Grounding adult education research in rural areas: Reflections on the development of a research program at the University of Limpopo in South Africa

Mission statements of universities in developing countries usually include serving the surrounding communities. Often this service does not reach beyond lip service. This article puts into context the experience of developing an adult education research program responding to the needs of the surroun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Adult education quarterly 2014-02, Vol.64 (1), p.20-38
Main Authors: Zeelen, Jacques, Rampedi, Makgwana, Linden, Josje van der
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Action Research
Adult Basic Education
Adult Education
Adults
Aktionsforschung
At Risk Persons
Ausgrenzung
Colleges and universities
Community Development
Developing countries
Education
Education, Adult
Educational Policy
Educational Research
Erwachsenenbildung
Foreign Countries
Global Approach
Globalisierung
Globalization
Health Education
Instructional Effectiveness
Lifelong Learning
Ländlicher Raum
Mozambique
Needs Assessment
Netherlands
Risk
Rural Areas
Rural education
Social Isolation
South Africa
Sustainability
Südafrika (Staat)
Young adults
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Summary:Mission statements of universities in developing countries usually include serving the surrounding communities. Often this service does not reach beyond lip service. This article puts into context the experience of developing an adult education research program responding to the needs of the surrounding community in a historically disadvantaged rural area. The areas of research were adult education needs assessment and community development, young adults at risk, adult health education, and policy and implementation issues. Globalization, social exclusion, and lifelong learning were key concepts tailored to the specific context of the rural areas in South Africa. The first two authors of the article were personally involved in the program, as a visiting professor from the Netherlands and his South African successor, respectively. The third author worked in a similar program at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique.
ISSN:0741-7136
0001-8481
1552-3047
DOI:10.1177/0741713613495086