Journal Articles

Evaluating Teaching Practice in Kenya: Successes and Failures

2025-03-24T11:15:45Z

Evaluating Teaching Practice in Kenya: Successes and Failures Cheruiyot, Betty Although there have been significant reforms, Kenya's education system still faces many obstacles. Inadequate funding, an ongoing teacher shortage, and opposition to educational reform are substantial problems that impede the achievement of academic objectives and student results. This study thoroughly analyses Kenya's educational landscape, considering professional development, CBC implementation, technology integration, teacher preparation, and assessment techniques. The study provides a nuanced analysis of Kenya's educational landscape by identifying successes and challenges within these domains. The study adopts a qualitative approach, including a thematic analysis of qualitative data, secondary data analysis, and a literature review. Government reports scholarly works and international evaluations are examples of secondary data sources that offer a solid basis for the study. The results indicate that professional development initiatives have significantly improved teacher competencies and instructional practices. The CBC has received positive feedback for integrating practical skills and critical thinking into the curriculum. Technology integration has improved student engagement and interactive learning, as demonstrated by programmes such as the Digital Literacy Programme. Still, there are enduring difficulties. Effective teaching is hampered by a lack of resources, made worse by a shortage of teachers and unequal access to technology, especially in rural areas. Educator resistance to implementing new curricula and methods makes reform initiatives even more challenging. Kenya's education system still faces significant obstacles that must be overcome to improve instructional strategies. Sustained improvement requires addressing teacher shortages, improving resource allocation, and overcoming resistance to change. These efforts are crucial to ensure equitable access to quality education and prepare students for future difficulties. The study recommends increasing funding and equitable distribution of resources to enhance infrastructure and teaching materials; implementing strategies to recruit and retain qualified teachers, providing ongoing professional development; expanding access to technology and providing comprehensive training for educators to maximize its educational benefits; fostering a culture of innovation through awareness programs, incentives for educators, and collaborative policymaking. This article intends to add to the continuing discourse on educational reform in Kenya, presenting insights and ideas to guide policy decisions and create positive change in the education sector

Effect of E-Learning Integration in the Teaching of Practicals on Performance in Biology in Likuyani Sub-County, Kenya

2024-10-14T07:07:24Z

Effect of E-Learning Integration in the Teaching of Practicals on Performance in Biology in Likuyani Sub-County, Kenya Chebichi, Lucy M.; Samikwo, Dinah; Aminga, Robert This study aims to investigate the effects of integrating e-learning into the teaching of practical Biology lessons on performance in secondary schools in Likuyani Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya. The research employed a Solomon's four-group research design to control for pre-existing differences between groups, targeting 1800 Form Three students and 54 biology teachers from 22 secondary schools. Data was collected using interview schedules, questionnaires, and Biology Achievement Tests 1 and 2, and analyzed using SPSS software. The study's findings have implications for stakeholders such as the Kenya National Examinations Council, Biology teachers, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, and the Ministry of Education, aiming to improve teaching practices and learning outcomes in Biology. Demographic characteristics of the respondents show a majority in the age bracket of 16 to 40 years, with 50.2% being male. The majority of teachers were below 35 years old, with most having above 10 years of teaching experience. An assessment of the availability and extent of use of e-learning resources revealed higher availability in Extra County, County, and Private schools compared to Sub county schools. Performance was evaluated using pre-test and post-test scores for both control and experimental groups. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant difference in performance between the school categories (F (3, 326) = 7.92, p < 0.001), with a post-hoc Tukey test showing significant differences between Extra county and County schools (p = 0.0240) and between County and Sub county schools (p = 0.0060). There was no significant difference between Extra county and Private schools (p = 0.731). Furthermore, a t- test analysis of pre-test and post-test scores showed a significant difference in performance between students taught through traditional lecture methods and those taught using e-learning methods (t = -50.2, df = 326, p < 0.001). Schools using e-learning showed higher post-test scores compared to those using traditional methods. The study concludes that integrating e-learning in teaching Biology practical lessons has a positive impact on performance in secondary schools. Schools with better e-learning resources and practices showed higher post-test scores. Recommendations have been made to enhance e-learning resource availability, improve laboratory conditions, and foster collaboration among schools. Further research is suggested to explore the impact of gender on Biology performance

The Impact of Collaborative Peer Supervisory Competencies on Enhancing Instructional Supervision for English Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

