A study of lived experiences of adults who work and enrolled for AET programme at the farm: the farm at Eshowe.

Abstract

The study investigated how lived experiences of farm workers enrolled for AET program as an adult learning strategy impacted on their new lived life. The effects of education and training for farm workers on agricultural productivity and subsequently suggest policy interventions that may facilitate the use of education to improve the lives of farm workers (Atkinson, 2013). Farm workers need to access education and training to realize their potential (Ferrer, 2013). Nevertheless, in the scope of this study, farm workers were presented as people being exploited due to lack of basic education which deprives them of their rights (Feinberg and Frijters, 2015). The researcher studied farm workers who were enrolled for Adult Education and Training program (AET) with the low success rate due to a variety of presumed challenges as it was investigated in this study. The aim of the study was to investigate the lived experiences of farm workers enrolled for AET program and how education and training impacted on their lives. The study was underpinned by the experiential learning theoretical framework which views learning as a process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience (Kolb and Kolb, 2017). The lived experiences of farm workers play a vital role in impacting on their participation on AET classes. The study adopted a qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm. Stratified purposive sampling was used to select the study participants. Individual semi-structured interviews as well as focus-groups interviews were used as methods for generating data. Inductive reasoning was used to analyze data in form of thematic analysis to answer the research questions. Findings indicated that, farm workers lived experiences were influenced by the impact of low level of educational background. The overall experience on experiential learning on participation in AET classes may lead to achievement of literacy and new lived experiences. The findings indicated a variety of different education levels for different farm workers. The findings of the study indicated poor financial family background as a key factor for many farm workers having not achieved education at a young age. The findings showed that it was very important to understand adult learners’ needs. Different learning styles were important in responding to adult learning needs. The study recommends trained and experienced AET facilitators, sensitization of AET on farmworkers, enactment of policies to promote AET and sufficient time to attend AET classes while working.