Peer Learning and Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Adult Education Programmes in Anambra State

This study examines peer learning dynamics and collaborative knowledge construction processes in adult education programmes in Anambra State, South East Nigeria, applying social constructivist theory to understand how adult learners co-create knowledge in community learning settings. Social constructivism posits that learning is fundamentally a social process in which meaning is constructed through interaction with peers and within cultural contexts. Adult education research in Nigeria has insufficiently explored how peer learning operates in the specific cultural and social context of Igbo community learning environments. This study uses a qualitative design combining classroom ethnography with in-depth interviews and focus groups. Participant observation is conducted in 10 adult education centres across Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi local government areas over four months. Forty learners and 15 facilitators participate in semi-structured interviews, and six focus group discussions with learner peer groups are conducted. Social network analysis maps peer learning relationship patterns within learning groups. Thematic analysis and social network analysis are applied. Findings reveal that peer learning in Anambra adult education settings is characterised by strong age-grade socialisation norms, market trader knowledge networks, and gendered knowledge sharing patterns that enrich formal learning content. Learners report significantly higher confidence and knowledge retention from peer-explained content than facilitator-delivered content. Peer learning effectiveness is significantly moderated by social cohesion within learning groups. The study concludes that harnessing existing peer learning cultural practices significantly enriches adult education programme outcomes in Anambra. It recommends structured peer learning protocols as a mandatory component of facilitator training curricula.

Keywords: peer learning, social constructivism, adult education, Anambra State, collaborative learning.