Investigating home economics literacy in adult education : focus on home economists in action’s community courses

Abstract

In recent years there has been a growth in piloting of Home Economics-related classes for adults in Malta. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ‘Għaqal id- Dar, Ħajja Aħjar’ community course offered by the professional association Home Economists in Action, focusing primarily on the content, pedagogies and impact of the Course. To do this, three classes in different localities following the same Course were studied through a qualitative research methodology. This consisted of three phases of research, namely observation sessions followed by semi-structured interviews with Course facilitators and focus group interviews with participants. These techniques, when combined together led to findings that the pedagogy and content of the Course were effectively providing the participants with a learning experience that was beneficial to their daily lives. Emphasis was made on the immediate and extended impact of the sessions on participants as facilitators made use of multiple methodologies that provided sustainable learning through actively engaging participants in various tasks and hands-on activities. A set of suggestions to further enhance the Course and its audience reach, as well as for further research on the Course are also presented.