Basic Education and Its Impact for Career Development Goals among Adult Learners’ in Tanzania

Abstract

This study examines the impact of basic education attainment for career development among adult learners’ in Rukwa region, Tanzania, revealing the academic performance of adult learners in basic education in Tanzania, and exploring the influence of adult academic performance for their career development goals in Tanzania. Andragogy and Social cognitive career theory applied. The study employed mixed methods and used a correlational design for the quantitative component. The target population was 506 respondents. The study used a sample of 230 respondents. The adult learners were randomly selected while adult Learning center coordinators were purposively sampled from Rukwa region adult learning center included in the study. The data were collected through Questionnaire administration with predominantly closed-ended questions conducted to 222 adult learners. In-depth interviews were conducted with an interview guide to 8 adult learning center coordinators and a documentary analysis. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in terms of percentages and frequencies with the aid of IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences v26. Thematic analysis was also conducted for qualitative data. The findings revealed that most of the adult learners have career goals that require a basic education. Despite such needs, adult learners have poor academic performance, which does not support their career development goals. The study concludes that adult learners enroll in basic education programs with the aspiration to enhance their academic qualifications and unlock better opportunities, the disappointing outcomes point to systemic issues within the education framework. The study suggests that the government should develop a digital monitoring system to streamline adult education programmes, emphasis should be placed on special curriculum development for adult basic education, improving teaching methodologies, providing learner-centric resources, and ensuring that the programs are both accessible and relevant to the learners’ career aspirations. Further studies be developed on an integrated curriculum for adult learners in basic education.