This book explores existing research paradigms, presents African counter-arguments and examples, and proposes methodologies more appropriate for African contexts. The emphasis is on African realities, values and ways of knowing. The chapters address contexts for adult education research in Africa; philosophical and theoretical perspectives and their implications for research; doing a literature review; getting started with a research proposal; quantitative research designs and carrying out surveys; analysing data; the nature of qualitative research; conducting qualitative studies;...

Amartya Sen defined development as the creation of capabilities or capacities. One of the crucial capacities is basic education. With no access to writing, reading and numeracy, people are unable to fight against poverty and to build their lives in the current global environment. In this perspective, the right to education cannot be conceived only in a subsidiary or ancillary way. The realisation of the right to education is an essential pre-condition for human dignity and for development. But how does one measure this reality?

This book presents a methodology for observation and...

The book identifies quantitative, qualitative and multi-method approaches, and is based upon existing research methods teaching in Africa. It is grounded in African adult education contexts and draws on material and experiences from research courses taught in African universities. It emphasises the importance of combining quantitative methods with qualitative research that is embedded in adult education contexts and that builds on indigenous knowledge. Examples of the contexts addressed in the book include: village communities, agriculture development workers, literacy and income...