Factors affecting the implementation of early childhood development (ECD)

Abstract

It is no doubt that the level of preparedness of the EeD children for transition to the primary school i.e. to standards one definitely depends on how effective and intensive the curriculum has been implemented. Before its implementation, the curriculum planning process is expected to among other issues factor the participation of teachers as the key role players during the implementation stage. It is clearly evident that lack of involvement of teachers in this process render the crucial implementing stage a total failure was therefore to determine the factors that affect the implementation of the EeD curriculum. The study was conducted in Winam Division, Kisumu municipality and involved 120 parents, and 20 teachers from 20 pre-schools in the zone. Data was collected using Questionnaires for teachers and through personal interviews with the parents. Frequency distribution tables, figures, bar graphs and percentages were used to analyze and present the data. The study revealed that the most important factor that affected the implementation of the EeD curriculum was the lack of involving teachers in the planning process of the curriculum which made them lack the will and ability to implement a curriculum content that they felt .. had been imposed on them. Other factors were found to include the school's capacity to receive and accommodate the curriculum in terms of its infrastructure and administrative set up that included the academic and professional backgrounds of their teachers. Support services from parents and other stakeholders such as physical facilities, teaching, learning materials were also a factor that affecting curriculum implementation. On the basis of the findings the researcher recommends that teachers be involved intensively '" during the curriculum planning process, so as to provide them wiil a background on what to implement including how and when to implement. f It also recommended that schools be quipped with all the facilities such as teaching/learning materials to enable them have the capacity to implement the curriculum. A further study is recommended to include finding out specifically the level and role of involving teachers in the whole process of curriculum planning.