2024-02-09T09:26:53Z

The Impact of Collaborative Peer Supervisory Competencies on Enhancing Instructional Supervision for English Teachers in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya Wakasa, Diana Barasa Professional development of teachers is a fundamental element in ensuring effective and impactful learning experiences for students. Central to this development is instructional supervision, a process aimed at improving teaching practices. Collaborative Peer Supervision (CPS) has emerged as a promising model, fostering a culture of mutual support and continuous growth among teachers through peer observation and feedback. This study therefore, sought to establish the extent to which teachers of English are equipped with collaborative peer supervisory competencies, to enable them utilize collaborative peer supervision (CPS) model, in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. The study was guided by Social Learning Theory proposed by Albert Bandura. The study adapted the Convergent Mixed Methods Research Design. The target population was 417 English teachers from public secondary schools in Kakamega county. Yamane formula was used to calculate the sample size of 286 teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents. The questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect the data. Reliability and validity of questionnaires was tested by conducting a pilot study. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while Qualitative data was analyzed thematically using NVIVO12 Software. The findings showed that there exists a positive relationship between supervisory knowledge and skills and teacher effectiveness (β = .316, p < 0.05). The positive association suggests that teachers who possess greater supervisory knowledge and skills tend to be more effective in their teaching roles. As educational systems continually strive for improved teacher performance and student achievement, the importance of investing in teacher training and development programs centered on enhancing supervisory skills becomes increasingly evident.

The Influence of Primary Teachers' Attitude towards Planning for Instruction in Nandi South District

2024-02-07T08:53:07Z

The Influence of Primary Teachers' Attitude towards Planning for Instruction in Nandi South District Jeruto, Fancy The major concerns in the 21st century to all educators is shifting education from mere learning to effective and efficient management of learning by teachers. Competence in instructional planning requires professional skills which can only be acquired through training and perpetuated by practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher's attitudes towards planning for instruction in primary schools in Nandi South district. The objectives of the study were to determine the teacher's attitudes towards planning for instruction and establish the relationship between teacher's attitudes and planning for instruction. This study subscribes to what Bower and Hilgard have termed general theories of instructions embodied in what recent psychologists term instructional theories. A descriptive survey design approach was employed in this study. Stratified and purposive sampling procedures were used to obtain trained primary school teachers used in the study. Questionnaires, observation and interview schedules were developed, validated and administered in the field to obtain data used in the present study. The results indicated that teachers understand and reasonably discuss the instructional planning process. However, it was revealed that they could not use available instructional ideas and materials to make and implement decisions that involve application of novel conceptual and practical technological ideas. It was also revealed that teachers‟ attitudes towards planning for instructions are unfavourable. Attitude is influenced by motivation, availability of teaching and learning facilities, environment and teacher's personal characteristics. The study also recommends that teachers need to be motivated through various incentives such as better remuneration, in-service programmes, fair administration and provision of adequate and variety of teaching and learning media. The study provides useful insights which can be used to improve teaching in Kenyan primary schools and teacher training colleges.

Influence of trainees’ personalityon Course Choice inVocational Training Centres inTaitaTaveta County, Kenya

2024-02-07T08:40:50Z

Influence of trainees’ personalityon Course Choice inVocational Training Centres inTaitaTaveta County, Kenya Chola, Raphael Mwasi; Kiplagat, Hoseah; Mubichakani, Joseph Students with strong social skills and personality are more likely to study in social sciences. TaitaTaveta County, Kenya, has 29 vocational training centers offering diverse courses. The effects of personality on course choice in these centers have not been determined. A correlational research design was used to identify associations between variables.Research focuses on course choice determinants among 2,386 trainees and 29 principal managers in TaitaTaveta County VTCs using questionnaires and interviews.The study involved 714 trainees and 7 principal managers, stratified using a Stratified VTC technique. Authorization was obtained from MoE authorities, and data was analyzed using SPSS version 26. Chi-square test, ANOVA and regression analysis were used. The proportion of male trainees in TaitaTaveta VTCs was higher than females, with 447 (63.1%) male trainees and 261 (36.9% female) participants. Most trainees were between 15-19 years old. Most of the Principal Managers 85.7%, were diploma holders. Majority of the principal managers 85.7% had 6-10 years’ experience. The majority of the respondents (58.5%) agreed that they were limited to their course choice by their personality.Trainees’ personality significantly predicted course choice, F 0.05(1,706) = 12.870, p< 0.05, which indicates that the trainees’ personality played a significant role in shaping the course choice (b=0.337, p<0.05). In conclusion, the trainees’ personality greatly influenced course choice. Trainees researched VTC courses to determine employment opportunities, focusing on demand, marketable, and direct job opportunities.

