Influence of religious education on moral development of pre-school children in Limuru zone, Kiambu county
Abstract
This study sought to explore the influence of religious education on moral
development of pre-school children in Limuru Zone, Kiambu County. The study
was guided by the following objectives: to find out whether teachers characteristics
influence moral development of pre-school children, to find out if teaching
methodologies employed in Religious Education influence moral development of
pre-school children, to establish whether parents attitude towards Religious
Education influence moral development of pre-school children and to establish if
the curriculum content in religious education influence moral development of preschool
children in Limuru Zone. The study was based on Kohlberg’s theory of moral
development which ascertains that in order for a child to advance to a more
developed level of morality, he or she must develop an equivalent level of
intellectual ability. The study used descriptive research design. The population of
the study targeted forty public pre-schools in Limuru zone. Purposive sampling
method was used to identify the individuals to participate in the study. Data was
collected using questionnaire, focus group discussions, and documentary analysis
guide and observation schedule. The data collected was coded and entered into
statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software and statistical analysis was
done using descriptive statistics on cross tabulations. Finally, non-parametric tests
were done using Chi-square. The results showed that teacher’ characteristics
(gender, age and qualification) and teaching methodologies do not influence the
moral development of pre-school children. The study findings further established
that pre-school teachers’ experience, parental attitude and content taught influence
the moral development of pre-school children. The study recommends that the
government through the Ministry of Education should offer in-service training to all
practicing teachers especially those who lack the basic pre-school training. Teachers
should also strive to employ teaching methodologies that enlist the participation of
the learners. Worthwhile forums to guarantee good association should be encouraged
to enhance interaction and creation of positive attitudes among parent. The Kenya
Institute of Curriculum Development should have a regular review of the curriculum
content for religious education offered in the pre-schools.
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- Faculty of Education (FEd) [6011]