Influence of Brainstorming Technique on Standard Seven Learners’ Achievement in English Composition Writing in Public Primary Schools in Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

Adaptation of brain storming technique to teach Standard Seven learners English composition writing offers the learners an opportunity to work well in groups where behavior, collaboration and communication is natured. The present study was guided by the following objectives: To examine the influence of individual group technique on learners‟ achievement in composition writing skills; To determine the influence of whole group technique on learners‟ achievement in composition writing skills; To examine the influence of small group technique on learners‟ achievement in composition writing skills; To determine the influence of Round Robin technique on learners‟ achievement in composition writing skills in public primary schools in Kisumu County and to examine the influence of Relay technique on learners‟ achievement in composition writing skills. The study was guided by Piaget‟s (1967) theory of cognitive development, specifically “constructivist” views of discovery learning. Quasi experimental; pre-test, post-test control groups design was adopted in which six sub county public primary schools in the Kisumu County, in Kenya were purposively selected The study sample size borrowed the criteria by Amin (2005) which extensively drew from Krejcie and Morgan (1970) who commented that the accessible sample data of 1100-1000 with simple size between 278 and 285 is acceptable. The study used a sample size of 292including: six teachers of English, 6 head teachers and 280 standard seven pupils (60 in the control group and 220 in the experimental group) of public schools in Kisumu County. Data was collected via tests for learners, teacher and learner questionnaires, classroom observation schedules and check-lists Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed and interpreted thematically. Descriptive statistics obtained frequencies, percentages and means. Inferential statistics on independent t-test was obtained to test significant difference between groups. The study hypotheses were tested at 5% level of significance. For individual method of brainstorming learning, the study found out that free writing method was moderately used (M=3.20, SD=1.240) in teaching composition in public primary schools while individual teaching method was poorly used (M=2.55, SD=1.208). For whole group learning method, the study found that brain writing method was moderately used (M=3.40, SD=1.269), pie storm teaching method was highly used (M=3.733, SD=1.796) while brain wave and brain writing methods contributed least to learners‟ composition writing skills. For small group learning method: revised method was as moderately used (M=3.80, SD=2.960) as buzz method (M=3.40, SD=2.106) in teaching composition while three-minute method was highly used (M=4.20, SD=2.269) in composition teaching. For the round robin method, individual method was moderately used (M=3.80, SD=1.160), small groups was poorly done (M=2.30, SD=1.208) adopted in teaching composition. For relay method, skills method was rarely used (M=1.50, SD=1.840) and resource method was seldom used (M=3.20, SD=1.240) in teaching composition writing in public primary schools in Kisumu County. Pre- and post-test findings indicated an increase in pass rate for the experiment group implying that brainstorming teaching technique improved class pass rate and thus learners‟ achievement in composition writing. The mean of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. The difference between the post- test means scores was statistically significant (t (278) =54.77, p=0.000) indicating that the experimental group‟s performance was significantly better than that of the control group. The One-Way ANOVA results revealed that there was a significantly significant difference somewhere among the mean scores on the dependent variables for the four groups F (2.332, p=0.001). The computed z values for brainstorming technique elements revealed a z-statistic value higher than the z- Critical value and p-value less than 0.05. Thus, the study rejected all the five null hypotheses as there was a significant influence between: individual group method, whole group method, small group method, round robin method and relay method; and learners‟ achievement in composition writing skills in public primary schools in Kisumu County. The study concluded that brainstorming is an effective technique to be embraced in the teaching of composition writing to enhance learners‟ achievement in Standard Seven. Teachers should be exposed to the new trends of teaching in order to change the approaches they currently use to facilitate teaching and learning. Policy makers and implementers, Ministry of Education and Kenya National Examination Council, should address the use of brainstorming technique in order to provoke critical-thinking in learners