Character Development through Education in Kenya :A Pragmatic Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which the pragmatic theory of education can be employed as a basis of character development in Kenyan schools. It proceeded from the assumption that for children of school going age, education is the dominant agent of character development. The study adopted the pragmatic theory of education as its theoretical framework, and employed the critical, phenomenological and historical philosophic methods to gather and analyze relevant information. The study concluded that the poor state of discipline in Kenyan schools is attributable to the methods thus far employed for character development in the said institutions, hence the need for a new approach to this important endeavor. Consequently, the study recommends a pedagogical strategy designed in line with the tenets of the pragmatic theory of education to guide efforts at character development in Kenyan schools.