THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL INTERACTION ON ADULT LEARNERS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1            BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. This is common in the workplace, as well as through 'extension' or 'continuing education' courses in secondary schools, colleges, and universities. Folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning institutes are among more venues to acquire adult .   The practice is also known as 'Training and Development.' It has also been called andragogy (to distinguish it from pedagogy).   Adults learn in a variety of ways, one of which is through combining their experience with what they can observe. When it comes to learning, children are thought to learn faster than adults. Children find it simpler to grasp and learn since there is nothing to divert their attention or concentration, such as thoughts, fears, and so on. Learning in maturity is not the same as learning in infancy. To comprehend adult undergraduates, we must dig at and understand how adults learn entirely, not just partially. Adult education instructors are more experienced and knowledgeable in this subject of study.

Understanding learning in adulthood is like putting together a jigsaw; there are many pieces that must be placed together before the complete image appears" ( Merriam & Caffarella, 1999). This problem includes the individual learner, the setting in which the learning occurs, and the learning techniques. Adult learning is like the glue that ties together the subject of study, adult education, which is diverse in terms of content, clientele, and delivery mechanism. Many research on adult learning have been conducted recently, and many of the adult learning cantered on intellect deteriorated with age.  According to scientific study from the 1990s, the more the brain is engaged, the less probable it is that cognitive function would be lost.

Today's students have taken to social networking like fish to water; nevertheless, from our observations, there is little social contact going place in many of today's classes, from kindergarten to college. In most classrooms, the paradigm of discourse is one-way communication from the instructor to the student. 

The idea of teachers doing all of the talking in the classroom runs counter to the belief that learning is fundamentally a social activity (Dewey, 1963; Lindeman, 1926) and the idea that the person doing the work is also the one doing the learning (Hurst, 1998). Teachers put forth a lot of effort when it comes to preparing lectures. They must study multiple materials and synthesize the information, select the most significant elements and organize them in a coherent manner, make lecture notes, and then present the knowledge to students who sit silently, frequently thinking about everything but what the instructor is saying. Who is performing the majority of the labor in this process? The instructor. The teacher is the one who reads, writes, thinks, and speaks, and so is the one who is learning. According to Vacca & Vacca (2002), we need to move "the weight of learning from instructors' shoulders to students' shoulders" (p. 7). Wilkinson, Soter, and Murphy (2010) concur that "there needs to be a progressive transfer of responsibility for debate control from instructor to students" (p. 156). According to Probst (2007), "the student should be performing the majority of the work" (p. 43).

One approach for students to take on learning responsibility is to behave as readers, writers, presenters, listeners, and thinkers in the classroom through active participation in social contact with others (Alvermann & Phelps, 2005; Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz, 2011). We define social interaction as meaningful discussion among learners for the sake of this study. Learners who interact socially are more engaged (Vacca et al., 2011).

According to Routman (2005), "students learn better when they can converse to one another and participate actively" (p. 207). In summary, social interaction is essential for learning. Incorporating social interaction into teacher education courses is one approach to train instructors to include it into their classrooms. Classrooms become active places when social contact becomes a part of the classroom dynamics; instructors must experience this for themselves in order to know how to establish this sort of learning environment in their own classrooms (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995). Students are not the only ones that must communicate and listen to one another while studying. Teachers are frequently left to negotiate a maze of complex activities. Teachers are inundated with issues arising from student needs and numerous interactions with students, parents, and administration. In addition, the curriculum is complex, with education based on evaluation, management, and successful presentation. Encouragement of social contact among instructors is one of the most effective ways for teachers to develop innovative problem-solving skills (Darling- Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995). Teachers, like students, may enhance their learning skills by discussing the dynamics of their classroom with others who are facing similar issues. Good instructors are extremely driven to enhance the substance of their students' curriculum as well as the quality of their relationships with parents and authorities. They will make time to speak with others if they perceive the worth in doing so; they will quickly commit to educational activities that they believe will help them enhance their instruction (Bakkenes, De Brabander, & Imants, 1999).

