| dc.description.abstract | A focus on teacher training is important to be able to address issues of
teachers' personal and professional orientations to enable an understanding of
how gender discrimination takes place in school and their role in addressing it.
The study sets out to explore gender perspectives in the training of teachers
at Igoji Teachers' Training College in Meru South district of Eastern Province.
The study had three objectives: to investigate and document gender ratios in
the science and arts disciplines; to examine the current teacher training
curriculum and its impact on male and female teacher trainees' professional
and personal orientation; and to determine the challenges to instituting gender
responsive teacher training programmes. The hypotheses that guided the
study were that teacher training educational resources are closely associated
with gender ratios in science and arts discipline, the P1 teacher training
curriculum has differential influence on male and female teacher trainees'
personal and professional orientable, and there are Challenges that constrain
efforts to institute gender responsive teacher training, for both the individual as
well as the institution.
Data was obtained using standard structured questionnaires, key informant
interviews and focus group discussion. Systematic sampling technique was
used to obtain a sample size of 100 male and female respondents and ensure
that all elements were represented. The quantitative data obtained using the
questionnaire was analyzed using the SPSS in form of descriptive statistics
and presented in percentages, frequencies and charts. On the other hand the
qualitative data obtained using key informant interviews and focus group
discussion was analyzed according to the emerging themes and presented
descriptively.
The main findings of the study indicated gender disparities in enrollment of
male and female students in the science and arts disciplines. Social and
academic resources were responsible for the gender variations in the college.
Social demographic factors also had an impact on performance and attitude,
hence the enrollment in the science discipline. Next, the P1 curriculum had an
impact on personal and professional orientation and the lack of elaborate
gender training failed to equip the trainees with necessary skills to enable them
deal with the different needs of boys, and girls while in the field as teachers.
However, the gender sensitization at the institutional level had positive effects
on gender relations within the college. Finally, the findings also show that a
number of challenges impended on instituting of gender responsive teacher
training. These included the centralization of teacher training, the maternity
leave policy and lack of a gender policy at the institution.
This study therefore recommends the need for further research into teacher
training colleges to get an elaborate national gender perspective. There is also
need to incorporate gender studies into the teacher training curriculum as well
as take into account gender differences to enable deal with gender issues at
the national and institutional level. This can be achieved through
implementation of the national gender policy and an institutional gender policy.
The teacher training curriculum should be in such a way that it promotes
personal and professional growth by offering diploma certificates that can earn
credit transfers when one pursues further education. In addition, a mentor-ship
programme would be appropriate for dealing with negativity towards sciences
and confidence building. | en |
