ANALYSIS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ RATIONALE CONCERNING THEIR USE OF VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA (TEACHING 'AIDS') IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHING IN THE BUNGOMA DISTRICT AND ELDORET

Abstract

The present investigation into the elementary school teacher’s rationale concerning their use of various instructional media in teaching could not have come at a more convenient time than now. In recent years, both the local press and politicians have criticized primary school teachers over what they call ineffective teaching. The implication of these criticisms is that teachers do not expose primary school pupils to a wide range of instructional media. Assuming these media are available in the Primary schools is it not valuable to find out why these teachers do not utilize them effectively? This is the crucial question that the present study attempted to answer. Since it was not possible to administer a test for the above purpose to the entire Primary school teacher population of 94,000 in the country, a small but representative sample had to be chosen. The latter, comprising 211 men and women, urban and rural, trained and untrained, and experienced teachers, were drawn from eighteen randomly selected primary schools in the Bungoma District and Eldoret Municipal Council of Western Kenya. A review of literature revealed no appropriate instrument for this investigation. Subsequently, a twenty-five (25) item questionnaire was designed and developed for the purpose. The preliminary test in the Nandi, Uasin-Gishu, Kitale and Kapsabet areas showed that this instrument was valuable. On the basis of the results obtained, the questionnaire was modified and items reduced to sixteen (16) only. This was finally administered to the two hundred and eleven Primary school teachers. The thesis comprises five chapters Chapter one in concerned with the description of the problem probed. The second chapter provides the outline of the investigation. Chapter three is devoted to the review of the related literature. Chapter four and five present the results discussions of these findings, and conclusions and possible alternatives to the existing practice respectively. The implications of the main findings of this study require urgent attention of the relevant authorities connected with the design, development, selection and supply of elementary school instructional media. This would go a long way to guaranteeing relevancy of elementary school education to Kenya's educational needs.