Abstract:
The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Home Science teachers and students towards Clothing and Textiles unit in Home Science discipline of the secondary school curriculum. The objectives of this study were to: determine the value of Clothing and Textiles unit to the students, towards the instruction establish the teachers' of the unit, determine problems learning of Clothing and Textiles unit and Ministry of Education, and the students' attitudes affecting the teaching and make necessary recommendations Kenya Institute of Education and all institutions to the that train secondary school teachers on how to improve the teaching and learning of Clothing and Textiles unit in Kenyan secondary schools. This was a descriptive study conducted in Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Keiyo districts of Rift Valley Province. Purposive and stratified sampling techniques were used to select 21 (58.3%) secondary schools offering Home Science in the target districts. Twenty seven (96.4%) out of the 28 Home Science teachers, in the sampled schools participated in the study. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select four hundred and nine (67.6%) Form 4 and Form 3 students to participate in the study. Teacher and student questionnaires were used in the collection of data. Descriptive statistics was used in data analysis and relationship between variables was established using the chi -square tests. The study established that teachers (61 %) and students (78%) have a positive attitude towards Clothing and Textiles unit and view it as a valuable unit in equipping the beneficiaries with the live skills. The study further established that inadequate time allocated for teaching the unit is the main problem affecting instruction of Clothing and Textiles unit and yet the unit is practical, time consuming, too wide and complicated due to many processes which the student must master. Competence in the use of the sewing machine is also important and yet in many high schools Clothing and Textiles is taught only in the third term, using the sewing machines which often break down because they are old. In view of these observations, it is recommended that secondary school Home Science syllabus be reviewed with incorporation of teachers' views. Teachers' views include increasing time for teaching, treating Clothing and Textiles as a subject at KCSE, and improving the training of Home Science teachers in training institutions. III
