speaking, and therefore, the one who is learning.
Vacca and Vacca (2002) contend that we need to shift "the burden of
learning from teachers' shoulders to students" (p. 7). Wilkinson, Soter,
and Murphy (2010) agree "there needs to be a gradual release of
responsibility for control of the discussion from teacher to students" (p.
156). Probst (2007) states, "it's the student who should be doing most of
the work" (p. 43).
One
way for students to shoulder the responsibility for learning is for them to be
the readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers in the classroom
through active engagement in social interaction with others (Alvermann &
Phelps, 2005; Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz, 2011). For the purpose of this study,
we define social interaction as meaningful dialogue among learners. Socially
interactive learners are engaged learners (Vacca et al., 2011). Routman (2005)
contends "students learn more when they are able to talk to one another
and be actively involved" (p. 207). In short, social interaction is vital
to the learning process.
Years
ago, Goodman (1986) stressed that reading, writing, listening, and speaking
should be kept whole (as in whole language) instead of teaching each one
separately. He promoted that reading, writing, listening, and speaking should
be incorporated into everything students do throughout the day. Because
reading, writing, and social interaction are part of everyday life in the real
world, it does not make sense for classrooms to be social interaction-free
zones where the teacher talks while students listen. Gee (2001) contends
"reading and writing cannot be separated from speaking, listening, and
interacting, on the one hand, or using language to think about and act on the
world, on the other" (p. 714).
Kasten
(1997) found it "amusing that the teachers of another era spent so much
time keeping their classes quiet and then wondered why so many students were
terrified of occasional oral reports and even continued into adulthood to be
uncomfortable speaking to a group" (p. 100). She stated "teachers and
principals of the past who worked hard to keep children quiet (myself included)
did not know how critical social interaction and collaboration are in
learning" (p. 99). They also may not have known how to incorporate social
interaction into their classrooms. The problem is not that students are
unwilling to talk; many teachers say they spend the better part of their days
trying to get their students to stop talking (whether in person or texting).
The problem is getting the students to talk about the subject at hand.
Social Interaction among Teachers
The
social constructivist theory is based on the belief that individuals actively
construct knowledge and understanding and that constructing understandings of
one's world is an active, mind-engaging process. In other words, information
must be mentally acted upon in order to have meaning for the learner (Piaget,
1979; Sigel & Cocking, 1977). According to constructivist views, learning
involves building on the background knowledge the learner brings to the
situation and restructuring initial knowledge. Since learners have different
background knowledge, experience, and interests, they make different
connections in building their knowledge over time. Brooks and Brooks (1993)
state:
Within
a constructivist framework, the learning of skills and concepts occur within
meaningful and integrated contexts not in an isolated and hierarchical manner.
Learning is built over time as initial knowledge is revised when new questions
arise and old knowledge is challenged. "Deep understanding, not imitative
behavior, is the goal We look not for what students can repeat, but for what
they can generate, demonstrate, and exhibit" (Brooks & Brooks, 1993,
p. 16).
One
way to prepare teachers to incorporate social interaction in their classrooms
is to incorporate it into teacher education courses. When social interaction
becomes part of the classroom dynamics, classrooms become active places;
teachers need to experience this for themselves so they know how to create this
type of learning environment in their own classrooms (Darling-Hammond &
McLaughlin, 1995).
Students
are not the only ones who need to be talking and listening to one another while
learning. Teachers are often left to navigate through a maze of complex
activities. Teachers are bombarded by problems originating from student need
and from various negotiations with students, parents, and administrators.
Furthermore, curriculum is multifaceted with instruction relying on assessment,
management, and effective presentation. Success depends on teachers having a
thorough understanding of a variety of subject areas, learning how to reflect
on their efforts, and developing problem-solving skills regarding any number of
potential problems.
