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Effect of Adult Education on Participation in Traditional Skills Programmes

Abstract

Adult education refers to organized learning opportunities designed to improve adults’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies, while participation in traditional skills programmes refers to adults’ involvement in organized learning activities through which traditional skills such as weaving, pottery, carving, traditional textile production, basket making, food processing, and other indigenous crafts are learned and practised. Traditional skills are important for preserving practical cultural knowledge and maintaining valuable community-based skills. However, declining interest, limited learning opportunities, and inadequate exposure to traditional skills may affect their continued practice. Therefore, this study will examine the effect of adult education on participation in traditional skills programmes. Adult education can provide adults with opportunities to acquire practical knowledge through workshops, skills training, community learning centres, demonstrations, apprenticeship-based learning, and other forms of organized instruction. Such programmes can expose adults to traditional skills and provide structured opportunities to learn from experienced practitioners. Through practical instruction and repeated practice, adults may develop greater awareness of traditional skills and acquire the competencies required to participate effectively in traditional skills programmes. Participation in traditional skills programmes involves enrolling in skills training, attending practical sessions, learning from experienced practitioners, practising traditional techniques, and applying acquired skills to produce traditional products. Adult education may influence participation by increasing adults’ awareness of available training opportunities, improving their confidence in learning practical skills, and creating structured learning environments for skill development. Increased participation can also provide opportunities for traditional skills to be learned, practised, and transmitted to other members of the community. The study will adopt a quantitative research design. The population will comprise adults participating in selected adult education programmes in the study area. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure exposure to adult education and participation in traditional skills programmes. The instruments will be subjected to appropriate validity and reliability procedures before administration. Data collected will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, while the relevant hypothesis will be tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study is expected to establish that adult education has a positive effect on participation in traditional skills programmes. It is expected that adults with greater exposure to adult education will demonstrate higher awareness of traditional skills training opportunities, greater willingness to acquire traditional skills, and higher levels of participation in relevant skills programmes. The findings will have implications for adult education teaching and learning by demonstrating the value of practical and culturally relevant learning experiences. Adult educators may incorporate traditional skills demonstrations, practical workshops, apprenticeship activities, and community-based skills projects into adult education programmes. These approaches can provide learners with opportunities to acquire practical competencies while supporting the continued learning and transmission of traditional skills. The study will be significant to adult educators, adult learners, traditional skills practitioners, community leaders, cultural organizations, skills development institutions, policymakers, and researchers. Adult educators may use the findings to develop programmes that connect formal learning with traditional practical knowledge. Traditional skills practitioners and cultural organizations may also benefit from increased opportunities to share their expertise, while policymakers may use the findings to support community-based skills education and preservation initiatives. The study will recommend that adult education programmes incorporate relevant traditional skills training through practical demonstrations, workshops, apprenticeship opportunities, and community-based learning activities. Adult educators should collaborate with experienced traditional skills practitioners to provide authentic learning experiences, while community organizations should create accessible opportunities for adults to acquire and practise traditional skills. The study will conclude that effective adult education can encourage greater participation in traditional skills programmes and support the continued development and transmission of valuable practical skills.

Keywords: Adult education, traditional skills, skills programmes, adult learners, practical skills, traditional crafts, skills training, community learning, indigenous skills, practical education, apprenticeship learning, skills development, traditional knowledge, craft education, adult learning