School factors influencing implementation of primary school Kiswahili curriculum in Sigomere Division, Ugunja District, Kenya

Abstract

The study was investigating the school factors influencing implementation of primary school Kiswahili curriculum in Sigomere division in Ugunja District. The study was guided by the following study objectives; teacher and learner attitude towards Kiswahili subject, availability of instructional resources, teacher preparedness and teaching methods. This study was guided by the curriculum implementation theory propounded by Gross (1971).In this study qualitative and quantitative method using descriptive survey research design was used to collect data from sampled respondents. The study targeted all teachers of Kiswahili, class seven pupils and the head teachers. A sample of 12 head teachers’, and 45 teachers and 260 class seven pupils of public primary schools in Sigomere division in Ugunja District in Kenya was used. A sample of 50% was arrived at by using stratified and simple random sampling to sample the schools. Purposive sampling to sample head teachers and simple random sampling was used to sample the teachers. A sample of 12 schools, 12 head teachers, 45 teachers of Kiswahili and 260 pupils was obtained for the study. Data was collected using questionnaires, interview guides and document analysis guide. The study findings established that implementation of Kiswahili curriculum was influenced by attitude of the teachers and learners, and inadequate in-servicing of teachers and to a large extent by the selection of resources for teaching Kiswahili in schools. Not all the curriculum support materials were selected from the recommended guide the ‘orange book’. The study recommended that education office should ensure that all the schools in the division should follow guidelines in the orange book when purchasing the textbooks for their schools. Further the research recommends that the government should ensure that schools have adequate instructional resources in order to improve learner’s performance in Kiswahili. The study will provides valuable information to stakeholders on the factors influencing implementation of Kiswahili curriculum in public primary schools. The findings from the study are important to policy makers on various methods that can be employed to improve implementation of Kiswahili curriculum. The study informs educational stakeholders on the school based factors influencing implementation of Kiswahili curriculum.