The assessment of integrated functional adult education program in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: reflection on practice

This study reports the status and challenges of the integrated functional adult literacy program's implementation in Ethiopia. It dealt explicitly with adult learners' participation, facilitators' motivation, and stakeholder collaboration. Little is known about functional adult literacy in Ethiopia [1]. Document analysis, focus group discussion, and questionnaire were used to collect the data. A total of 418 participants took part in the study. Descriptive (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (multiple regression model) were used to analyse the quantitative data whilst thematic analysis was used for qualitative part. The results showed that dropout rates and discontinuous program attendance were found to be the significant factors affecting those adult learners in the system. Lack of facilitators' motivation and weak stakeholder collaboration was also identified as impeding factors. The age of adult learners, their annual income, appropriateness of the program schedule, and adult learner occupation significantly determined adult learner program attendance. Based on the findings of the study, unless the program operation is collaboratively planned, resourced and monitored, it could be challenging to know whether the program is for the needy and up to the expected pace or not. So, effective monitoring and evaluation in program operation have its own stance to improve program implementation. The study suggests that consensus building, frequent program monitoring, and program enforcement would be worth considering providing quality education for adult learners.