ADULT EDUCATION PRINCIPLES IN PUSAT SERENTI DENGKIL

(PSD)
Mohamad Ruzi Bin Mohamed Shamsudin
Nor Zuliailnayanty Bt. Mohd Jusoh
Norlela Rusni Bt. Ramli
Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia

Abstract
This study examines the insight of adult education principles
embedded in all programs and activities at Pusat Serenti Dengkil
(PSD). The study focuses on the trainees (respondents) at PSD which
involved the reconstruction of their competencies such as skill,
knowledge and attitude. The findings indicated that respondents have
been received positive changes, considered as higher types of
motivational learners. It was discussed that adult learning theory has
been integrated into their rehabilitation programs. The effectiveness
of the activities also has been recognized by the learners and PSD
management. A work therapy merely serves as a guide for developing
generalizable interpersonal skills training for their future employment.
Key Words: Self-directed learners, situated cognition, grounded and
real-life situation

1.0Introduction
PSD is located at KM 4 Jalan Dengkil- Banting 43800 Dengkil, Selangor.
is dedicated to help drug addicts to regain and improve physical and
mental health of the trainees as a preparation to fully participate in
family, social, community and vocational later. The study carried out
is based on adult education principles which focused on the drug
rehabilitation program. The programs were designed and developed
are governed by Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN). Majority of the
trainees have been arrested by authorities and enforcement to be
rehabilitated for two years.

2.0 Background
This study shows that January 2006, PSD participants are Malaysian,
totalling 133 male. Majority are Malay 101 (77%). Indians 17 (13%),

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Chinese 9 (07%) and other races 6 (05%). 84 (63%) respondents age
ranges between 20’s to 30’s, 37 (28%) respondents age ranges
between 31 to 40. 10 (0.8%) respondents age ranges between 41 to
49 and another 2 (0.2%) respondents are age 50 and 59. The
qualification background are varies. 2 (0.02%) are diploma holders, 2
(0.02%) completed form 6, 112 (84%) completed Secondary school
and 17 (0.13%) have completed their Primary School.
(The demographic backgrounds are as per appendix i)

3.0 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to assess the perceptions of the
respondents toward adult education process and to identify the
relationship between that various theories of literature review with the
real situation occurred at PSD.

4.0 Limitation of the study

The programs and activities are specifically developed for targeted
PSD trainees (respondents) only. The learning activities and
experiences of PSD’s trainees are limited to their relevance of content
and mainly to release them from drug addiction.

5.0 Problem statement

To what extent has the PSD’s trainee is able to change their behavior
as a result of completing their rehabilitation process?

6.0 Research questions

What should be improved to reflect the effectiveness of all programs
and activities in order to further enhance the rehabilitation process at
PSD?

7.0 Research Objectives

Main objectives:
• To identify adult education practice at PSD.
• To examine the trainee's perception towards adult education at
PSD.
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Specific Objectives
• To examine the learning curve at PSD.

• To understand the learners attitude toward self development

through adult education provided by PSD.

• To identify the relationship between the findings and the

literature review.

• To discuss the developmental steps in preventing drug addiction

and future preparation for respondents.

8.0 Theoretical Framework

Adult Positive Learning

Education Attitude Effectiveness
Principles
Independent Variable Intervening Variable Dependent
Variable

High
Motivati
on to
Change

Moderating Variable

9.0 Research Methodology

The research was conducted among 70 respondents. The average age
ranges from 20 to 59 years old and permanent addresses located in
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. The research instruments are both
qualitative and quantitative methods. The data collected based on
various tools.
 Interviews:
Face-to-face
The focus groups interviewed were conducted in 3 groups. Each
group consists of 3 respondents from various phases (phase I to
phase IV) to explore and understand complex issues about drug
and rehabilitation process.
Telephone

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 Conversation between researchers and En. Mokhtar (PSD’s
counselor) and Mrs. Chong (PSD’s management) duration 20 –
25 minutes to obtain immediate responses about the
respondents from their consultant and validation of the raw
data.
 Administering questionnaires:
Development of questionnaire (as appendix ii)
Personally administered questionnaires to retrieve and collect
data as below:
- Sources of data and location of study
- population of study
- procedures for sample selection
 Observation
The observation conducted for researcher to observe the attitude
and behaviors of the respondents towards their rehabilitation
process. A digital camera used to capture the events at PSD.
 Development of scales for measuring the Dependent and
Independent
- The dependant variable
The respondent perceptions about the rehabilitation
process.
- The independent Variables

