Examining the learning style preferences of offenders at the Johannesburg female correctional centre

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the learning style preferences of offenders at the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre. There are high numbers of offenders who drop out of correctional service school and correctional programmes. This study sought to contribute towards a solution by way of examining the learning style preferences of offenders at the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre and establish how these preferences influence offenders’ learning experiences. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 402 respondents who were sentenced offenders. Enumeration sampling was used due to the small size of the population (n = 571). An adapted version of Kolb Learning Style Questionnaire was used to collect data. Version 26 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed as part of data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that respondents at the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre overwhelmingly prefer divergence/reflector learning style. xvi Furthermore, this learning style was found to affect the respondents learning experiences to a great extent, both during correctional service school and the rehabilitation programmes. A conclusion drawn from the findings of this study is that offenders at the Johannesburg Female Correctional Centre are mostly divergers/reflectors who believe that their preferred learning style affects their learning experiences, both during classes at the correctional service school and in rehabilitation programmes. A key recommendation suggested for the Department of Correctional Services was that the department must consider conducting a learning styles assessment of offenders upon admission in order to ensure that the objectives of programmes offered within correctional centres are fit for purpose.