Factors Influencing Training Outcomes of Secondary School Mathematics and Science Teachers Involved in Smasse Project in Mombasa County.

Abstract

The Kenya government in partnership with the Japanese government took the initiative to address the poor performance of learners in science subjects at secondary level by building the capacity of teachers. Strengthening of Mathematics and Science Secondary Education (SMASSE) in-service training has been ongoing since 2004. The in-service training intervention is constructivist, its emphasis is on Activity-focused methods, Student-Centered activities, Experimenting and Improvisation (ASEI) through the Plan, Do, See, and Improve (PDSI) approach in science classrooms, referred to as ASEI-PDSI classroom practices innovation. Despite the in-service training the performance of students in these subjects has remained low. The change facilitators very often presume that once an innovation has been adopted and the initial training has been completed, the intended users will put it into practice. Implementation of an innovation is seldom so simple without support. The main objectives of the study were to establish the factors influencing the training outcomes of Teachers on SMASSE INSET in Mombasa County. Study adapted a survey design with a sample of 65 teachers. Data was collected by the use of questionnaires. Data analysis was done using descriptive and factor analysis. The study established that the teachers’ implementation of ASEI-PDSI classroom practices was partial. The main concerns of the implementers fell in three main categories; self, task and impact. Majority of teachers had self-concerns, task and impact concerns. There was a significant relationship between the teachers’ attitude and the level of implementation. However there was dissonance in the teachers’ positive attitude and their level of ASEI-PDSI classroom practices level of implementation, which was partial. Based on those findings, the researcher concluded that there was a significant relationship in the teachers’’ attitude and their level of implementation of ASEI-PDSI classroom practices. This study overall conclusion was that the teachers are the major determinants of the implementation of the ASEI-PDSI innovation. The study recommended that the facilitators of change, need to urgently address the self and task concerns of the teachers so that they can start implementing the ASEI-PDSI classroom practices fully, there is also need to strengthen the supervision of ASEI/PDSI classroom practices implementation and further training should be provided for effective management of teachers after an inservice program. The study recommended that further studies could be carried out to investigate the teachers’ level of implementation in other counties.