The independent variables selected for this study were,

- Age : the respondent ‘s age
- Skills required
- Required therapy
10.0 Literature Review and Findings
Respondents become more independent, learn based on their own
interest and understand the purpose of the involvement (self
renewal). The respondents selected problem-based learning to
application immediately after each activities and programs. According
to Cognitivist, “The human mind is not simply a passive exchange-
terminal system where the stimuli arrive and the appropriate response
leaves. Rather, the thinking person interprets sensations and gives

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meaning to the events that impinge upon his consciousness” (Grippin
and Peters, 1984 p.76).

The respondent’s attitude towards learning increasingly becoming

positive and slowly developed as a learning-oriented person; one of
the reasons is motivated by the satisfaction with the activities
conducted. It was rewarded by their actively participation. The
respondent will be given an opportunity to be a role models after each
of the post assessment of their positive both physical and mental
heath. Skinner’s major contribution to understanding learning is
known as operant conditioning simply stated, operant conditioning
mean” reinforce what you want the individuals to do again ; ignore
what you want the individual to stop doing (Grippin & Peters 1984,
p65)

Respondents are identified as committed to learning, motivated

learners and have sense of self-directed. They are identified as a
higher type of learners where they have set their learning path at PSD
and enrol themselves to a programs that they like based on previous
experiences. “Adult learning is that learners become increasingly self-
directed as they mature” (Knowles,1970,1980)

In terms of psychological changes, it is evident that the respondents

have learnt from motivation and counseling sessions. It helps them
improves their spiritual achievement and managed to maintain good
relationship amongst other members. PSD’s has adopted sequential
models of development where it improves incrementally. ”Cognitive
changes focus on the thinking pattern and often linked to a
combination of factors, primarily the interaction of maturational and
environmental variables” “Learning through activity is more
meaningful in constructing adult knowledge” Piaget’s Foundation of
understanding cognitive development in adulthood (Tennant: 1988)”

The daily routine activities such as by attending counseling class and

‘Tazkirah’ sessions for spiritual enhancement have enriches
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respondents knowledge in terms of health, religious and spirituals.
They were informed what is happening around them and the
expectation of their support group and system. it would help improve
their thinking pattern and done some reflection. Learning involves the
reorganization of experiences in order to make sense of stimuli from
the environment. This sense comes through flashes of insight.
Hergenhanhn (1988, p,252).

The management of PSD also emphasized on social well being in their

activities such as inculcate a good communication and relationship
between members. It would help and initiated them to change
positively. The effective roles play by other parties such as PENGASIH
and PEMADAM had also encouraged their social changes to be more
meaningful. Bandura’s theory has particular relevance to adult
learning in that it accounts for both the learner and the environment
in which he or she operates. Behavior is a function of the interaction of
the person with the environment. This is a reciprocal concept in that
people influence their environment, which in turn influences the way
they behave. This three-way interactive model is pictured by Bandura
as a triangle (Bandura, 1986; Staddon, 1984). Learning is set solidly
within a social context.

11.0 Development changes

This study shows an evidence that the respondents has been
developing in behavioral changed. It shown that the morning report or
‘morning marching’ has improved respondents discipline. It shown
increasing in confidence level in communication and self appearance.
Respondent also increasingly became more skill-oriented. The
practical classes exposed them to increase their skill and knowledge
for the future. The programs offered in PSD including agriculture,
furniture, salon, mechanic, bush cutter, cooking, and landscape.
Learning is preferred to as the process of acquisition of these new
ways of feeling, thinking and acting include value, ideas, principle and
skills (Mazanah & Carter 2002, p38)

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12.0 Barriers to Participation
This study shows there is lacking of group support especially from
their siblings. It’s lacking words of encouragement from family
members to facilitate their rehabilitation process. Dispositional
barriers indicated derived from psychosocial obstacles such as belief,
attitude, values and perception toward drug rehabilitation process
reflect the lack of awareness for the respondents to change. Barriers
to participation: Valentine cited family responsibilities (pg56),
Darkenwald & M cited psychosocial obstacles which reflects the lack
of awareness. (pg 57)

13.0 The Transfer of learning

This study show respondents become independent in their learning.
Respondent prepared themselves to learn something new for their
rehabilitation process. The emotional (EQ) is well managed and able to
enhance knowledge and skills. It can be considered as responsive and
effective learners. It shows results after each phases completed. The
post assessment is positive and perhaps they are ready to face new
challenges and society later.

