If under-educated women are to be encouraged to learn basic science in order to enter non-traditional occupations, the materials used in programs offered to them must reflect this.

6.4.3. Materials Preferred by ABE Providers

When asked for their opinions about the kinds of materials most relevant to women in ABE programs, providers emphasized materials aimed at the individual learner over those aimed at a group of learners (see Table 6-17). This is compatible with the earlier finding which shows that the one-to-one teaching format is widely used by instructors (see Tables 6-12). Only 6 percent of the providers' responses referred to career-oriented materials as most relevant to women in ABE programs. It should be recalled that career counselling is one of the supplementary services most often provided in ABE programs.


Table 6-17: Distribution of Responses about Materials Most Relevant
to Women in ABE Programs

 
  Type of Material Number % of Responses  
 
Individual learning 16 20.5%
  Non-sexist non-traditional 13 16.6%  
  Everyday experience 12 15.4%  
  Academic 7 8.9%  
  Career-oriented 6 7.7%  
  Life skills 6 7. 7%  
  Assertiveness training 6 7.7%  
  Shopping lists/recipes 3 3.8%  
  Other 9 11.5%  

6.4.4. Materials Criteria and Control

The most widely used criteria for the selection of materials are those pertaining to the skill levels of students and to their personal needs (42 percent). Only 6 percent reported using guidelines provided by the institutions offering the programs; and 2 percent, those set by ministries of education.

With respect to control over materials selection, the instructors exert most control (44 percent; 16 percent of the responses identified both instructors and students as having control over the selection of materials (see Table 6-18).


Back Contents Next