Use of Instructional Media Resources in Teaching Integrated Kiswahili in Secondary Schools: A Case study of Turkana County

Abstract

Students perform poorly in Kiswahili subject in Turkana County secondary schools. The study therefore, was aimed at investigating the use of instructional media resources in teaching Integrated Kiswahili subject. The study addresses the following objectives; to identify the available instructional media resources for teaching Kiswahili in Turkana county, to establish teachers experience and the frequency in use of instructional media resources, to establish the use of instructional media resources to integrate Kiswahili among teachers, to find out the impact on the use of Instructional media resources on performance in Kiswahili in the integrated approach. The study adopted the Piaget’s (1964) theory of Cognitive Development which is supported by Edger Dale’s (1954) cone of experience. Dale’s cone of experience explains a hierarchy existing between the concrete and abstract levels of thinking which has an analogy in understanding and use of instructional materials. A random sampling was used to select nine secondary schools in Turkana County. The sample consisted of 160 students of 100 boys and 60 girls in form three students randomly selected and 20 teachers teaching Kiswahili from the nine selected secondary schools in Turkana District. Data was collected by the use of questionnaires and interviews. Interview allowed the researcher to ask probing questions and clarify some points. Descriptive statistical techniques such as frequencies and percentages were used in the analysis of the data collected. From the findings of the study it was established that teachers are aware of the integration of lugha (grammar) into fasihi (literature) and fasihi (literature) into lugha (grammar).They say that instructional media resources can be used to teach the integrated Kiswahili syllabus and teachers had positive attitude towards the use of instructional media resources. However, the challenge is the unavailability of these instructional media resources. The findings will be of benefit to the curriculum developers as well as teachers who will get guidance on how to go about the use of instructional media resources to teach the Kiswahili integrated syllabus. It is recommended that the government to supply instructional materials to secondary schools and parents to buy learning materials to their children for easy integration of the syllabus.