Teachers’ Response To Learners’ Psychosocial Needs In Enhancing Learning After Post Election Violence In Public Primary Schools, Kamukunji District, Nairobi Kenya.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish teachers‘ response to learners‘ psychosocial needs in enhancing learning after post election violence in public primary schools in Kamukunji district Nairobi County. The study was guided by three objectives; to establish how teachers‘ training, experience and attitude influence their response to psychosocial needs in enhancing learning, to identify ways in which teachers‘ response to pupils trauma, withdrawal and distress enhanced learning, to determine the extent to which teachers‘ responses to pupils‘ interactions enhanced learning after post election violence in public primary schools, Kamukunji district Nairobi Kenya. Three research questions were formulated to guide the study. The research design used in this study was descriptive survey. The sample comprised of 106 teachers. This study used questionnaires as the main instrument to collect the data. Data was analyzed by use of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Findings revealed that pupils had psychosocial needs after post election violence and that teachers‘ training, experience and attitude influenced their response to pupils‘ psychosocial needs in enhancing learning after post election violence; teachers‘ response to pupils‘ trauma, distress and withdrawal as well as their interactions enhanced learning after post election violence. The study concluded that children had psychosocial needs after the PEV which hindered them from educational development. For example teachers often focused on sensitization on these children and employed sound instructional approaches during teaching; they also used child related teaching methodologies very often. Teachers employed close bonds and relationships between pupils very often and often engaged teacher counselors in assisting the children‘s needs and in focusing on pupils‘ trauma. The study concluded that teachers‘ response to pupils‘ withdrawal, distress and interactions enhanced learning after post election violence. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Teachers should be trained or in-serviced on how to handle pupils‘ psychosocial needs after post election violence so as to enhance learning. It was also recommended that schools should put in place mechanisms for addressing pupils‘ trauma after a traumatic experience such as one caused by post election violence so that learning is enhanced. Further recommendation was that, school Guidance and Counseling departments should be empowered to enable them address pupils‘ psychosocial needs after violence and that pupils xiv should be encouraged to share experiences after traumatic experiences so that they can be assisted to overcome the same for effective learning. The study suggested that a study on teachers‘ response to learners‘ psychosocial needs in enhancing learning in private primary schools as well should be conducted. A study on teachers‘ response to learners‘ psychosocial needs in enhancing learning in both public and private secondary schools should be conducted and lastly, a replication of the study using a different sample of non- teaching education officials would help to improve teachers‘ knowledge on the best practices in responding to learners‘ psychosocial needs in enhancing learning after any form of violence in Kenya.