School determinants of curriculum implementation in public early childhood development and education centres in Mumias District

Abstract

Early childhood development and education is regarded as the initial stage and the beginning of every young child's formal education. Many children continue to grow and interact with others through play and peer activities during their ECDE experiences at pre-school and the stage requires every aspect of care. The objectives of the study were to determine the influence of the head teacher on curriculum implementation in public ECDE centres, asses the influence of physical resource availability on curriculum implementation in public ECDE centres, examine how teachers' renumeration influences curriculum implementation in public ECDE centres and the influence of teachers' preparation on implementation of curriculum in public ECDE centres. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study variables which were physical Resource availability, the head teacher, teachers' renumeration and teacher's preparation.

The target population was 176 subjects comprising of head teachers and ECDE teachers in public ECDE centers in Mumias district. Stratified sampling method was used to classify schools geographically irrto stratum. Simple random sampling was then used to select the sample size of 54 respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select the teachers and the head teacher as respondents. In cases where an ECDE centre had more than one teacher, the respondent was the teacher in charge of the centre. The data collection instruments were questionnaire and interview schedules which were pilot tested to ascertain their reliability. Questionnaires for each category of participants were used for data collection including an observation schedule for the selected public ECDE centers. The data so collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics thus through use of frequencies, percentages and means.

Validity was determined through careful preparation of items in instruments based on study objectives and by experts from the school of Continuing and Distance Education. Findings revealed that many head teachers of public primary schools are less concerned with ECDE centres in their schools and do not supervise curriculum in their ECDE centres, ECDE teachers are poorly renumerated, many ECDE teachers don't plan for their lessons and that there is an acute shortage of classrooms and toilet facilities in Public ECDE centres. There is need to induct ECDE teachers to update them on changing curriculum needs, head teachers of public primary schools be in serviced on ways of enhancing smooth implementation of curriculum in ECDE centres then be held accountable for poor performance in their ECDE centres. Harmonization of fees charged from these centres be done to enhance provision of sufficient physical facilities and for realization of improved renumeration of ECDE teachers.