Can Learners Taught through Problem-Based Learning Strategy Demonstrate an Obligation to Conveying Positive Motivation towards Physics Enhanced Enrolment?

2023-10-12T07:06:59Z

Can Learners Taught through Problem-Based Learning Strategy Demonstrate an Obligation to Conveying Positive Motivation towards Physics Enhanced Enrolment? Mang’eni, Gladys Nasambu; Waswa, Peter; Samikwo, Dinah The government of Kenya has invested enormous resources such infrastructure development, learning materials and professional development of teachers. Despite the efforts put in place to support access and quality education, enrolment and performance in physics in most Sub-County girls’ secondary schools in Bungoma County at Form 3 remain relatively low and poor. The study aimed at investigating whether learners taught through Problem Based Learning Strategy demonstrate an obligation to conveying positive motivation towards Physics enrolment. The objective of the study was to establish the effect of problem-based learning strategy on girls’ motivation towards “Fluid Flow” as compared to conventional teaching methods. The study adopted constructivist theories of learning. Quasi-Experimental design was used with 4 girls’ schools targeted in Bungoma County. The study sampled Form two students because the topic of fluid flow is taught at form two. Simple random sampling was used to assign schools to experimental and control groups. The study used motivation questionnaire, physics Achievement Test (PAT) and Observation schedule. Two groups of each n=40 were either control or experimental were exposed to pretest and post-test. The reliability coefficient was calculated using KR-Fomulla-20 at 0.75. With the aid of SPSS 26.0, data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in form of tables. Results show statistically significant difference in the ability of Girls to derive the to perform better in the topic of Bernoulli’s effects using PBLS and its effect on girls’ motivation was relatively higher than use of conventional methods (ANOVA (F(4,155) = (Q2 = 459.886; Q16 = 462.375; Q24 = 831.272; Q26 =614.907 and Q28 = 406.743), p = .000). The study recommends the method should be strongly advocated by policy makers, the Government, Principals and teachers while teaching science subjects for effective skill development among the learners. The study is significant in bringing total reforms to CBC that call for the use of learner-centered instructional strategies to develop key competencies.

Effect of trainer pedagogical competences on students' academic perfomance in Diploma set courses: A case of National Politechnics in Western Kenya

2023-10-09T07:35:11Z

Effect of trainer pedagogical competences on students' academic perfomance in Diploma set courses: A case of National Politechnics in Western Kenya Miyawa, Caleb Jotham; Ahmed, Ferej; Muyaka, Jafred Trainers are most important in National Polytechnics, in the technical vocational education and training (TVET) system as they are fulcrums upon which wheels of the education rotate in delivering competence needed to convert global labour-oriented economy to a knowledge and innovation-based economy. This paper was guided by four trainer pedagogical competence objectives, which included assessing training techniques, training tools, instructional media, and communication skills as they affected the diploma courses of the Science, engineering and technological (SET) courses of students’ academic performance in the National Polytechnics in western Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from the three national polytechnics in western Kenya. A finite sample of 112 trainers' fraternity respondents were chosen using stratified selection and simple random sampling methods from a population of 650 trainers. Utilizing questionnaires and interview schedules, data was gathered. Data collecting tools were tested for reliability and were subjected to test-retest procedures, which gave 0.782, and was within the acceptable range as suggested by Mugenda & Mugenda. The primary questionnaire's items were arranged in accordance with the specific goals of the study. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were used to analyse the data. The study found that the trainer's pedagogical competencies of instructional media had the strongest statistically significant relationship with students' academic performance in national Polytechnics (r=.780, p.05), followed by communication skills (r=.618, p.05), and training methods and use of training tools (r=.599, p.05) respectively.

