From Adult Education to Community Transformation: Evidence of Social and Economic Change in Tanzania

This study examined evidence of social and economic transformation attributable to adult education programmes in Tanzania.The study adopted a qualitative research approach using a case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of adult learners' and programme facilitators' experiences.Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions involving three programme facilitators and fifteen adult learners purposively selected from Dar es Salaam, Ruvuma, and Mbeya regions.Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data following Braun and Clarke's procedures.The findings revealed that adult education contributes significantly to community transformation through livelihood improvement, income diversification, strengthened social cohesion, enhanced civic engagement, practical application of knowledge in daily life, and increased empowerment and self-confidence among learners.Adult learners reported improved household incomes through agriculture, small-scale enterprises, and vocational activities, alongside greater participation in community decision-making and collective problem-solving.The study further demonstrates that adult education fosters social capital and active citizenship, enabling learners to translate individual learning into broader community development outcomes.These findings align with Transformative Learning Theory, which emphasizes critical reflection, empowerment, and collective action as pathways to social and economic change.The study contributes empirical evidence to the limited body of knowledge on community-level transformation through adult education in Tanzania and recommends strengthened policy support, skills-based participatory training, mentorship, and continuous monitoring to enhance the transformative potential of adult education programmes.