Adult education and self-efficacy: A transformative learning perspective

This study sought to find out the relationship between adult education and women’s self-efficacy. It was part of a wider study examining 3 elements of psychological empowerment: self-esteem, self-efficacy and awareness of women rights. It focused on one adult education center in Starehe Constituency, Nairobi County. Transformative learning was used as the theoretical framework within which the relationship between the acquisition of literacy skills and psychological transformation were discussed. Data was collected and analyzed from 43 participants; 10 from primary basic, 12 from secondary basic, 8 from primary advanced and 13 from secondary advanced. The relationship between adult education and self-efficacy, was assessed using linear regression, while the differences between the four groups were tested using independent samples Kruskal-Wallis and median tests. The relationship between participation and self-esteem was found to be slight and insignificant and no notable differences were seen among the groups examined.