14.0 Issue and concerns

This study validated that drug addiction (misuse of a drug) has terrible
effect to the cognitive development. Respondents are considered as
dependent on the external force to be able to perform as a normal
human being. The drugs have changed the brain functions. It’s
abnormal, even though they are highly motivated learner and reacts
positive in almost everything’s. It was observable some unpredictable
behaviours. Noted that using drugs repeatedly over time changes
brain structure and function in fundamental and long-lasting ways that
can persist long after the individual stops using them. Addiction
comes about through an array of neurone adaptive changes and the
lay down and strengthening of new memory connections in various
circuits in the brain. It can be suggested that those long-lasting brain
changes are responsible for the distortions of cognitive and emotional
functioning that characterize respondents, particularly including the
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compulsion to use drugs that is the essence of addiction. Since the
respondent brains have been altered by drug use, it is no wonder they
cannot simply quit on their own. “Learning is a relatively permanent
change in behavior potentially that results from experience and
cannot be attributed to temporary body states such as those induced
by illness, fatigue or drug” (Hergenhahn,1988.p7)

15.0 Recommendation
To recover fully from drug addiction, it is recommend that the
respondents stay conscious and focus on how to be a better person,
develop strong willpower, be able to have a strong prevention to
avoid them to return to bad habits. The first thing first is to focus on
the family, and get support from them. Family relationship could be
enhanced be more responsible for his past doings. Their sibling and
specialists as a central of reference, for continuous support for their
future and be more focus and serious in any treatment. The
respondents need close guidance and attention. Proper median and
continuous effort are needed to ensure fully recover. Rubenson’s
Expectancy-Valence model 1977 stated that people develop
perceptions through being socialised by family, school and work.
Secondly is the length of stay. It is direct correlations between the
length of stay and the treatment as well as the long term sobriety. The
chances of a respondent achieving sobriety and maintaining a lifestyle
to support sobriety greatly can be increased. A long term inpatient
care is the treatment of choice. Most addictions are not born
overnight. They developed over years into patterns of behaviour.
These patterns must be broken. This coupled with treating the bio-
physical aspects of addiction and the emotional aspects of addiction
take time. An important component for such new learning methods is
lifelong learning. In our rapidly changing world, we must continue to
learn all our lives, as Drucker (1995) pointed out. The market for
lifelong informal learning already exists, and will grow greatly in the
future.

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Thirdly is referred to the treatment which typically involves steps to
help respondents withdraw from using the drug, followed by
counselling and attending self-help groups to help them resist using
the addictive drug again. The goal of withdrawal therapy
(detoxification) is for respondents to stop taking the addicting drug as
quickly and safely as possible. Detoxification may involve gradually
reducing the dose of the drug or temporarily substituting other
substances, such as methadone, that have less severe side effects.
For some people, it may be safe to undergo withdrawal therapy on an
outpatient basis, others may require placement in a hospital or a
residential treatment centre. Recovery Connection (2005) Treatment
is a long term process that involves multiple attempts to achieve
recovery. Addiction treatment normally address a person's medical
and psychiatric needs, provide nutritional and medication
management counselling, facilitate family healing through a family
program, work on the development of interpersonal relationships and
improve daily living skills. Detoxification, is only the first step in
achieving lifelong success. Most people, due to the length and severity
of use, develop a physical and psychological dependency on their drug
of choice. it prepares the person for the next level of care necessary
to achieve long term recovery..
The fourth recommendation is based on continuing treatment or care
in order to maintain a respondent’s long term recovery. Issues such as
relapse prevention and development of daily living skills and healthy
support systems are of paramount importance. The treatment
programs would help respondent to stay sober. The final
recommendation is about prevention. As we know the best way to
prevent an addiction to an illegal drug is not to take the drug at all.
Parents can help prevent drug dependency in their children through
communication about the risks of drug use and abuse, be a good
listener and be supportive when children talk about peer pressure or
their efforts to resist it, set a good example and strengthen the bond
between each other.

