Assessment of selected determinants of the implementation of health and physical education curriculum in public primary schools in Nandi County, Kenya

Abstract

Health and Physical Education (HPE) is one of the core subjects in primary and secondary schools, as well as in teacher training colleges in Kenya. The implementation of the HPE curriculum is however not progressing as expected. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess selected determinants of implementation of HPE curriculum in public primary schools in Nandi County. The study was guided by five objectives that sought to establish the influence of teacher preparation and use of professional documents; teaching methods; teacher attitude; adequacy of equipment and facilities; and monitoring and evaluation, on implementation of the HPE curriculum. The study was grounded in the pragmatic paradigm and adopted the convergent mixed methods research design. A population of 1290 individuals (comprising of QASO, head teachers, HPE teachers, and pupils) was targeted, out of which a sample of 296 was drawn. Both stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to ensure fair representation of study units. Data from HPE teachers were gathered using a structured questionnaire, while that from QASO and head teachers were gathered through face to face interviews. Focused group discussions involving groups of 10 pupils each were used to collect data from the pupils. Document Analysis was used to verify teachers’ preparation and use of professional documents. Data collection instruments were validated though a pilot study conducted in five primary schools in the neighbouring Uasin Gishu County. Thematic analysis was used to extract recurring themes from QASO and head teachers’ interview responses as well as from focused group discussions. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify determinants of implementation of HPE curriculum. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that professional documents (B = 0.482, p<0.05); teaching methods (B=0.332, p<0.05); teacher attitude (B=0.204, p<0.05); and teaching equipment and resources (B=0.822, p<0.05) were positive and significant determinants of HPE curriculum implementation, and explains upto 61.3% of the variance in implementation of the curriculum. Thematic analysis results indicated that implementation of HPE curriculum in public primary schools in Nandi County was being hampered by inadequate use of professional documents; lack of variety in teaching methods; negative attitude among teachers; inadequate facilities; and inadequate monitoring and evaluation of HPE instruction. The study recommended need for adherence to professional records, use of diverse teaching methods, positive attitude, adequate resources and improvement in monitoring and evaluation of HPE instruction.