Evaluating Educationists’ Andragogical Strategies for Teaching Numeracy: A Case Study of the Kwazulu-Natal Adult Correctional Centre Classroom

The paper sought to evaluate correctional centre educationists’ numeracy and andragogical practices. From the interpretivist epistemological stance, qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations to address the question: What are the andragogical numeracy strategies employed by correctional centre educationists in adult correctional centre classrooms? The qualitative data, which was collected through semi-structured interviews with four purposively sampled educationists from one correctional centre facility in KwaZulu-Natal was analysed thematically, through the Andragogical theoretical lens. The findings revealed that correctional centre educationists use the teacher-centred approach, and baulk at taking into cognisance the self-direction of adult offenders in the correctional centre mathematics classroom. Furthermore, the study discovered that the six principles of andragogy are not sufficiently considered in the teaching of basic numeracy in correctional centre classrooms because of contextual delimitations. Again, the language through which basic counting is taught is adult offenders’ second language.The researcher subsequently proposed the model for teaching basic counting in correctional centres, which is cemented on the principles of andragogy, inquiry-based numeracy learning and home language instruction. The study arguably contributes to academic scholarship in a three-fold way; firstly by developing numeracy and basic counting skills within the context of correctional centre classrooms; secondly by advocating for the perversion of indigenous languages into the adult learning and teaching spaces and thirdly by developing the teaching strategies pertinent for adult education. Keywords: Andragogical Strategies, Correctional Centre Educationists, Basic Counting, Adult Offenders, Correctional Centre Classrooms.