Factors influencing implementation of English curriculum in public primary schools in Bungoma South sub-county, Bungoma county, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing implementation of English curriculum in public primary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County. The performance that is realized in national examinations at the end of eight years in Bungoma South Sub-County has not been satisfactory as English is key in implementation of the school curriculum. The purpose of this study was to find out the influence of teaching and learning resources on implementation of English curriculum, to determine how the language policy of the school influences the implementation of English curriculum, to assess how teachers workload influences implementation of English curriculum, to assess how monitoring and assessment influences implementation of English curriculum. The study utilized cross sectional survey designs because it involved specific samples of population as it used descriptive survey research design and stratified random sampling in three Municipality Zones of Bungoma South Sub-County. The target population was 130 English teachers who were respondents of this study. This sample population was arrived using Yamane (1967). It is a group about which a researcher wishes to draw conclusions (Komb & Tromp, 2006)The study found out that public primary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County had inadequate teaching and learning resources for implementing English curriculum, teachers and pupils did not adhere to the language policy of the school which was English, teachers of English had heavy workload which interfered with proper English curriculum implementation, there was lack of proper and efficient monitoring and assessment toward English curriculum. The study concluded that inadequate teaching and learning resources, poor adherence to the English language policy of the school, heavy workload on English teachers and poor monitoring and assessment of the learners negatively interfered with the proper implementation of English curriculum in public primary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County. The study recommended that the government should, provide enough English teaching and learning resources to teachers and pupils, there should be a strong language policy which is English in schools and be used regularly, Teachers Service Commission should employ more teachers to supplement the existing teachers to reduce teachers’ workload, lastly, the Teachers Service Commission in conjunction with the Ministry of Education should employ and staff more QASO to assist in the monitoring, assessment and inspections of public primary schools and teachers in the sub-county.