Encouraging
social interaction among teachers is one of the most effective ways for
teachers to learn creative methods to solve complex problems (Darling- Hammond
& McLaughlin, 1995). Teachers, like students, can effectively improve their
learning skills by frequently discussing the dynamics of their classroom with
peers experiencing the same challenges. Good teachers are highly motivated to
improve the content of their curricula for their students and the quality of
their interactions with parents and administrators. They will take the time to
communicate with others when they see the value in the communication; they will
promptly commit to educational activities they think will help them improve their
instruction (Bakkenes, De Brabander, & Imants, 1999).
Two
fundamental processes that help teachers improve their skills are reflection
and collaboration. Teachers need to use reflection to evaluate and inform their
practices and use collaboration to learn to negotiate effective interactions
among themselves, the students, parents, and administration (Askell- Williams,
Murray-Harvey, & Lawson, 2007). Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin (1995)
suggest preservice and inservice courses should focus on developing teachers
who have a deeper understanding of themselves as educators and of the students
they educate. These authors state that effective professional development must
"be collaborative, involving a sharing of knowledge among educators and a
focus on teachers' communities of practice rather than on individual
teachers" (p. 643). Furthermore, they argue:
Teachers
learn by doing, reading, and reflecting (just as students do); by collaborating
with other teachers. This kind of learning enables teachers to make the leap
from theory to accomplished practice. In addition to a powerful base of
theoretical knowledge, such learning requires settings that support teacher
inquiry and collaboration and strategies grounded in teachers' questions and
concerns. To understand deeply, teachers must learn about, see, and experience
learning-centered and learner-centered teaching practices. (pp. 242-243) A goal
of teacher education programs should be to present curriculum in such a way as
to teach the necessity of social interaction. Preservice and inservice programs
need to model how social interaction encourages collective problem solving and
knowledge sharing (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995). In this study,
instead of the common lecture-centered model, we explored a model of discourse
where our undergraduate and graduate students interacted with each other during
each class period.
A proliferation of research from Eschenmann (1991) and other scholars
suggests that if teachers take the time to build relationships they can
motivate their students to learn. Further research (Whitaker, 2004) also
suggests that teachers need to have a strong belief that building relationships
are important to the motivation process. There is a need to capitalize on these
beliefs for the child's benefit. It is important that educators recognize the
impact they have on their students, and consider strongly their students'
perceptions of them (Eschenmann, 1991). Teachers have to ensure that they are
meeting student needs, both academically and emotionally. Creating classroom
environments that promote positive cultures with healthy interactions can
motivate students to channel their energies and desires to reach their goals.
According to Whitaker (2004), the main variable in the classroom is not the
student, but the teacher. Great teachers have high expectations for their
students, but even higher expectations for themselves (2004). These teachers
recognize the importance of connecting with their students, that if they are
unable to connect with them emotionally then influencing their minds may be
impossible (2004). "Good teachers put snags in the river of children
passing by, and over time, they redirect hundreds of lives... There is an
innocence that conspires to hold humanity together ..." (Bolman &
Deal, 2002,).
Whitaker (2004)
suggests that teachers are the first and perhaps most important point of
contact in a student's life. Despite the countless reforms, educational
movements, and programs implemented to improve education, no other element can
be as profound as the human element. He urges, "It's the people, not the
programs" (Whitaker, 2004,). More profoundly he states, "There are
really two ways to improve a school significantly: Get better teachers and
improve the teachers in the school".
"A fundamental question for a student is 'Does my teacher like
me?' Given a rigorous, aligned curriculum, the answer to that simple question
is our best predictor of student achievement"— (Terry, 2008,). Teacher knowledge and efficacy of student
motivation and achievement are crucial components to creating relationships
that motivate. Both teachers and students have to value their contribution. A
student has to feel worthwhile and appreciated. A teacher needs to recognize
that he or she can have a positive effect on their students. Wiseman and Hunt
(2001) refer to this as "teacher efficacy" and note that the more the
teacher believes in this, the more they will cause it to happen
Adding
the use it or lose it idea, intelligence can also maximize with increased intellectual
exercise. The physical and psycho-social conditions of adult definitely
influenced how adults learn. Some biological changes, like loss of hearing and
sight or disease, can be dangerous and can also affect the learning methods.
