Factors influencing teachers' implementation of Kiswahili curriculum in public primary schools in Kiambaa division, Kiambu east district, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the teachers' implementation of the Kiswahili curriculum in public primary schools in Kiambaa division of Kiambu East district. The study used descriptive survey research design. The researcher targeted all the teachers of Kiswahili, the class eight pupils and the head teachers. The sample population, of fifty per cent, was arrived at by using stratified and simple random sampling to sample the schools, purposive sampling to sample the head teachers, simple random sampling to sample the teachers, and systematic sampling to sample the pupil. A sample of thirteen schools, thirteen head teachers, thirty four teachers of Kiswahili, and two hundred and eighty six pupils was therefore used in this study. The data was collected using the questionnaires that were administered to the teachers and the learners, interview guide for the head teachers, document analysis guide and classroom 6-6-servation. Qualitative data was sorted into homogenous themes and coded. The researcher transcribed the interviews and observations and then analyzed their content. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer soft ware version 11.5 was used to analyze the quantitative data. The findings were that the teachers teachings Kiswahili in Kiambaa division were professionally qualified and had vast experience in teaching the Kiswahili curriculum. This however, did not influence their implementation of the Kiswahili curriculum since the results from the learners' performance in examination were not encouraging. The findings also revealed that most (55.9%) teachers had not attended any in service

training on the Kiswahili curriculum. Other findings were that not all the curriculum support materials were selected from the recommended guide book the 'Orange Book'. The study also found out that although the teachers covered the syllabus before the examination, the coverage was in adequate. This was influenced by other factors including heavy teachers' weekly work load, in adequate text books among the learners and lesson time wastage. The study recommends that teachers should take an initiative and responsibility to professionally and academically develop themselves beyond the pre- service training. The researcher also recommends that student teachers should be allowed to choose and specialize in Kiswahili subject during the pre-service training and that Kiswahili should not be a compulsory subject during the training. These are among other many recommendations in this study.