Factors and Circumstances Leading to Adults Dropping Out from Community Colleges

Abstract

This article examines factors and circumstances that lead to learner dropping out. It also investigates the extent of relevancy of what the adult centre is providing towards meeting the needs of adult learners. Theory of transmission learning by Freire which establishes that adult learners are thinking subjects as are the teachers. Qualitative research design was used to collect data. A total of eighteen respondents participated in the research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five facilitators and thirteen adult learners. Education that adults receive has to be relevant in the sense that it helps them to fight against illiteracy, poverty and unemployment. In line with literature, findings demonstrate that inadequate resources and facilities, irrelevant curriculum that does not meet the entrepreneurial needs and different skills for the learners are contributing towards dropping of learners. The study therefore recommends that a wider and diversity curriculum be made available to cater different needs of learners and arouse their interest in learning if the feel that learning is relevant to them.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p449