Communication Strategies and Socio-Economic Variables in Adult Literacy Teaching: An Experimental Research Report

Abstract

This paper examined the relative effectiveness of three communication or instructional strategies; drama method, audio-based instructional package and conventional teaching method on the learning of selected concepts in Social Studies by adult learners in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. A 3x2x2 quasi-experimental, pre-test, post-test control group design was employed. The subjects for the study were three hundred and four (304) intermediate class adult learners from sixteen (16) purposively selected adult literacy centres in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, Nigeria. Three hypotheses were generated for the study and data obtained were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) and Scheffe post-hoc test. The results revealed that there was significant main effect of treatment on learners’ achievement in Social Studies (F_(2,303)=19.92; p<0.05).It also revealed that there was a significant main effect of learners’ socio-economic status on achievement in Social Studies (F_(1,303)=5.225; p<0.05) and learners’ attitude towards social studies (F_(1,303)=8.970; p<0.05). It was recommended that more of drama method and audio-based instruction should be used in an adult literacy teaching/learning situation. Also, adult learners of both low and socio-economic status should be motivated to learn using these communication strategies.

Keywords: Communication strategies, Adult literacy teaching and Socio-economic status