A plethora of data from Eschenmann (1991) and other experts shows that if teachers take the time to create connections with their pupils, they may drive them to study. According to another study (Whitaker, 2004), teachers must have a strong sense that developing relationships is vital in the motivating process. It is necessary to capitalize on these ideas for the benefit of the youngster. It is critical that educators acknowledge the influence they have on their pupils and take their students' impressions of them seriously (Eschenmann, 1991). Teachers must ensure that they are satisfying students' intellectual and emotional requirements. Creating classroom environments that encourage good cultures and healthy relationships can inspire students to concentrate their energies and ambitions toward achieving their goals. The key variable in the classroom, according to Whitaker (2004), is not the student, but the instructor. Great teachers have high expectations not only for their student, but also for themselves. These teachers understand the importance of connecting with their students, and that if they are unable to connect with them emotionally, it may be impossible to influence their minds (Bolman & Deal, 2002,).

1.2            STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Formal education exposes students to a variety of demands that are not a regular or frequent feature of their daily lives outside of the classroom. The process of education forces significant and essential breaks in students' intellectual, social, and linguistic experiences. According to reports, academic performance of adult learners in Nigerian high schools has been declining. Curriculum specialists are deeply concerned about this low performance. These individuals tend to blame professors, as well as a lack of social connection and poor time management, for the low academic achievement of adult learners. These variables are accused of seducing people into undesirable habits such as exam malpractice, cultist activities, and other maladjusted behaviors. These unhealthy behaviors of adult learners, which have a negative influence on academic accomplishment, prompt the researcher to wonder, "Why are Nigerian adult learners not concerned about the present trend on their academic performance?" Could it be that they are oblivious to the potential benefits of social connection on their academic performance?.  It is in view of these concerns that this study was carried out to determine the need to examine the effects of social interactions on the academic performance of adult learners.

1.3.     OBJECTIVES  OF THE STUDY

The main purpose of the study was to examine the effect of social interaction on academic performance of adult learners. Specifically, it sought to:

1.       Ascertain whether age impedes adult learner's comprehension during classroom instruction.

2.     Determine whether classroom communication between teachers and adult learners improves  student learning  outcome.

3.      Establish the extent to which social interaction affect the academic performance of adult learner

3.      Identify how adult learner utilize social interaction in class room.

 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions guide this study:

i.          Does age impedes adult learner's comprehension during classroom instruction?

ii.        Does classroom communication between teachers and adult learners improves  student learning  outcome?

iii.      What is the extent to which social interaction affect the academic performance of adult learner?

iv.      How does adult learner utilize social interaction in class room?

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of social interactions on adult learners' academic performance as the foundation for solutions that may assist adult learners better adapt in contexts demanding high social interactions. The findings of this study will assist educators and academic institution administrators in providing a better learning environment for adult learners in the country. Physical and cognitive ergonomics principles can assist educators analyze, plan, create, and execute solutions to support adult learners by understanding the link between social interactions and academic achievement. On a practical level, the conclusions of this study will be extremely beneficial to teachers, society, schools, and researchers. To the teacher-the study's findings will assist teachers as well since they will help them understand what is expected of them as role models. To the school-the study's findings will immediately lead to an increase in our educational standards because research has proven that disciplined adult learners learn quicker and do better academically than undisciplined kids. As a result, the findings of this study will assist the school in producing students who can contribute meaningfully to the nation's growth in the future. The study's findings will be made public through arranging conferences, workshops, and seminars to educate people about the impact of social interactions on adult learners' academic achievement. Finally, the findings of the study will be extremely beneficial to future researchers. They will be able to use this as a source of study materials or empirical data.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study examined the social interactions and the academic performance of adult learners in  FCT Abuja. The study will further investigate if  age impedes adult learner's comprehension during classroom instruction and ascertain if classroom communication between teachers and adult learners improves  student learning  outcome.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only Adult Education centres Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nigeria. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other  adult  education centre  in other  States within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8       DEFINITION OF RELEVANT TERMS

Adult learning is defined as ‘the entire range of formal, non-formal and informal learning activities which are undertaken by adults after a break since leaving initial education and training, and which results in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills.

Social Interaction is an exchange between two or more individual and is a building block of society

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