Evaluating Educationists’ Andragogical Strategies for Teaching Numeracy: A Case Study of the Kwazulu-Natal Adult Correctional Centre Classroom
Siphelele Mbatha 
Issue: Vol.5 No.8 Issue Article 13 pp.1596-1610
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245813 | Published online 30th August, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The paper sought to evaluate correctional centre educationists’ numeracy and andragogical practices. From the interpretivist epistemological stance, qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations to address the question: What are the andragogical numeracy strategies employed by correctional centre educationists in adult correctional centre classrooms? The qualitative data, which was collected through semi-structured interviews with four purposively sampled educationists from one correctional centre facility in KwaZulu-Natal was analysed thematically, through the Andragogical theoretical lens. The findings revealed that correctional centre educationists use the teacher-centred approach, and baulk at taking into cognisance the self-direction of adult offenders in the correctional centre mathematics classroom. Furthermore, the study discovered that the six principles of andragogy are not sufficiently considered in the teaching of basic numeracy in correctional centre classrooms because of contextual delimitations. Again, the language through which basic counting is taught is adult offenders’ second language.The researcher subsequently proposed the model for teaching basic counting in correctional centres, which is cemented on the principles of andragogy, inquiry-based numeracy learning and home language instruction. The study arguably contributes to academic scholarship in a three-fold way; firstly by developing numeracy and basic counting skills within the context of correctional centre classrooms; secondly by advocating for the perversion of indigenous languages into the adult learning and teaching spaces and thirdly by developing the teaching strategies pertinent for adult education.
Keywords: Andragogical Strategies, Correctional Centre Educationists, Basic Counting, Adult Offenders, Correctional Centre Classrooms.
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Dr. Siphelele Mbatha is a Lecturer at the University of the Free State, South Africa. His research interests lie in the teaching and learning of isiZulu literacy in childhood and in adult education, correctional adult early literacy and numeracy as well as adult education as the behaviour rehabilitation strategy in correctional centre facilities. His research advocates for the intellectualization of isiZulu as the Language of Learning and Teaching in childhood and in adult education spaces. He has published in national and international journals.
Mbatha, Siphelele. “Evaluating Educationists’ Andragogical Strategies for Teaching Numeracy: A Case Study of the Kwazulu-Natal Adult Correctional Centre Classroom,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.8 (2024): 1596-1610. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20245813
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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