Interpreting adult distance education students' learning practices from a Melanesian sociocultural perspective :a case study from the University of Papua New Guinea Open College

摘要

This thesis explores the pedagogical practices of distance education in Papua New Guinea (PNG)udinvolving adult students as they interact with print media mode of communication. My researchudwas motivated after identification of a gap in the literature with regard to enhanced insight intoudthe adult distance learners in the PNG context.udMy research focus incorporates PNG's unique indigenous cultural practices, forms of socialudorganisation, knowledge and ways in which these 'ways of being' frame the uses of distanceudlearning resources. The research aims to use a concept of 'pedagogic structures' as a way ofudinterrogating these forms of social organisation and social position [re]construction.udCollaboration and interaction as pedagogic themes resonates throughout the research.udMy research design voice takes an interpretive approach, through observation and informed byudethnographic research techniques. Fifteen students (3 females and 12 males), from three studyudcentres and four lecturers, two tutor/mentors and four instructional designers participated withudthe researcher as participant observer.udQualitative analysis of data used a heuristic approach to code and categorise emerging themesudfrom interviews, observations, and questionnaire responses. Distance learning resources andudstudents' records were also examined.udThe intersecting concepts of ososom and osisini are introduced as orientations of learning in auddistance education pedagogy.udMy research is theoretically guided by the ideas of Bernstein, Bourdieu and Moore, opening newudavenues for analysing and shedding light on distance pedagogical practices on the premise thatudpedagogic practices are socially and culturally situated.udMy main research findings reveal that while the transmitter prescribes certain pedagogicudprinciples, the adult distance learners go beyond these prescribed types of interaction to acquireudknowledge. Students draw from their invisible social capital and pedagogic practices of tribaludand communal forms of organisation to manage learning in their invisible world.udThis research points to the prioritisation for the enhancement of more meaningful collaborativeudand communal ways of distance education pedagogic transactions in PNG.