ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF READING SKILLS ON ADULT BASIC EDUCATION LEARNERS IN LAGOS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of reading skills on adult learners
participating in the Adult Basic Education (ADBE) programme in
Lagos State. Reading is a core language skill and essential to academic
success, lifelong learning, and personal development. Many adult
learners struggle with reading due to limited educational
opportunities, early dropout, or displacement, leading to poor
academic outcomes. This research assessed the effectiveness of ADBE
programmes in improving reading skills and to discover the
challenges adult learners face after the programmes. A descriptive
survey research design was adopted, and a total of 546 participants
were randomly selected from six educational zones in Lagos State,
with 91 learners drawn from each zone. Data were gathered using a
validated instrument titled Questionnaire on Impact of Reading Skills on
Adult Basic Education Programme (reliability coefficient = 0.75).
Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, mean
scores, and standard deviations, were used to answer the research
question, while inferential statistics such as t-test and ANOVA were
used to test the hypothesis at the 0.05 level of significance. The
findings showed that the programme had a high positive impact on
learners’ reading skills, with significant improvements recorded in
reading. Moreover, challenges related to reading, such as decoding
difficulties and lack of phonemic awareness, were found to be low.
The study concludes that reading instruction within Adult Basic
Education learners should be strengthened using phonics-based and
learner-centered approaches to further enhance literacy development
and promote inclusive, lifelong learning in line with Sustainable
Development Goal 4.