DETERMINATION OF PREFERRED LEARNING STYLES OF ADULT LEARNERS AS A MEANS OF ENHANCING THEIR SCHOOLING BEHAVIOR IN ADULT LITERACY CENTRES IN CROSS RIVER STATE

The identification of preferred learning styles of adult learners is now a significant feature of adult education because it makes it possible for educators to gain knowledge about how adults learn effectively. The ways adults learn differ from those of children in respect of the characteristics, experiences, motivation, and requirements of the adult learners. The adult learners who join literacy centers usually have plenty of life experiences, preexisting beliefs, responsibilities as well as family and work commitments which affect their learning process. As such, it becomes easier for teachers to get vital information through knowing about their preferred learning styles to facilitate better involvement, motivation, academic success, and good school behavior.

Cross River State adult literacy programs target people who failed to develop literacy due to various factors including poverty, early marriage, lack of educational opportunities, cultural constraints, or economic difficulties during their formative years. The returning adults have varying motives and aspirations, where some may be in search of literacy to get better job opportunities while others may be aiming for higher social standing, helping their children academically, participating in community development, and attaining personal satisfaction. The varied motivations bring about varied learning styles amongst the adult students necessitating varied approaches in training. Establishing the learning styles makes it easier for the facilitator to adopt teaching approaches that suit them.

Learning styles are the individual preferences that learners have when it comes to how they receive, process, organize, and store information as they learn. There are some adult learners who understand new concepts well from visual media such as drawings and graphs, while there are those who find listening and discussing concepts more useful. Then, there are some learners who find practical demonstration useful, while there are others who can learn from reading and writing. These differences indicate that one teaching style is not enough to suit all adult learners in a literacy classroom.

Identification of preferred learning styles is also a key component in improving schooling behavior in adult learners. Schooling behavior entails the attitude, habits, participation style, commitment, punctuality, class-room behavior, perseverance, and general conduct of the learners while involved in learning processes. Learners who are taught using styles and methods that are in accordance with their preferred learning styles have high chances of having positive attitudes toward the whole process of learning. They become more self-confident, participate actively in classroom discussions, undertake learning activities with a lot of enthusiasm and also improve their attendance. However, learners who continue to have problems due to mismatch between teaching styles and preferred learning styles become demoralized and drop out of literacy programs.

At the Adult Literacy Centres in Cross River State, adults from different cultural, linguistic, vocational, and educational backgrounds come for training. Most of the trainees have other occupations like farming, fishing, trading, craftsmanship, civil service, or running small enterprises while still coming for training. Their vocations not only affect their availability to learn but also their preferred mode of learning. Since practical and experience-based learning is one aspect of adult learning that attracts many learners, facilitators who know the learners' preferences can relate the lessons being taught in class to the various experiences of farming, business, health care, family, and community life.

Additionally, determination of learners' preferred learning styles helps in achieving learner-centeredness, which is one of the essential principles in adult education. In learner-centered education, the facilitator recognizes the active role of adults in the learning process and not just their passivity. Instead of lecturing only, facilitators promote group discussion, collaboration, role plays, problem solving, demonstration, field work, and peer tutoring among others, depending on the preferred styles of learning. Such an approach makes facilitation and learning easier as there is effective communication between the facilitators and the learners. Additionally, the approach builds up mutual respect and active involvement.

Learning style determination will also help facilitators deal with learning problems faced by adult learners. Adults who have been away from formal education for many years will have some fears of failure, poor self-confidence, anxiety, and inability to cope with class routines at the start of the learning process. By knowing the preferred learning styles of these learners, facilitators are able to assist them individually such that the negative feelings reduce and the learners' confidence builds up. Positive learning experiences motivate adult learners to continue despite any academic and personal problems they may face.

Curriculum implementation is yet another critical advantage of establishing preferred learning styles. Adult literacy curricula are aimed at achieving functional literacy, numeracy, communication, occupational, and citizenship skills among others. But for curriculum implementation to be successful, the quality of instructional delivery plays a critical role. Instructional delivery that incorporates the preferences of learners allows the facilitator to tailor curriculum content to various types of learners without losing sight of educational goals. For instance, while visual learners may be taught using charts and graphics, auditory learners can be instructed using discussion and storytelling techniques.

Furthermore, identifying preferred learning styles facilitates constant evaluation and improvement in instruction. Educators who constantly evaluate their learners' preferred style through observations, interviews, questionnaires, classroom activities, and assessments get useful feedback on how effective their instruction methods are. Through this process, instructors can easily change their teaching strategies to accommodate the changing needs of their learners. Consistent change helps create an enabling environment that motivates learners by making them feel appreciated and respected. It encourages active participation in literacy programs.

The relationship between preferred learning styles and schooling behavior can also be traced outside classroom activities. Adult learners who succeed in school gain self-confidence, good decision-making, improved communication skills, and involvement in family and community affairs. Literacy helps people acquire more information about the public policies, make decisions, learn financial management, help their kids in school, and become active citizens. As such, the identification of learning styles is not only helpful in the classroom setting but also in general in Cross River State. Despite the above advantages, determination of preferred learning styles should not make facilitators confine adult learners into particular categories based on their preferred styles of learning. Adult learners may apply several learning styles while learning various subjects depending on the learning environment, resources available and learning objectives set out by facilitators. Effective adult education involves utilization of different teaching methodologies by facilitators to give all adult learners equal chances to succeed in their learning process.

To conclude, the determination of preferred learning styles is one of the strategies that can be used to improve schooling behaviors of adult learners in adult literacy centers in Cross River State. By determining how adults prefer learning, facilitators will develop instructional strategies that can boost learners’ motivation, participation, confidence, attendance, retention and academic success. Differentiation of teaching techniques according to learners’ preferences leads to creation of learner centered educational process, better implementation of curriculum and low attrition rates in adult literacy centers..