The influence of a geography room on the availability and use of media resources in the teaching of geography in secondary schools: a case of Nandi and uasin gishu districts in Kenya

Abstract

This was a field study on the influence of a Geography room as an educational facility in the teaching of geography in secondary schools in Kenya. The study was conducted in the Uasin Gishu and Nandi District secondary schools. Twenty five secondary schools were drawn from Nandi and Uasin Gishu Districts using stratified and proportionate sampling methods. In addition, twenty five headteachers and forty eight geography teachers were selected tor the study using random sampling method.The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of the Geography room as an educational facility for teaching geography in secondary schools in Kenya. To be able to establish this, three research instruments were employed namely; the geography teachers questionnaire, the head-teachers and geography teachers' interview schedules and the checklist. The analysis of the data collected was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses specifically the one-way factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the chi-square (X2) statistics. The present study has established that; there are no or very few Geography rooms in secondary schools in Kenya, that a large proportion of geography teachers are either inadequately or not trained in the development and use of the Geography room, and that this facility is hardly used in the teaching of geography in schools. Consequently geography is not being taught as effectively as the case ought to be. Therefore this study recommends that all geography teachers be properly trained in the development and use of the Geography room, the Ministry of Education intensifies the supervision of the development and use of this facility in the teaching of geography in secondary schools, the Kenya National Examination Council include examination items that reflect the use of this facility in the teaching of geography and the geography teachers' promotions be partly based on the competency in the development and use of this facility. It is hoped that when all these measures are taken, the teaching of geography in the secondary schools in Kenya will be effective.