16.0 Discussion and Reflection

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Addiction is a public health and a public safety issue, not one or the
other. We must deal with both the supply and the demand issues with
equal vigour. Drug abuse and addiction are about both biology and
behaviour. One can have a disease and not be a hapless victim of it.
Understanding the health aspects of addiction is in no way
incompatible with the need to control the supply of drugs. In fact, a
public health approach to stemming an epidemic or spread of a
disease always focuses comprehensively on the agent, the vector, and
the host. In the case of drugs of abuse, the agent is the drug, the host
is the abuser or addict, and the vector for transmitting the illness is
clearly the drug suppliers and dealers that keep the agent flowing so
readily. Prevention and treatment are the strategies to help protect
the host. But just as we must deal with the flies and mosquitoes that
spread infectious diseases, we must directly address all the vectors in
the drug-supply system.
In order to be truly effective, the blended public health or public safety
approaches advocated must be implemented at all levels of society
including local, state, and national. All drug problems are ultimately
local in character and impact, since they differ so much across
geographic settings and cultural contexts, and the most effective
solutions are implemented at the local level. Each community must
work through its own locally appropriate anti-drug implementation
strategies in order to stop drug addiction among people around us. If
we as a society ever hope to make any real progress in dealing with
our drug problems, we are going to have to rise above moral outrage
that addicts have "done it to themselves" and develop strategies that
are as sophisticated and as complex as the problem itself. Whether
addicts are "victims" or not, once addicted they must be seen as
“brain disease patients”. Thus, it is clearly in everyone's interest to
get past the hurt and indignation and slows the drain of drugs on
society by enhancing drug use prevention efforts and providing
treatment to all who need it.
The experienced gained in PSD have shaped our opinion that learning
is important in our life since it reflect our personal attitude towards
self and education. The valuable experience with the respondents
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motivates us to involve lively in the entire body of learning process in
order to develop our abilities and enrich knowledge. As acknowledged
by respondents know how to learn and assume their responsibility for
their own learning, we are also motivated to participate in any adult
education programme as long as we can acquire new experience,
knowledge, skill and attitude.

17.0. Conclusion
To conclude, we observed, PSD are able to manage their roles and
attain their desired objective as a centre of drug rehabilitation. The
successfulness can be seen from the effectiveness of program in
changing drug addict behaviour to flexible and learning-oriented
individual in a variable of context. The respondent is able to
understand the purpose of their involvement in PSD and they are able
to follow the rules and procedures along the period of rehabilitation.
Their participation in learning activities has changed them to be more
matured in their attitude, value, knowledge and skills. Currently, the
respondents are considered as a higher types of motivational learners
and they reflect positively towards their self and education learned.

The respondents are offered flexibility to decide what to learn based

on their own learning styles and experiences. The respondents are
considered as high motivational learners, some sense of self directed
learners and always been a critical thinker to participate in their
rehabilitation process. It would bring positive impact to their
developmental changes. Referred to adult learning process practiced
at PSD, it was identified there is a correlation between the statement
of theories and the real situation occurred at PSD. The effectiveness of
the theory applied have influence the developmental process of the
learners to perform well in their future life.

Based on the discussion above, many people erroneously still believe

that drug addiction is simply a failure of will or of strength of
character. The recognition that addiction is a brain disease does not
mean that the respondent is simply a hapless victim. Addiction begins
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with the voluntary behaviour of using drugs, and respondents must
participate in and take some significant responsibility for their
recovery. Thus, having this brain disease does not absolve the
respondent of responsibility for their behaviour, but it does explain
why they cannot simply stop using drugs by sheer force of will alone.
It also dictates a much more sophisticated approach to dealing with
the array of problems surrounding drug abuse and addiction in our
society.

In terms of fully recovery perspectives, although we discovered a

small percentage of people are able to recover from addiction without
help, the majority of individuals need assistance. With treatment and
support, many individuals are able to stop abusing drugs and rebuild
their lives. Along with counseling and attending self-help groups,
respondents can boost their chances of staying drug-free.
Respondents must give themselves time to achieve significant
improvement and always avoid high-risk situations.

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