Impact of Laboratory Method on Students’ Motivation of Mathematics in Secondary Schools of Kapseret Sub County Kenya

2023-10-05T12:31:02Z

Impact of Laboratory Method on Students’ Motivation of Mathematics in Secondary Schools of Kapseret Sub County Kenya Jepkosgei, Purity; Mubichakani, Joseph; Ochieng, Richard Mathematics is compulsory for all learners in secondary schools, as recommended by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (2010). The performance of mathematics has been consistently low and one of the reasons is insufficient Mathematics laboratory. The study sought to determine Mathematics performance among secondary school students. The study instruments that were used included a pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent group experimental design, questionnaires, and an interview schedule. The researcher sampled 298 students and 26 teachers who took part in the study. The Form two students were selected to participate in the study. A sample size that represented the study population was selected using simple random sampling and purposive sampling while stratified sampling was used to select the schools. The study used the Solomon Four-Group design where two groups were formed, one experimental and one control group. The experimental group entered laboratory instructional strategy method while the control group entered conventional instructional strategy method. The respondents were assigned in their complete classes to four groups; experimental groups 1 and 3, and control groups 2 and 4. All the groups were taught the same content of the reflection and congruence. However, groups 1 and 3 were taught using laboratory method while groups 2 and 4 were taught by conventional methods. Groups 1 and 3 were pre-tested prior to the implementation of the laboratory method treatment. Teachers who took part in the study were inducted prior to the study by the researcher for period of three weeks. Mathematics Achievement Test 1 and Mathematics Achievement Test 2, questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. SPSS was used to aid in data analysis. Chi-square tests were used to establish relationships. The study findings indicated that the laboratory method arouse the learners’ interest, increased learner participation, boosted the performance, enabled learners to develop the necessary skills for more advanced study research and promoted the development of scientific thinking. The study recommends that there is need for teachers to use laboratory method, which ensures that learners are more involved and engaged more in doing Mathematics activities and teachers have to be trained on the use of such pedagogy.

Critical Thinking Skills: The Extent to which they are Taught in Physics Lessons in Secondary Schools of Transnzoia County, Kenya.

2023-10-05T12:14:27Z

Critical Thinking Skills: The Extent to which they are Taught in Physics Lessons in Secondary Schools of Transnzoia County, Kenya. Rutto, Dickson Kimeli; Wanami, Simon; Waswa, Peter The study sought to establish the extent to which critical thinking skills were taught in physics lessons, in secondary schools of Transnzoia County, Kenya. It was occasioned by the inadequate critical thinking skills exhibited by candidates as observed by the Kenya National Examination Councill’s (KNEC), Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) analysis reports in physics of the years 2018 and 2019. The research employed descriptive survey design, with both descriptive and inferential statistical tools used for data analysis. The target population was secondary school teachers of physics in the County. From the study, it was established that, the teaching of critical thinking skills in physics lessons did not adequately enhance learner’s critical thinking skills, as such put them at a disadvantaged position in problem solving, including solving higher-order-level questions in examinations

Analysis of the effectiveness of Teaching Strategies of Functional Writing on Students’ Performance in Kiswahili in Kenya. A Case of Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

2023-10-02T12:39:39Z

Analysis of the effectiveness of Teaching Strategies of Functional Writing on Students’ Performance in Kiswahili in Kenya. A Case of Elgeyo-Marakwet County. Ojwang, Consolata; Oduori, Robert W.; Murunga, Felicity Functional writing has been given prominence in the Secondary school Kiswahili syllabus in Kenya. This paper reports on study that was undertaken in 2020 that investigated the influence of functional writing skills on students‟ performance of Kiswahili in Elgeyo-Marakwet County. The need for this study was based on the fact that functional writing is an area faced with challenges. The main objective of the study was to examine the influence of functional writing skills on students‟ performance in Kiswahili. Theoretical framework was based on Jane Emig‟s Process Theory of Composition writing (1971). The study employed descriptive research design and data was collected using the questionnaire, observation schedule and document analysis. The area of study was Elgeyo-Marakwet County. The target population included form four students and teachers of Kiswahili in 37 out of the 122 secondary schools. From this population, stratified, purposive and simple random sampling was used to get a sample. There were 9852 Form Four students in secondary schools in Elgeyo –Marakwet County as at October, 2020. During the entire study 579 students in Form Four class and 35 teachers of Kiswahili participated. The study used both primary and secondary data. Lecturers in School of Education at the University of Eldoret determined the validity of the research thesis instruments. Reliability was tested using test-retest method in four secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County. Questionnaire was the main source of primary data. Data from the questionnaire was presented in frequency tables and percentages using descriptive statistics, narrative and verbatim. The research established that inappropriate style and structure, incorrect use of language, negative attitude of learners as well as poor teaching strategies of functional writing skills have a major impact on students‟ performance of Kiswahili in secondary schools. The findings will be used for reference by other researchers and it will also give guidance on how to improve in the writing of functional essays. The study recommended that teachers should emphasize on the style and structure, appropriate choice of vocabulary when teaching and evaluating learners on functional writing.