From a psycho-social perspective, life stages can probably have an effect not
only on whether or not adults choose to take part, but on how they participate
in learning.
1.4
Statement
of the Problem
Formal
education confronts students with many demands are not a regular or frequent
characteristic of their everyday experience outside the classroom. The practice
of education confronts students with meaningful and necessary discontinuities
in their intellectual, social and linguistic experiences. Reports have shown
that there has been a downward trend in academic performance of adult learners
in Nigerian high institutions. Curriculum experts have expressed considerable
concern about this poor performance. These groups of individuals tend to point
accusing fingers on teachers and lack of social interaction and poor time
management as being responsible for poor academic performance of adult learners.
These factors are suspected for the luring of them into engagement in negative
habits such as examination malpractice, cultist activities and other
maladjusted behaviours. These unhealthy behaviours of adult learners which in
turn impacts poor academic achievement makes the researcher to ask “why
Nigerian adult learners are not very concern about the current trend on their
academic performance? Could it be that they are insensitive to the possible
positive effect of social interaction on their academic performance. It is in
view of these concerns that this study was carried out to determine the need to
examine the effects of social interactions on the academic performance of adult
learners.
1.3. Purpose of the Study
The
main purpose of the study was to examine the effect of social interaction on
academic performance of adult learners. Specifically, it sought to:
1. Establish
the extent to which social interaction affect
the academic performance of adult learner
2. Examine
how do social interaction contribute to the academic
performance of adult learner
3. Identify
how adult learner utilize social
interaction in class room.
4. Examine
the relationship between social interactions and the performance of adult
learners.
1.4 Research Questions
The
following research questions guide this study:
1. Does
social interaction affect the
academic performance of adult learner?
2. How does social interaction contribute to
the academic performance of adult learner?
3. How
adult learners utilize social
interaction in classroom?
4.
Is
any relationship between social interactions and the performance of adult learners?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The
following null hypotheses postulated will be tested at 0.05 level of
significance.
Ho1:
There is no significant effect social
interaction on academic performance of adult learners.
Ho2: There is no significant relationship between social interactions and
the performance of adult learners.
1.6 Significance
of the Study
This
study aims to investigate the effects of social interactions on the academic
performance of adult learners as basis of strategies that may help the adult
learners better adapt in situations requiring high social interactions. The results of this study will help
educators and administrators of academic institutions provide better learning
environment for adult learners in the country. By understanding the
relationship of social interactions and academic performance, concepts of
physical and cognitive ergonomics can help educators assess, plan, design and
implement measures to support adult learners. On the practical aspect, the findings from this study will be of
immense benefits to teacher, the society, school and researchers. To the
teacher-the teacher will equally benefits from the finding of the study because
the finding will help them know what is expected of them as they are role
model.
To
the school-the findings of the study will directly lead to the raising of our
standard of education because experience has shown that disciplined adult
learners learn faster and perform better academically than undisciplined
students. Therefore, the findings of this study will help the school produce
students who can contribute meaningfully towards the development of the nation
in future. The findings of the study will be made known to public by organizing
conferences, workshops and seminars to inform them of effect of social
interactions on academic performance of adult learners.
Finally,
the results of the work will be of great help to future researchers. This will
be a source of research materials or empirical data for them.
1.7
Scope of the Study
The
study examined the social interactions and the academic performance of adult
learners in Lagos State.
1.8 Definition
of Relevant Terms
Adult learning
is defined as ‘the entire range of formal, non-formal and informal learning
activities which are undertaken by adults after a break since leaving initial
education and training, and which results in the acquisition of new knowledge
and skills.
Social
Interaction is an exchange between two or
more individual and is a building block of society
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