Institutional factors influencing implementation of life skills education curriculum in public primary schools in Kehancha Division - Kuria West District, Kenya
Abstract
Life Skills education plays a major role in enabling individuals to translate
knowledge, attitudes and values into actual abilities in reference to what to do
and how to do it. Life skills is a new subject in the Kenyan curriculum , it is
also non examinable at both class eight and form four where national
examinations are taken and this makes it inconspicuous in relation to the
examinable subjects. Its implementation especially at the primary school level
has equally had few studies done in Kenya. Although efforts have been made
to effect its implementation, challenges that influence its implementation still
abound. The study had the following four objectives:- to determine the
influence of teacher preparedness on the implementation of the life skills
education curriculum in public primary schools in Kehancha division. to
determine whether attitudes of teachers affect implementation of life skills
education in public primary schools in Kehancha division to establish the
influence of learning resources on the implementation of life skills
education curriculum in public primary schools in Kehancha division and to
establish the extent to which head teacher’s supervision influences the
implementation of life skills education curriculum in public primary schools in
Kehancha division. The purpose of this study was to investigate the
institutional factors influencing implementation of life skills curriculum in
public primary schools in Kehancha Division.
Descriptive research design was adopted in the study. The target population of
this study consisted of all the public primary schools in Kehancha division.
Random sampling was used to select a sample of 19 head teachers, 95 teachers
and 300 pupils in STD 7 and 8. Primary data was used in the study.
Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire that had both closed
and open-ended questions. The quantitative data obtained was analyzed
through inferential and descriptive statistics and presented through tables,
percentages and pie charts. Qualitative data were organized into themes as per
study objectives and analyzed through content analysis process
The study established several factors as influencing implementation of Life
Skills curriculum. These include inappropriate teaching approaches, poor
conceptualization of Life Skills by the teachers, limited human resource, lack
of school supervision, poor teacher preparation, poor choice of teaching,
limited use of instructional resources and negative attitude of teachers and
pupils towards Life Skills. The researcher concluded that implementation of
Life Skills curriculum mainly depends on teacher’s competence and attitude.
This research therefore recommends that teachers and head teachers be retrained
on LSE regularly in order to improve life skills education, teachers
need to prepare schemes of work for life skills, follow the prescribed syllabus
and appreciate LSE, government through the ministry of education should
also allocate more resources such as relevant text books and audio-visual
learning aids to be used for the learning of life skills in public primary
schools; and also improve the curriculum to include Life skills Education and
make it examinable both at the school level and at the national level in public
Primary schools
Citation
Owino,O.J.,2013.Institutional Factors Influencing Implementation Of Life Skills Education Curriculum In Public Primary Schools In Kehancha Division - Kuria West District, Kenya.Publisher
University of Nairobi College of Education and External Studies
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5964]