Factors affecting mainstreaming of peace education in public primary schools in Nyarongi Division Ndhiwa District, Kenya
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to indentfy the factors that affect mainstreaming of peace education in primary schools in Nyarongi division, Ndiwa district. The following five objectives were formulated to guid the study.
i) To determine whether head teahchers and teachers are aware of mainstreaming peace education in primary schools;
ii) To establish whether the teachers had acquired training that can influences mainstreaming peace education into primary school curriculum;
iii) To analyse the cultural factors like male chuvenisim affecting mainstreaming of peace education;
iv) To ascertain the availability of teaching-laerning resources that facilitate mainstreaming of peace education;
v) To determine how individual perceptions affect mainstreaming peace education in primary schools.
The study used descriptive design and was confined to one divison. The sample consissted of 20 head teachers, 64 teachers and 1,164 pupils. Data were collected by use of interview guides and questionnares. The findings revealed that most men teachers were aware of peace education and mainstreaming the programme. Lack of tarining for teachers was found to affect mainstreaming of paece education. It was also revealed that cultural practices, inadequate teaching and laerning resources affected mainstreaming of paece education. Individual percepotion of teachers and pupils was also revaled to be a major factor affecting the mainstreaming of peace education in parimary schools.
It was also concluded that infusing peace in other subjects led to overclouded subjects syllabuses hence low rate of syllabus coverage especially in social studies. It was also concluded that cultural factors like male chauvinism, women position in conflict - peace related decision making in the society, clan supremacy, adult right overriding children rights and power or hero/ heroine worship affect mainstreaming of peace education in public primary schools. It was further concluded that inadequate teaching-learning facilities like classrooms, reference materials and teaching learning aids to facilitate mainstreaming of peace education.
Based on the findings some recommendations were made on how to improve mainstreaming peace education in schools, mainstreaming peace education be made core in all circles to help the adoption of peaceful conflict resolution practice. Peace education be scaled up in Kenya and mainstreamed throughout the primary school system. Suitable teaching /learning methodologies should be used including indigenous and contextuaIized curriculum to compliment contemporary tools of peace education.
Taking the delimitation of the study it was sugessted that a study to be conducted in other areas apert from Nyarongi division, a study determine the effect of cultural practices on mainstreaming peace education in primary or secondary schools be conducted. Similarly a study to determine how laerning resouces affect mainstreamingpeace education be conducted and lastly a study to establish the effects of taeching laerning-materials on mainstreaming peace eduaction be conducted.
Publisher
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [6011]