Influence of religious education on moral development of pre-school children in Limuru zone, Kiambu county

Abstract

This study sought to explore the influence of religious education on moral development of pre-school children in Limuru Zone, Kiambu County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to find out whether teachers characteristics influence moral development of pre-school children, to find out if teaching methodologies employed in Religious Education influence moral development of pre-school children, to establish whether parents attitude towards Religious Education influence moral development of pre-school children and to establish if the curriculum content in religious education influence moral development of preschool children in Limuru Zone. The study was based on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development which ascertains that in order for a child to advance to a more developed level of morality, he or she must develop an equivalent level of intellectual ability. The study used descriptive research design. The population of the study targeted forty public pre-schools in Limuru zone. Purposive sampling method was used to identify the individuals to participate in the study. Data was collected using questionnaire, focus group discussions, and documentary analysis guide and observation schedule. The data collected was coded and entered into statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software and statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics on cross tabulations. Finally, non-parametric tests were done using Chi-square. The results showed that teacher’ characteristics (gender, age and qualification) and teaching methodologies do not influence the moral development of pre-school children. The study findings further established that pre-school teachers’ experience, parental attitude and content taught influence the moral development of pre-school children. The study recommends that the government through the Ministry of Education should offer in-service training to all practicing teachers especially those who lack the basic pre-school training. Teachers should also strive to employ teaching methodologies that enlist the participation of the learners. Worthwhile forums to guarantee good association should be encouraged to enhance interaction and creation of positive attitudes among parent. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should have a regular review of the curriculum content for religious education offered in the pre-schools.